Students learn Dance & Drama movements and practice the skills of working together as a team. They are given the opportunity to create their own dance and drama sets in small groups and performances which are showcased at the end of each Term through the Performing Arts concert. Students find great enjoyment in dancing and acting and often enter Dance competitions held in Auckland. Interpreting, creating, collaborating is all part of the Performing Arts experience.
The successful performance of music inevitably reflects self-confidence (a belief in the self), careful preparation (a commitment to achievement), and the communication of emotion between performers (the spirit of aroha).
By its nature, music is the antithesis of non-violence. At Southern Cross Campus College, successful performance also frequently depends on the musical skills that have been developed within the cultures of our community. The community produces children who have a strong awareness of the power of music. Our department strives towards broadening their experience of that power.
In Music we nurture and develop the musical skills and knowledge of the student. In doing so, we endeavour to improve their social, cultural, spiritual and musical wellbeing.
By taking this holistic approach we will strive to cater fully to the growing needs of our music students.
Art is a universal language and the research, analysis and practical skills we teach provide students with new ways of thinking and problem solving that help them in all aspects of their life and the way they interact with this increasingly visual world. Students are also building their visual arts skills so that they can open up future work and study opportunities involving creativity.
The Visual Art Department maintains a consistently high standard of student work and classroom teaching. We have many future focused initiatives to provide students with a range of creative experiences, for example a partnership course with the MIT faculty of Creative Arts where students get to operate as a tertiary student once a week on the MIT campus; vocational pathways programs that offer a range of artistic opportunities such as design for illustration, fine arts printmaking and painting, graphic novel and character development, and a partnership course that is in development with The Animation College and AMES for students interested in digital design, film and game programming.
Students in the Visual Art Department at Southern Cross Campus engage in variety of art processes such as printmaking, design, painting, ceramics, jewellery, screen printing, drawing, photography and moving image. Each senior student constructs their own individual learning plan with support from the teachers and students are encouraged to develop their own style based on their personal interests. Students have the opportunity to gain financial scholarships from year 11 -13 to assist with their tertiary fees in Visual Arts and Design as well as Merit and Excellence subject endorsements. In the year 10, students are accelerated in their learning by working to complete a level 1 NCEA standard that leads them into their academic studies in year 11.