Fine Arts

Fine Arts

At Salisbury, we believe that allowing students to explore their creativity is an important component of a well-rounded education. Fine Arts courses at Salisbury serve to enrich the education of our students through exposure to Instrumental, Jazz, Contemporary and Choral Music, Art and Design Studies, Drama, Musical Theatre, and Acting and Touring. In addition to a focused arts education in the classroom setting, many opportunities exist for students to perform outside the school as part of Concert Band, Jazz Band, Choir, Drama and Musical Theatre courses. Depending upon the post-secondary program desired, students planning to attend college or university may use Instrumental Music 30, Art and Design Studies 30, Drama 30, or Musical Theatre 35 for post-secondary entrance requirements.  

Art 10, 20, 30, Special Projects

Art 10 SAL Pre-IB

5 credits

This preparatory course is meant to develop the art skills and discipline necessary for Art 20 Year 1. This course follows and enhances the Art 10 curriculum.

Art 10

5 credits

Art 10 focuses on the various aspects of visual learning including Drawing Encounters and Composition. Students will be developing skills in drawing, painting, sculpture, and design and art appreciation. Students will develop and maintain a sketchbook throughout the course.

Visual Arts Year 1

5 credits

Prerequisite: Art 10 SAL Pre-IB or teacher recommendation

The Art 20 IB course is designed to encourage creativity and analytical skills, while exploring individual and cultural visual art perspectives. Students will learn to reflect critically towards visual art in the framework of exploration and comparative studies from different cultural contexts. Art 20 IB is working towards building confidence in making art while developing problem solving skills. This course is for students who aspire to go on to study fine arts in higher education as well as individuals seeking an enduring art enrichment.

IB Art focuses on three areas: Portfolio Process, Comparative Study and Exhibition.

Art 20

5 credits

Prerequisite: 50% in Art 10

Art 20 focuses on the various aspect of visual learning including Drawing, Encounters and Composition. Students will continue developing skills in drawing, painting, sculpture, design and art appreciation while starting to develop a personal style and artist vision. Students will develop and maintain a sketchbook throughout the course.

Visual Arts Year 2

5 credits

Prerequisite: Visual Arts 20 IB

Art 30 IB is designed to refine creativity and analytical skills, while exploring individual and cultural visual art perspectives. Students will learn to reflect critically towards visual art in the framework of exploration and comparative studies from different cultural contexts. Art 30 IB is to build confidence in making art as well as developing problem solving skills. This course is for students who aspire to go on to study fine arts in higher education as well as well as individuals seeking an enduring art enrichment.

Art 30

5 credits

Prerequisite: 50% in Art 20

Art 30 focuses on the various aspect of visual learning including Drawing, Encounters and Composition. Students will continue to enhance skills in drawing, painting, sculpture, design and art appreciation while developing their personal style and artist vision. Additionally, students will develop and maintain a portfolio throughout the course which is useful when applying to post-secondary art programs. Students develop and maintain a sketchbook throughout the course.

Art - Special Projects 30

5 credits

Prerequisite: 50% in Art 30

Advanced Art is available to students with special permission. Students explore their personal style and artist vision through projects exploring different media and concepts such as portraits, palette knife paintings, large abstracts, sculptures, etc.

Artscape - Special Projects 30

5 credits

Creating art for the landscape of the school! Design, create and share your art projects with your community. Students will be expanding the Artscape within our community through Skateboard Design, Rock Painting Garden, Sculptures for an Outdoor Sculpture Gallery, Recycled Art and Mural Design etc.

Please visit the Artist of the Week

Band 15, 25, 35

Band 15

5 credits

No Prerequisite
Non-semestered

Did you miss out on Concert Band or Jazz Band at Junior High? As the name states, students who are new to music and wanting to learn a new woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument are encouraged to register. This course is performance oriented, but elements of music history, ear training, and theory will be included. The goal of this course is to have students integrate with the regular Concert Band program.

This course will be run within the regular timetable.

Band 25, 35 (Advanced Music)

5 credits

Prerequisite: Band 15 is the prerequisite for Band 25. Band 25 is the prerequisite for Band 35
Co-Requisite: Instrumental Music 20, 30 or Instrumental Jazz 15, 25, and 35.
Non-semestered

This course is open to students who are thinking of taking their music to the next level. Advanced Music will be an extension of the regular Concert Band and Instrumental Jazz Program. This course will focus on individual study, solo, and small ensemble performance. Elements of music history, ear training, and theory will be included. Students will be preparing for concerts, festivals, clinics, and tours.

This course will be run within the regular timetable.

Instrumental Jazz 15, 25, 35

Instrumental Jazz 15, 25, 25 (Jazz Band)

5 credits

Co-Requisite: Instrumental Music 10, 20 or 30 or teacher recommendation
Non-semestered

This course is an opportunity for students to learn the many different styles and improvisational techniques in jazz, big band, and stage band music. This course is performance orientated, but elements of music history, ear training, and theory will be included. Students will be preparing for concerts, festivals, clinics, and tours. This class will be open to players of the following instruments: saxophone, trumpet, trombone, bass, guitar, piano, and drums.

