Music & The Arts

With a focus on developing a culture of belonging and love of learning, our curriculum and co-curricular offerings in Music and The Arts allow specific individual characteristics of excellence, persistence and creativity to flourish. Reinforcing skills gained in the classroom, everything we do across our co-curriculars provides an extension to the learning and teaching program.

Creative Arts & Design and Technology

Whether it be at College events and annual exhibitions or through competitions and our Art Extension Program, the focus is on giving our girls real world experience and pushing the boundaries of their creativity. Offering a broad range of practical experiences, participating in creative co-curriculars such as Visual Arts and Media over time helps our students develop a personal voice by discovering what they enjoy doing and developing creative and critical thinking habits that open doors to success.

Visual Arts and Media

Some of our offerings include:

Extended incursions and workshops with professional artists and designers
Training and skill development through external providers
Excursions to universities to participate in workshops
Excursions to perspective shows
Excursions to the Art Gallery of WA
Visiting film viewings and discussions
Participation in art competitions
Pottery Club
Collaboration with other schools in Art events
Internal showcases such as CREATED Exhibition and Year 12 Exhibition

Design and Technology

With a focus on collaboration, Design and Technology works hard to provide opportunities to work with other Departments to extend and enrich both subject areas.

Year 8 Food Science	Year 9 Food Science
In partnership with the LOTE Department, students present and demonstrate a celebratory snack food in the language they study at MLC. The Language Department then supports the students to write a recipe in that language. A recipe book is then produced for each class with their recipes in both languages.	In partnership with the HaSS Department as part of Shark Tank, students plan, make and package a vegetable protein snack food then ‘pitch’ their idea to a panel of teachers from the HaSS Department.
In partnership with the OEE Department, students make 130 containers of trail mix for every Year 8 student for the OEE Camp.	In partnership with the OEE Department, students make muesli bars for the whole of Year 9 to be used on the OEE Camp
In partnership with the Year 6’s, each Year 8 Food Science class plans, prepares and serves picnic food to share with each Year 6 class. This is part of a ‘get to know you’ activity in preparation for the Year 6’s transitioning in Year 7.	In partnership with the Theatre Arts Department, students select, prepare and package up to 400 bags of treats for supper at the Year 7-9 Production given to guests at intermission.

Year 10 Children, Family and the Community	Year 11 Children, Family and the Community
Students work with teachers and girls in Years 1-3 to plan, make and undertake an interactive language activity with the students.	Students plan, make and undertake a sustainable activity with students in Years 1-3.
Students work collaboratively with the Barclay House staff to manage and run activities for the Junior Years’ Heather Lamont Festival.

Theatre Arts

Making memories and sharing invaluable experiences is at the core of our Theatre Arts co-curricular program. All Drama and Dance co-curricular activities are unique in that our main philosophy is to involve as many students as possible to have innovative and positive learning experiences. We recognise each girl has her own unique talents and ensure our offering is diverse enough to cater to all. Theatre Arts is also a terrific form of exercise for the brain, body and heart, impacting all aspects of life by upskilling our students and focusing on teamwork.

Drama

Performances throughout the year range from small events to full scale productions, allowing as many girls as possible to be involved and develop their confidence. The main difference is that our productions are open to all. You don’t have to be in the class and anyone can audition.

One of the biggest theatrical events of the school year is the annual College Production with opportunities both on and off stage. Alternating between musicals and straight plays, hundreds of girls are involved each year acting, singing, dancing, backstage, orchestra, writing songs, composing music, designing posters and working front of house.

We also hold a Years 7-9 Production exclusively for our Middle School girls, which consists of four short plays. It is typically directed by university students and MLC Collegians with Years 10-11 students participating as assistant directors.

As part of our friendly House competition, each year the Creative Arts hold a House Singing, Drama and Mime Festival. Each House directs a self-devised Mime and fully realised short play in which our Year 11’s are given the chance to be Mime directors and Year 12’s to be Play directors.

Dance

Students who are passionate about dance are able to audition to become part of the MLC Dance Theatre Company or the IGGSA Dance Team. The MLC Dance Theatre Company is a dance troupe that is auditioned at the beginning of the year and performs throughout at events such as the IGSSA Dance Festival. The IGGSA Dance Team participates in a piece choreographed by Year 11 students and performs at non-competitive festivals with other IGGSA schools.

Both troupes enjoy practising and performing in our state-of-the-art dance studio under the direction of our talented and dedicated Dance teachers. The culmination of this hard work is then showcased at both College events such as Heather Lamont Day and dance festivals with other schools. 

Music

Music features in the daily life of our College with regular performances at assemblies, events and celebrations. With a team of highly qualified Music teachers that includes over 40 diverse and expert instrumental and vocal tutors, our students are in great hands. From a leading world music curriculum that promotes a strong sense of global citizenship to partnerships that provide new and exciting learning opportunities, MLC has one of the largest and most vibrant Music programs in Western Australia.

The College places a priority on Music in the curriculum while also providing extensive co-curricular opportunities. Our curriculum is built largely on the notion of ‘learning by doing’ and students learn the mechanics by being hands on with practical engagement. Then when it comes to our Music co-curriculars, our offering is second-to-none.

At MLC, gifted musicians have the opportunity to follow an accelerated Music pathway which would allow them to complete ATAR Music prior to Year 12. Acceleration of students in Music is done on a case-by-case basis and in line with requirements of the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA).

View the Music Handbook here

Find Out More

Discover the stellar Arts program at MLC. Whether you are seeking more information about our curriculum or extra-curricular options, our team are more than happy to help. 