ARTS FOR EVERY STUDENT
Creativity that connects us
Learning about and through the arts is fundamental to developing the whole person. At UISG, the arts include visual arts and performing arts, and they are part of the curriculum in the Primary Years Programme, the Middle Years Programme and the Diploma Programme.
The arts build empathy, expression and appreciation. They sharpen students’ eye for what makes each of us unique and what connects us, and they nurture a lifelong passion for creating.
- Visual arts
- Music
- Theatre
ARTS FROM K TO 12
A pathway through the IB
Every student studies the arts, and each stage builds on the last.
PYP · K TO GRADE 5Explore and play
Students explore music through song, movement and play, then build their skills on percussion, recorders, ukuleles, keyboards, orchestral instruments and traditional Chinese instruments. In two dedicated art studios, one for K to Grade 2 and one for Grades 3 to 5, they work with a wide range of materials, from charcoal and paint to clay, photography and video.
MYP · GRADES 6 TO 10Create and perform
MYP Arts includes Visual Art, Music and Theatre. Younger students try the disciplines in semester-long modules. Older students then choose one arts subject to study in depth for two years, which they can also take for their MYP ePortfolio.
DP · GRADES 11 AND 12Specialize and exhibit
Diploma students can take Visual Arts, Music or Theatre at Standard or Higher Level. Courses challenge students to push their creative and cultural boundaries, and prepare them for arts study at university or lifelong enjoyment.
VISUAL ARTS
Think like an artist
In Primary, our art teachers use the Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) approach. Students make real creative choices, so creative thinking becomes a habit and they learn to work as independent artists.
In Secondary, students learn about art, through art and about the art world. They build their technical skills, study art history and reflect on their own process, developing the language and understanding to talk about their work.
- Drawing
- Painting
- Printmaking
- Sculpture
- Ceramics
- Collage
- Photography
- Digital art
PERFORMING ARTS
Music and theatre
Our creative community of young performers spans Early Years, Primary and Secondary. In Secondary, students build on their Primary foundation in two disciplines.
Listen, compose, perform
Students become researchers, creators and performers. They develop listening and analysis skills, explore composition, and perform on string, wind, percussion and digital instruments.
All the world’s a stage
Students explore genres from mime, melodrama and tableau vivant to commedia dell’arte, Shakespeare and world theatre traditions.
ENSEMBLES AND LESSONS
Make music together
Beyond the classroom, students can join choirs, ensembles and bands through our ECA program, or take private lessons.
- Junior Choir
- Intermediate Choir
- Strings Ensemble
- Ukulele Club
- Shining Piper Fife Club
- Senior Choir
- Jazz Band
- Chamber Orchestra
- Rock bands
UISG Orchestra
Grade 5 students can join their Secondary peers in our whole-school orchestra, playing together in a large ensemble.
Private instrument lessons
Our Instrument Tuition Program offers individual and group lessons in piano, guitar, violin and flute at lunchtime or after school.
See lessons and fees →SHOWCASES AND EVENTS
A stage for every artist
Students share their work with our community, across Guangzhou and across China.
Productions and concerts
School productions, MYP and DP Music and Theatre performances, lunchtime concerts and even Primary flash mobs.
Exhibitions
End-of-year art and design exhibitions, and the DP Visual Arts exhibition where students present a curated body of work.
International Festival of Light
Our annual community celebration, with performances from across the school.
International Dot Day
Every September, students across the school celebrate creativity, courage and collaboration, from individual dots to giant shared artworks.
ISMAG
As a founding member of the International Schools Music Association of Guangzhou, UISG performs at events across the city.
ACAMIS
As an ACAMIS member school, students take part in arts and cultural events with international schools across China.
Find your creative voice
Explore arts activities after school, or visit us to see our students’ work for yourself.
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