This class will run outside the regular timetable.

Instrumental Music 10, 20, 30

Instrumental Music 10 ,20, 30

5 credits

Prerequisite: Band 9
Non-semestered

This course is for students interested in learning concert wind music through playing woodwind, brass and percussion instruments. Previous playing experience is required. This course is performance oriented, but elements of music history, ear training, and theory will be included. Students will be preparing for concerts, festivals, clinics, and tours. Students must also be registered in Band 15, 25 or 35 for the alternate day.

This course will be run within the regular timetable.

Performing Arts

The main philosophy of our Performing Arts Program is that students learn by doing. We are a performance-based program and believe that allowing students to explore their creativity is an important part of a well-rounded education. Students in our program actively participate in a show for each class. Students also learn about other aspects of theatre including set design, lighting and sound design, different acting techniques, vocal and speech training, and as well as movement and choreography instruction. Throughout their high school experience, they will have the opportunity to work with the numerous shows we present each year as well as they can work with and learn from professionals within the theatre community.

Upcoming Performances

Drama 10, 20, 30

Drama 10

5 credits

*No previous experience necessary

Drama 10 provides an in-depth focus on dramatic disciplines of movement, speech, improvisation, acting and theatre studies that culminates with the students starring in their own One Act production which is a Fairytale tour to neighboring elementary schools. This high energy course provides a platform for meeting new people and engaging in teamwork, creativity, and fun!

Drama 20, 30

5 credits

Prerequisite: 50% in Drama 10

Building on the foundations explored in Drama 10, Drama 20 and 30 students get the opportunity to star in their own main stage production at Salisbury. Students work on a show and learn about the theatrical process from beginning to end. Some past shows our program has produced include: A Christmas Carol, The Great Gatsby, Miracle on 34th Street, Our Town, Little Women and Radium Girls.

Musical Theatre 15, 25, 35

Musical Theatre 15

5 credits

*No previous experience necessary

Students learn vocal, acting and dance skills as they work on a junior musical production. In this high energy and fun course, students will receive professional instruction from vocal coaches and choreographers. All students have acting, singing, and dancing roles in the production. Some past Musical Theatre 15 shows our program has produced include: Aladdin Jr., Elf Jr., Frozen Jr., Madagascar Jr., Moana Jr., Seussical Jr., and Shrek Jr.

Musical Theatre 25, 35

5 credits

Prerequisite: 50% in Musical Theatre 15 or Drama 10

Musical Theatre 25 and 35 further emphasizes the development of vocal, acting, and dance skills. All students have acting, singing, and dancing roles and contribute to the technical theatre work within the production. Students perform at Festival Place theatre, transferring their skills to a professional stage. Professional vocal coaches, choreographers, and musicians are hired for the performance.

 

Technical Theatre 15, 25, 35

Technical Theatre 15, 25, 35

Prerequisite: no experience for Technical Theatre 15 but students need to pass Technical Theatre 15 to move onto other levels.

In this course, student’s work as part of a team to design, create and build the lighting, sets, costumes, sound, and props for a production. Professionals working in the industry provide workshops to teach students proper technical safety and techniques in our school’s theatre, as well as at Festival Place. Students will participate and run all technical aspects mentioned above during our shows at Salisbury and at Festival Place.

Advanced Acting and Touring 15, 25, 35

Advanced Acting and Touring 15, 25, 35

5 credits

Prerequisite: Students need to have completed at least one Performing Arts credit in the year as well as teacher approval.

Students in this course enhance their skills in set design, technical design, and performance. They expand their knowledge of classical and contemporary theatre. This class is available to students who have completed

IB Theatre Arts

The IB Theatre Arts course encourages students through the process of researching, creating, preparing, presenting, and critically reflecting on theatre as both performers and through the lens of audience members.

IB Theatre Arts is a two-year program. The program runs alongside our regular Drama program. Completion of the IB curriculum will require that the student work on some of the projects outside of regular class time. By the end of year two, IB students will have completed the following enrichment projects related to the IB curriculum to receive their IB diploma.

1. World Theatre Tradition Presentation – students teach their peers the theoretical and practical side of the genre of theatre.
2. Director’s Notebook – students must choose a published play and develop how it should be staged based on researching its playwright and the time the work was written as well as incorporating design techniques based on theories learned in class.
3. Collective Project – using the process of collective creation students’ workshop, write and create their own original piece of theatre for a specified target audience.

Prerequisite: Drama 10
Courses offered are Theatre SL Year 1, and Theatre SL Year 2

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Salisbury Composite High

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20 Festival Way
Sherwood Park, AB T8A 4Y1

Phone: 780-467-8816