Professional guitarist and composer Anthony Garcia worked with students from years 7 to 12 at Kedron State High School to extend their skills in composing and musical improvisation. Developing these skills and fostering intercultural awareness was the focus of two project ensembles, Sounds Across Oceans and Guitar Alchemy.
Sounds Across Oceans was designed to engage students from a variety of cultural backgrounds within Kedron’s school community. It enabled them to compose and improvise music in a creative and welcoming environment.
Guitar Alchemy engaged English as a second language (ESL) students and students studying Spanish from the Languages other than English (LOTE) department, thereby promoting cross-curricular learning at Kedron.
July 2015 – June 2016
Brisbane
$15,000 – Artist in Residence Fund
The Kedron State High School Head of Department for the Arts reflected on the project and how to refine it for future delivery:
Due to the promotional opportunities and appropriate funding pathways, the program was enthusiastically received by the target group of students (ESL and international visa students) and the school community from the beginning.
In the future, the program may be refined by targeting students based on demographics. It would be especially aimed at promoting the welfare and cultural understanding of students from various nationalities.
My advice to others is to develop a program that fits well within the context of your school. An artist in residence can value add to the quality of work you are doing in your school and boost the diversity of your arts program.
Name: Rohan Hardy
Email: rhard61@eq.edu.au
Phone: 07 3630 3307
Website: http://www.kedronshs.eq.edu.au
A printable version (PDF) (1.34 MB) of this case study is also available.