IB Subjects

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Film | Music | Theatre Arts | Visual Arts | Sport | CAS

Areas of study

Students at the Queensland Academy for Creative Industries typically study the following subjects for an International Baccalaureate Diploma:

  • Group 1: English
  • Group 2: Second language : Mandarin , Spanish or French
  • Group 3: Business and Management, Environmental Systems and Societies
  • Group 4: Design Technology , Biology or second Group 6 subject (must do Environmental Systems and Societies in Group 3)
  • Group 5: Mathematics
  • Group 6:Visual Arts or Film or Theatre Arts or Music.  

To download the Nov 2011 Session QACI IB Subject Selection Handbook click on the image. (PDF 891KB)

Click to go toIBO Diploma Website

 

Subjects can be undertaken at higher or standard level allowing for increasing specialisation and up to two standard level subjects (excepting second language) can be accelerated.

Achievements in arts areas are equivalent to other disciplines such as mathematics and science.

Students also need to complete Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) and an Extended Essay (EE).
They may also undertake university subjects and industry placement.

Film

Film Studies at the Queensland Academy for Creative Industries challenges students by developing an enhanced appreciation of film text as art, the technology used to create this art, and storytelling mechanisms that allow this process to happen effectively.

Students are immersed in film as an evolving art form. Through a range of processes they will become both literate in interpreting and skilled in expressing themselves within. This acquired knowledge of film language is used by students to critically analyse and deconstruct studied film texts at a sophisticated level of understanding. Students are asked to apply the acquired practical skills of storyboarding and pre-production, filming and editing to create original film works of their own.

As part of the holistic educational approach within the Academy, the course places importance on the humanistic elements contained in the arts. As such, students will develop a broad appreciation of different socio-cultural influences to film content and style across history and nationalities.

As a course that requires sophisticated imagery to be created, technological emphasis in the course is high. Students use MacBook laptops as a personal daily tool, HD digital video cameras and such programs as Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe Photoshop, Apple Garage Band, Macromedia and Shake for compositing blue room imagery. The course strives to have the student see the possibilities of creative thought come to fruition.

Assessment

Internal assessment for Film Studies in IB can be considered in the dimensions of:

  • Part 1: Textual analysis: the detailed study of film sequence
  • Part 2: Film theory and history: the study of films and film-making traditions from more than one country
  • Part 3: Creative process: techniques and organisation of production

Projects

During a unit of study, students may be asked to:

  • Design and workshop moving picture sequences as a member of a group or solo.
  • Critically analyse and deconstruct images and meaning contained in film segments or a genre as a whole.
  • Develop an awareness through self-discovery of historical, social and cultural aspects of a particular film or film movement.
  • Film, light and compose an accompanying soundtrack and edit a piece of film they have created.\
  • Discuss work or ideas in verbal or written forms.

Music

The Music program of study at the Queensland Academy for Creative Industries has been designed to provide opportunities for students to gain a lifelong positive engagement with music, to engage confidently in music-making whether at home or in the wider community and to communicate and express ideas about music.

The program

  • Students undertaking the course will also develop higher-order thinking skills and apply audiation through an exploration of the musical elements to analyse repertoire, compose and perform.
  • The vibrant and diverse music program creates an environment in which students can critically evaluate music across a wide variety of contexts, genres, styles and cultures.
  • As well as developing capabilities in traditional forms of musical expression, students are encouraged to become adept in using various music-related technologies (such as instruments, computer software, turntables) and applying their broad music knowledge, skills and insights to express themselves in a rapidly changing music-making environment.

Dimensions

Throughout the music program, students will explore the musical elements in a variety of contexts, genres and styles through three dimensions: Musical Perception and Analysis, Solo Performance and Composition.

  • Musical Perception and Analysis
    involves deconstructing music as a way of evaluating repertoire from a variety of social and cultural contexts. It also serves as a tool to enhance performing and a model to assist composing.
  • Composition
    involves the creation of music in a variety of genres and styles by combining musical elements and compositional devices. Students are encouraged to move towards developing their own creative style.
  • Solo Performance
    involves interpreting musical repertoire by playing an instrument or singing.

QUT experience

Links to QUT also offer valuable opportunity for students to engage in “real” industry practices, including sound production, ensemble experiences and masterclasses. The QUT experience also provides opportunities for students to be exposed to other sets of skills, processes and techniques, many of which can be applied in a wider variety of occupations such as entertainment law, arts administration and marketing.
Opportunities

Attending a varied array of live performances and participating in arts-in-residence programs provides a rich environment for students to express their creativity and individuality beyond the curriculum.

The discipline and commitment of music-making builds students’ self-esteem, personal motivation and independence as well as the refinement of collaborative teamwork skills.

Music is a powerful tool that contributes to the holistic development of the individual.

Theatre Arts

The Theatre Arts program of study at the Queensland Academy for Creative Industries has been designed to encourage students who show excellence in drama and to allow their creativity and talents to come to the fore.

