The
ARTS
FLOURISHING LIVES are lives infused with the joy experienced when engaged with creative, meaningful activity. It is often in the studio and on the stage that the joy and fulfilment of creative activity clearly manifests. At Ridley College, we aspire to provide students with opportunities to experience this joy and develop the capacities of the artist that too often is left to atrophy as children move through educational systems. The development of the whole child is at the core of Ridley’s mission to inspire flourishing lives, and we deliver on this mission through offering a wide range of arts programming delivered by subject specialists from Kindergarten through to Grade 12.
Duane Nickerson DIRECTOR OF THE ARTS
Genius is nothing more or less than childhood recovered by will, a childhood now equipped for self-expression with an adult’s capacities. — Charles Baudelaire
THE ARTS ARE ACCESSIBLE
to everyone.
We at Ridley subscribe to the idea that all students at all stages in their development can gain meaning and insight through involvement in The Arts. Students are encouraged to continue their involvement with artistic activity throughout their school experience.
While some students choose to remain involved in the arts on a weekly basis through co-curricular arts activities, many students continue curriculum study into their senior years.
The following NOTABLE ALUMNI have made their mark in the Arts:
Colm Feore ’77 THEATRE AND TELEVISION
David Rokeby ’78 MEDIA ARTS
Bethany Pile ’12 VISUAL ARTS
Completing his secondary education at Ridley in 1977, Colm attended Canada’s National Theatre School and joined the prestigious Stratford Festival, where he became Associate Director in 1981. During his 13 seasons at Stratford, he achieved fame as one of Canada’s premiere stage actors. In addition to his stage work, Colm has played significant roles in both television and film productions including The West Wing, Due South, House of Cards, Nuremberg, The Red Violin, Pearl Harbour and Thor. Colm continues to be a prominent presence in both Canadian and U.S. productions.
Having graduated from Ridley in 1978, David Rokeby has undertaken video and sound installations in prominent locations around the world and has won numerous awards for his interactive art installations. David received a Governor General’s Award in Visual and media Arts in 2002 and has represented Canada at prominent international art exhibitions including the Venice Biennale. Permanent installations of his work can be seen at the Ontario Science Centre and Ryerson University.
Bethany Pile ’12 first realized her potential as an artist during her Ridley College experience. Upon graduating, she pursued a degree in fine art from the University of Toronto, leading her to multiple accolades for her art, including the Barbados Prime Minister Scholarship for Visual Art. Currently, Bethany works as a visual artist in Barbados and has undertaken numerous public and private commissions, including a prominent exterior mural made to commemorate the 50th year of Barbadian independence. A recent highlight was having the international pop star Rihanna sign a large portrait of herself that Bethany created.
CURRICULUM All courses are taught by subject specialists in custom classrooms and studios.
PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME (PYP) Kindergarten
Music
Visual Art
Grade 1
Music
Visual Art
Grade 2
Music
Visual Art
Grade 3
Music
Visual Art
Grade 4
Music
Visual Art
Grade 5
Music
Visual Art
Grade 6
Strings
Band
Visual Art
MIDDLE YEARS PROGRAMME (MYP) Grade 7
Strings
Band
Visual Art and Design
Grade 8
Strings
Band
Visual Art and Design
Grade 9
Strings
Band
Grade 10
Strings
Band
Drama
Visual Art and Design Visual Art
Design
Media Art
DIPLOMA PROGRAMME (DP) IB1
Strings
Band
IB1 Music
IB1 Theatre
IB1 Visual Art
Visual Art
IB1 Technological Design
IB1 Film
IB2
Strings
Band
IB2 Music
IB2 Theatre
IB2 Visual Art
Visual Art
IB2 Technological Design
IB2 Film
CO-CURRICULAR Co-curricular activities in the Arts occur before and after school and involve minor (1–2 days) or major (3–5 days) time commitments.
