At Sydney Catholic Schools we know creative arts opportunities enrich a child’s development, and give them the confidence to shine on stage and in life.
Our system’s arts program includes Dance, Drama, Music and Visual Arts to enhance the emotional intelligence, creativity and skill of students of all ages.
Arts HQ is Sydney Catholic Schools’ dynamic creative arts program.
It provides opportunities for all students from primary school through to Year 12 to achieve excellence in visual arts, singing, dancing, acting, instrumental music and songwriting.
There are different levels of participation in the program, including auditioned and open ensembles, creative workshops, exhibitions and performances.
Major performance events include an annual eisteddfod and portrait prize exhibition, and Arts HQ Live, a showcase for students who participate in skills development workshops with the program’s professional artists in residence and industry partners including NIDA. Other major performance opportunities include the Musical Extravaganza and Network Festivals.
Our Artist Evolution and Aspiring Stars talent development programs allow for further skill development in three streams: dancing, singing and acting.
The Murrawedeen Goodjarga program provides opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from Years 5 – 11 to strengthen their connection to culture through storytelling, Dance, Drama, Music and Visual Arts.
Amadeus is Sydney Catholic Schools’ unrivalled music education program.
Integrated into the curriculum, the Amadeus Music Education Program sees every student in Years 3-8 learn an orchestral instrument and participate in an ensemble.
It provides 33,000 instruments and tuition from 270 professional music tutors to students across our 147 schools.
Amadeus establishes a strong foundation in music for each child through classroom music lessons from Kindergarten. Amadeus instrumental ensembles provide a pathway for students to pursue challenging and competitive performance opportunities.
Amadeus tutors are some of Australia’s most distinguished and celebrated musicians with local and international conservatorium training. Their teaching practice is informed by their professional experience in esteemed orchestras and ensembles from around the world.
Our ViVA! The Performing Arts Program provides all secondary school students in the Sydney Archdiocese with a part-time option to study HSC Dance, Drama, Music 1, Music 2 and Music Extension, while enrolled at their current school.
The ViVA! blended learning model combines weekly face-to-face classes and online learning modules, allowing students to explore their passion and extend their skills.
The program is run by experienced HSC Performing Arts teachers who are HSC markers and have proven, recent success in their disciplines.
Since it began in 2017, ViVA! has grown exponentially. It is offered across two campuses: Southern Cross Catholic College Burwood, and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Kensington (dance only).
From 2025, the program will include ‘Dance XLR8’, an accelerated pathway for exceptional Year 10 students to complete HSC Dance a year early.
Entry to the program is via audition.