Creative Arts
Visual Art Department
The Visual Art Department offers courses from Year 7 to Year 13. Students develop a wide range of practical and creative skills, including observational drawing, colour mixing, painting techniques, printmaking, mixed media, and the use of chance in art making.
The work of Māori, Pasifika, New Zealand European, and international artists is explored across all levels to inspire student practice and provide broader cultural context. Through both group and individual evaluation of artist and student work, learners build the critical thinking skills required for senior-level Art.
Senior Pathways
Painting is currently the primary pathway offered at NCEA level, with Photography potentially being reintroduced in the future. An active Scholarship programme supports high-achieving students, and senior learners receive guidance on tertiary study options and careers in the arts. Visual Art also develops strong creative problem-solving skills that are valuable across many disciplines.
Community & Enrichment
The department maintains strong connections with the Wallace Arts Trust and the nearby Pah Homestead Gallery. Students participate in community events such as the Homestead’s Community Day and Culture Vulture, and are encouraged to enter the Secondary School Wallace Art Award.
Collaborations with the Wallace Arts Trust include opportunities to display loaned artworks throughout the school. Field trips and gallery visits across the wider Auckland arts community are organised in Terms One and Two.
In Term Four, a Year 7–10 Visual Art Exhibition is showcased alongside performances in dance, music, and drama.
Dance Department
Marcellin College offers Dance from Years 8 to 10, and at NCEA Levels 1, 2, and 3, including Scholarship.
In Dance education, students integrate thinking, moving, and feeling. They explore dance elements, vocabulary, and technologies to express personal, group, and cultural identities, while developing artistic ideas and strengthening social interaction.
Students build literacy in Dance through performing, choreographing, and responding to a variety of genres across different contexts. No prior dance experience is required to take Dance as a subject.
What Students Learn
- Different dance styles
- Choreography skills
- Viewing and responding to dance works
- Performance techniques
Course Overview
Years 8–9: A one-term course introducing a range of dance styles and contexts. Students develop foundational skills and create their own choreographed pieces.
Year 10: A half-year course that builds on foundational skills, with a focus on performance and choreography to prepare for NCEA Level 1.
NCEA Levels 1–3: Full-year courses worth 16–18 credits per level. Students gain credits through performance and choreography in group contexts. Most assessments are internal, with an external exam requiring analysis of a studied dance performance.
Students also have opportunities to learn from industry professionals and attend live performances.
Performance Opportunities
- Bollywood Showdown
- Polyfest
- National Dance Challenge
- Stand Up Stand Out
- School productions and musicals
Additional opportunities to showcase student work include:
- Dance department showcase
- Open days
- Year 7–10 Performing Arts evening
- YouDance
Pathways
Dance is an approved University Entrance (UE) subject.
Students may pursue tertiary study at institutions such as:
- University of Auckland
- Unitec
- Manukau Institute of Technology
- New Zealand School of Dance
- NASDA
- University of Waikato
Career pathways in Dance include:
- Professional dancer
- Choreographer
- Dance therapist
- Dance educator
Drama Department
“Drama expresses human experience through a focus on role, action and tension, played out in time and space. In drama education, students learn to structure these elements and to use dramatic conventions, techniques and technologies to create imagined worlds.” (The New Zealand Curriculum, 2007)
In Drama, students learn to collaborate, respect diverse perspectives, and support one another. They develop responsibility, meet deadlines, and build strong communication skills through written, spoken, and non-verbal expression.
The Drama Department offers courses from Years 9 to 13, with programmes based on the four key strands of the curriculum:
- Understanding Drama in Context
- Developing Practical Knowledge
- Developing Ideas
- Communicating and Interpreting
Performance & Experiences
Drama students gain valuable performance experience through both classroom and co-curricular opportunities:
- Year 10: Performance of a short production to invited peers and teachers
- Years 11–13: Production evenings featuring full class performances for family and friends
- Participation in the nationwide Stage Challenge competition
- Collaboration with the Music Department in school musicals
Students also take part in Education Outside the Classroom experiences, including theatre visits and workshops with professional practitioners.
Showcase Opportunities
The College hosts an annual Performance of the Arts afternoon, where students from Drama, Dance, Music, and Art present their work to the wider school community.
Music / Pūoro Department
E toi whakairo, ka ihiihi, ka wehiwehi, ka awe awe te ao katoa.
Artistic excellence makes the world sit up in wonder.
The Music Department offers courses from Years 7 to 13. Programmes focus on five key learning areas:
- Performance
- Theory
- Historical knowledge
- Aural skills
- Composition
Itinerant music lessons are available during school hours in voice, guitar, piano, and drums, delivered by experienced tutors.
Performance & Opportunities
Students gain valuable performance experience through both curricular and co-curricular activities. The department fosters a culture of inclusion and growth through participation.
- Rockquest
- Pacifica Beats
- Play It Strange
- Stand Up Stand Out
- Caritas SINGout4Justice
- Gen X Unleashed
The Music Department also contributes to key school events, including the four major masses each year, as well as Senior and Junior Prize Giving ceremonies.
Showcase Opportunities
Senior students participate in two evening assessment performances each year.
Junior students have the opportunity to perform in the Year 7–10 Performing Arts Show, held across two evenings in Term Four.