LOWER SCHOOL (K–8) Music Lessons
Grades K–8
Year long
Violin Club
Grades 1–4
Year long
Outdoor Art Club
Grades 2–3
Term 1
Junior Choir
Grades 3–4
Terms 2, 3
Christmas Concert Production
Grades 4–6
Term 1, 2
Junior Orchestra
Grades 4–6
Terms 2, 3
Intermediate Choir
Grades 5–8
Year long
Intermediate Art Club
Grades 7–8
Term 2
Cadet Band
Grades 7–8
Year long
Dramatic production
Grades 7–8
Terms 2, 3
Rock Band
Grades 7–8
Year long
UPPER SCHOOL (GRADES 9–12) Working with Clay Club
Grades 9–12
Term 1
Fall Dramatic Production
Grades 9–12
Term 1
Winter Musical Production
Grades 9–12
Term 2
Chapel Choir
Grades 9–12
Year long
Thespian Honor Society
Grades 9–12
Year long
Senior Orchestra
Grades 9–12
Year long
Jazz Band
Grades 9–12
Year long
Cadet Band
Grades 9–12
Year long
Chinese Calligraphy
Grades 9–12
Term 1
Ridley Rock Band
Grades 9–12
Terms 1, 2
Drawing Club
Grades 11–12
Term 2
Portfolio Development Group
Grades 11–12
Term 1
Film Production Club
Grades 11–12
Term 1
Arts Council
Grades 11–12
Year long
Art Studio Monitors
Grades 11–12
Year long
DRAMA Students with an interest in theatre and performing arts are able to select this subject as a course of study beginning in Grade 10. Our Theatre Arts course in Grades 11 and 12 focuses on areas such as the creation of original theatre, the role of the director and training for performance. Senior students in our co-curricular drama programme produce two major productions each year for presentation in our 350 seat Mandeville Theatre. They regularly work in conjunction with visiting professional actors, directors and choreographers, and students in Lower School also have an opportunity to engage with theatre in a play held in the Spring of each year.
FILM For students who have an appreciation and understanding of film as a complex art form, Ridley oers the opportunity to collaboratively translate great stories from page to screen. From screenwriting to post production, our programme empowers students to earn the practical and technical skills of production, and fuel the ability to draw together knowledge, skills, research and experience, and apply them analytically to evaluate film texts. Each year students will have the opportunity to submit their films into the annual Ridley Independent Film Festival (RIFF), a night of celebration in which their films will be viewed by the Ridley community. Students can also try-out for the co-curricular activity of Film Club, where they will collaborate after school and learn the roles of the filmmakers to produce a film.
MUSIC A vital part of campus life at Ridley College since 1889, music is a course of instruction beginning in Kindergarten and running through to Grade 12. In Grade 6 students are asked to specialize in either strings or band instrumentation, and this distinction is maintained for subsequent courses to accommodate depth of instrument mastery and the understanding of stylistic conventions. All Music courses are taught by subject specialists in specifically designed music studios and practice rooms, and additional private lessons are available at all grade levels. In addition to classroom instruction, students are encouraged to participate in a wide array of co-curricular musical ensembles that include our award-winning Jazz Band, the chapel choir and the school orchestra. The school regularly celebrates student achievement in music though solo and ensemble performance throughout the year.
VISUAL ARTS Our highly regarded Visual Arts programme allows students to explore a variety of styles and produces much of the artwork on display throughout our hallways. Beginning in Kindergarten, visual art is taught by specialist teachers who present a balanced curriculum that develops key skills and habits of mind required for creative exploration and self-expression. Students undertake their visual compositions in custom designed art studios equipped with a wide assortment of specialized equipment. In addition to studio activity, students are exposed to the world of visual culture through the various art gallery trips throughout the year including a New York city museum and gallery tour in the Fall.
“
The arts are a unique type of education that develops the intellectual wealth of a person. It helps me to recognize my personality and to discover my environment. Art itself might not provide me any knowledge that will explain the fundamentals of this universe (like physics and chemistry), but it enhances my ability to observe and to reflect on the world around me. The creativity part of art also trains me to be a better learner, in terms of finding alternative pathways to solve problems. — Helen W. ’17
”
ARTS TIE: Awarded to Upper School students who attain excellence in the arts for three consecutive years. ARTS PIN: Awarded to Upper School students who attain excellence in the arts for two consecutive years.
P.O. Box 3013 2 Ridley Road St. Catharines Ontario, Canada L2R 7C3 905-684-1889
ridleycollege.com