PATHWAYS TO NAS
At the National Art School we believe the arts are vital for a well-rounded school education. We are committed to nurturing and fostering the talents of Australia’s future artists through a comprehensive and dynamic skill-building program that prepares students for the HSC and tertiary studies in Fine Art.
Our Education Programs complement classroom teaching and learning. We offer a range of options focused on developing links to the school sector such as practical artmaking workshops and professional development sessions for teachers. We offer tailored school programs for students in metropolitan Sydney, Western Sydney and regional NSW areas, as well as exhibition and gallery tours, studio viewings and history tours on campus.
Art Club
The Art Club workshops for high school students (15 – 17-year-olds) are designed to enhance and extend students’ technical, conceptual, and intellectual skills under the direction of experienced artists through intensive practical study in the disciplines offered at NAS as well as engaging in an experience of NAS studios and campus.
Students will develop their skill sets whilst investigating a variety of media and techniques. Each term is based on a separate discipline plus a continuous drawing stream.
HSC Intensive Studio Practice
The NAS HSC Intensive Studio Practice program is a great opportunity for Year 11 Visual Arts students who are passionate about art and want to take their skills to the next level in the HSC and beyond. Endorsed by the NSW Education Standards Authority, the HSC Intensive has been offered since 2000 to students in both government and non-government high schools.
Dobell Program For Year 11 Students
Generously funded by the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation, the Dobell Drawing School offers an opportunity for Year 11 Visual Art students from government high schools in Sydney’s west, south-west and nominated regional areas to participate in one of five workshops, including Drawing the Nude, Portrait Drawing, Drawing the Clothed Model, Objective Drawing and Experimental Drawing. The program culminates in a pop-up exhibition at the National Art School campus in the heart of Darlinghurst.
Students are nominated by their Visual Arts teachers. Information regarding this program will be sent to participating high schools in early Term 1.
School Workshops And Tours
At a NAS Workshop your students learn from our talented NAS students, staff, and alumni. Workshops are offered in any of our core disciplines and can be booked as half, full or multi-day workshops. For half and full-day workshops, we have off the shelf packages available priced per student. For multi-day workshops, our bespoke offerings would be the perfect product for you.
First Peoples Education Programs
Since 2016 the National Art School has partnered with Carriageworks and Blacktown Arts on the Solid Ground Initiative as an official Education Partner of this important program. Solid Ground is a multi-year initiative established to provide pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in NSW to enter the arts.
Commencing when students are in Year 10, practical visual arts workshops are delivered to introduce these young people to the creative and performing arts industries. In the following year it is envisaged that the students will be offered a place in the HSC Intensive Studio Practice and perhaps be inspired to pursue a career in the visual arts.
To nominate any Year 10 or 11 students for this program who are interested in a career in the arts, and who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, please contact Akala Newman at [email protected].
Dobell Programs for Teachers
Generously funded by the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation, the Dobell Regional Teachers’ Workshop offers two days of intensive drawing for teachers from NSW government high schools. Through the workshop a practicing artist from the NAS will encourage participants to share ideas and debate issues with peers while exploring technical and conceptual directions.
Each year a different NSW regional area is targeted to ensure this opportunity is extended to as many Visual Arts teachers as possible. In 2024 the nominated regional areas are the North Coast, New England and Hunter Regions.
Please Note: Completing the National Art School Dobell Regional Teachers’ Workshop will contribute to NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Registered PD hours addressing 2.1.2, 2.2.2, 3.3.2, 3.4.2 from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining Proficient Teacher Accreditation in NSW.
Teacher Workshops
The National Art School offers professional development workshops for Visual Arts teachers informed by different studio disciplines and techniques, as well as upcoming exhibitions at the NAS Gallery. These events enable teachers to be guided through the collection with artists and gallery curators whilst working with artists, NAS alumni and staff to learn practical art-making skills to take back into the classroom.
We are developing a suite of Teacher Workshops, Accredited NESA & Elective Courses for PDPs.