Arts
Freedom to grow through artistic expression
Creative exploration is a pathway to essential skills. From the youngest grades to Senior School students, Yorkies explore visual arts, music, drama, and textiles. Our Reggio Emilia-inspired approach uses artistic expression to form thought-provoking connections to subjects like Science and Social Studies. No matter where your passions lead, York House Arts programs equip students with versatile creative thinking and self-expression tools that are invaluable in the real world.
Little and Junior School Arts
From Junior Kindergarten through Grade 7, Yorkies embark on a journey of self-discovery and build their understanding of the world around them. At the heart of this experience is the Atelier—a dedicated art space where students create with intention and intuition through different mediums including paint, clay, wire, photography, and natural materials. Topics evolve with student interests, ranging from traditional Indigenous weaving techniques to far-away celestial bodies.
Senior School Arts
Step into a space for experimentation and rediscovering the joy of play. In Senior School Arts programs, questions are encouraged and artistic growth knows no bounds in the hands-on creative experiences inspired from within our school and the world beyond. Grade 8 Yorkies rotate through four Arts and innovation-based programs throughout the year, including Visual Art, Drama, Clothing and Textiles and ADST—giving them a glimpse of the elective options in high school. Grades 9 through 12 can choose from an array of year-long electives. Advanced Placement courses are also available for Grades 11 and 12. As your education unfolds, arts programs become more self-directed and open-ended—so you can develop a path and style that’s uniquely yours.
Arts Programs
Music
The Music Program offers both instrumental and choral music courses where students can study, explore, and perform music from different genres.
Music begins at our Little School and Junior School where students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 5 explore singing and playing various instruments. Band begins in Grade 6 when students focus on a specific instrument. By Grade 7, students also take Choir in addition to Band, in order to learn about vocal techniques and singing as an ensemble. Each grade has opportunities to share their learning with their families throughout the year through informal and formal performances.
Our senior music ensembles have performed in festivals and competitions across the world, including Spain, Eastern Europe, Hawaii, Austria, Italy, California, Whistler, Seattle, and Toronto. In 2023, the Senior School Concert Choir and Chamber Choir both received gold rankings at the national level at Musicfest Canada.
| Read more |
|---|
| Grade 8 Concert Band Developing foundational technique on their instrument and as an ensemble during rehearsals within the regular timetable, these students perform in two annual concerts and may team up with other music students to participate in the annual Performing Arts trip. Grade 9 Concert Band With two weekly rehearsals within the timetable and two evening concerts each year, these students build proficiency in their chosen instrument and explore a wide musical repertoire, along with additional studies of music history. Students are welcome to participate in the annual Performing Arts trip. Senior Jazz Band This performance club is an audience favourite that meets weekly to learn the fundamentals of jazz standards and improvisation. Senior Jazz Band performs at multiple events throughout the year. Senior School Concert Choir An accredited course to learn vocal technique and explore diverse genres with alternating morning and lunch rehearsals. These songbirds perform throughout the year and took home Gold in the national Musicfest Canada 2023. Senior School Chamber Choir This is an accredited course of Grades 10s through 12s by audition. Students challenge themselves and refine musical skills in this small, select ensemble. Auditions are held in June for the following school year and rehearsals alternate between morning and lunch hour. |
Visual Arts
Creativity is around every corner at York House. Walk the halls and see student masterpieces—from the colourful murals and interdisciplinary works of younger grades to revolving Senior School exhibitions.
Little School students build their creative toolkits by exploring a variety of mediums. Junior School emphasizes the artistic process, fostering observation, problem-solving, and self-expression through colour, texture, and form. In Senior School, students refine foundational skills, explore diverse media like painting, sculpture, and digital art, and study art history—all while learning to analyze and critique their own and others’ work. As time goes on, curriculum concepts and activities are designed to produce portfolios that support post-secondary applications, future art careers, or simply personal fulfillment.
Drama
The Drama program is a tool to improve self-confidence, public speaking, and creative problem-solving with a cast of teammates. At Little and Junior Schools, Yorkies explore drama through integrated learning, such as acquiring new French vocabulary through acting a play, and reading aloud poetry while practicing literacy skills. Junior School students also have the opportunity to act, sing, and dance in small productions with their class or grade throughout the year.
Senior School Yorkies build skills in improvisation, body and voice work, character development, miming, and vocal expression while rehearsing both student-written and published productions. They study classical and contemporary scripts, including Restoration Comedy, Greek Theatre, Shakespeare, American Classics, and Contemporary Canadian Theatre. The York Rose Players theatre troupe presents a major production each year—the most recent productions include Matilda the Musical, Mamma Mia! and Little Women.
Media Arts
New Media or Modern Visual Arts
Media Arts is integrated into projects and subjects throughout Junior School, such as student-recorded podcasts or light painting and thermal energy photography. Senior School students learn the fundamentals of modern media and the role of digital technology in traditional art. In the computer lab, they’ll take a fresh approach to photography and videography—emphasizing digital single-lens reflex cameras and Adobe Creative Cloud software—which culminates in a final video project.
Film & Television
Students delve into storytelling and filmmaking, developing creative vision and technical skills with the latest software as they work towards completing their own screenplay. They’ll explore the duality of film as both art and industry and their own relationship with “movies” through analysis, discussion, individual and group assignments.
Textiles
From indigenous weaving to monster puppet-making, from hand-stitching to high fashion, the Textiles program guides students at different ages through a hands-on applied arts and design experiences. Students learn the basics of garment construction and expand their skills and creativity before bringing their designs to life in the annual fashion show.