The course

  • The course is positioned as a journey of discovery through an aesthetic paradigm of four interconnected layers: self-awareness, home enculturation, world custodianship and metaphysical speculation.
  • The student's path is one of empathetic growth from egocentric individuality to active global awareness.
  • Theatre Arts exists as a practical medium for motivation, empowerment and liberation within our culture.
  • Students learn to appreciate theatre by making and performing it, as well as by reflecting, analysing and evaluating its applications.
  • They are led to understand it not only with their minds but also with their senses, their bodies and their emotions.
  • Students study the forms that theatre takes in cultures other than their own both globally and historically, and through this come to know themselves, their society and their world.
  • The use of media technology is integrated as a significant component of the course.

Unit offerings

Unit offerings cover a broad range of theatrical traditions and practices including contemporary performance, process drama, Australian drama, 20 th century realism, Shakespeare, Ancient Greek theatre and modern political theatre.

QUT and La Boite Theatre Company

Links with the Queensland University of Technology and La Boite Theatre Company allow Theatre Arts students unprecedented access to advanced placement opportunities and professional pathways.

Students will have the option of attending a variety of live performance events, each selected to demonstrate the real-life applications of the course.
Materclasses, artists-in-residence, extension programs

Masterclasses, artists-in-residence programs and extension workshops complement the course, providing a rich environment for students to explore and extrapolate beyond the curriculum.

Through creative exploration, research and performance, students engage the "extraordinary" within the Theatre Arts program.

Visual Arts

The Visual Arts course at the Queensland Academy for Creative Industries encompasses a wide variety of art-making approaches, providing students with the opportunity to develop a critical and intensely personal view of themselves in relation to the world.

The course

The study of Visual Arts enables students to specialise in either a Fine Arts or Design strand.

Over the full three years of the Pre-IB and IB courses, it is expected that students will demonstrate growth and commitment through the study of art using an inquiring and integrative approach.

The Pre-IB course prepares students for the rigours and organisation of the IB Diploma Program.

The pursuit of quality through experimentation and purposeful studio work in a variety of expressive media is integral to the course.

Stimulating, challenging and relevant visual arts experiences allow students to develop to their full potential.

The IB Visual Arts course/s consist/s of two linked compulsory parts, with many activities integrating work in the studio with workbook research.

  • Core elements include an introduction to art concepts, criticism and analysis, the acquisition of studio technical and media skills, and the relation of art to socio-cultural and historical contexts.
  • Studio work involves practical exploration and artistic production whilst research workbooks demonstrate independent critical research and analysis across cultures, reflecting the global focus of the International Baccalaureate.
  • Visual Arts courses merge traditional art areas of drawing, painting, printmaking, design and sculpture with those of digital imaging, video and film, sound, light and installation, and encourage creative problem solving and individuality of approach to studio practice.

A complex investigation of meaningful concepts prepares students for the transition into university level study.

Information and Communication Technologies

Information and Communication Technologies are essential tools for the research, development and resolution of visual artworks, connecting students with knowledges and skills necessary for success in a highly competitive and technologically rich future.

Partnerships

Significant partnerships with QUT and the broader creative community enhance this evolution.

Study of the visual arts allows for and encourages considerable crossing of traditional boundaries within the arts.

Pursuit of excellence

At the Queensland Academy for Creative Industries we support our students in their pursuit of excellence in the sporting arena.

Students are eligible to trial for district teams and when successful go on to represent the district at regional and then state level.

The process to gain selection is:

  • Access information regarding District Trials on the Sports Noticeboard
  • See the Sports Coordinator to nominate to represent the Academy
  • Collect appropriate forms and signatures
  • Attend the North-West District Trials
  • If successful, ask the Sports Coordinator for Met North Regional Trials forms
  • Complete forms and collect signatures
  • Attend Met North Regional Trial
  • If successful, attend State Trials.

Our students have successfully represented our Academy in North-West District and Met North trials in swimming and volleyball.

Contribute

We value the contributions all our students make to their sporting teams, be it competitive or social.

Students are encouraged to continue to contribute to their local sporting clubs outside the Academy. Other sporting endeavours are also of great value to students. Yoga or dance classes, for example, are a great way to keep fit and healthy, release stress and maintain life balance.

CAS

Sport generally is seen as a CAS activity and students can claim their commitment to their club teams or classes as part of their CAS portfolio.

To be eligible to be considered as a CAS activity, students should:

  • Focus on what they want to learn from the activity and how they will grow as a person, help others or develop in some way
  • Complete the appropriate forms including the adult supervisor for the activity
  • See the CAS Coordinator to have it approved
  • Keep a journal for the activity and collect evidence of goal attainment.

Download CAS-handbook2009 (PDF 752KB)

Areas of Study | Film | Music | Theatre Arts | Visual Arts