The Arts · Year 9

Active learning ideas

Introduction to Stagecraft and Design

Active learning works well for Stagecraft and Design because students learn spatial, technical, and sensory skills best by doing. Hands-on tasks in set construction, lighting, and sound help students connect abstract concepts like narrative focus to tangible results in real time.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• ACARA Australian Curriculum v9: The Arts, Visual Arts Years 9-10, Making: Select and manipulate materials, technologies and processes to develop and resolve artworks (AC9AVA10M01)
• ACARA Australian Curriculum v9: The Arts, Visual Arts Years 9-10, Making: Practise and refine techniques and processes to represent ideas and subject matter (AC9AVA10M02)
• ACARA Australian Curriculum v9: The Arts, Visual Arts Years 9-10, Responding: Analyse and interpret artworks to inform their own art making (AC9AVA10R01)

• 20–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Case Study Analysis
• 50 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Cultural Set Design Workshop

Groups receive images of First Nations ceremonies and sketch set designs that reflect cultural elements without appropriation. They build simple models using cardboard and found materials, then present and justify choices to the class. Peers provide feedback on authenticity.

Analyze how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performance traditions , including storytelling, ceremony, and contemporary theatre , transmit cultural knowledge and assert identity.

Facilitation Tip

During the Cultural Set Design Workshop, model respectful collaboration by assigning roles like researcher, builder, and cultural advisor to each group.

What to look for

Provide students with three images of stage designs. Ask them to write one sentence for each image explaining how the design choices might honor or appropriate elements from First Nations cultures, referencing specific visual details.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Case Study Analysis
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs: Lighting Focus Experiment

Pairs use desk lamps and colored gels to light miniature scenes from Ilbijerri plays. They test how angles and colors shift mood and emphasis, photographing results. Pairs rotate setups to compare effects.

Explain how contemporary Aboriginal theatre companies such as Ilbijerri Theatre Company use performance and political theatre to challenge colonial narratives.

Facilitation Tip

In the Lighting Focus Experiment, limit each pair to one adjustable lamp and colored gels so they focus on precise manipulation rather than quantity.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How can a lighting design for a play about the Stolen Generations either reinforce harmful stereotypes or foster empathy and understanding?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to use specific examples of lighting effects.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Case Study Analysis
• 40 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Soundscape Layering

Class listens to Aboriginal storytelling audio, then layers foley sounds using apps or household items to recreate atmosphere. Students vote on effective combinations and discuss narrative impact.

Evaluate how design choices in lighting, staging, and costuming can either honor or appropriate cultural authenticity when staging stories from First Nations communities.

Facilitation Tip

For the Soundscape Layering activity, play each group’s soundscape once without visuals to emphasize how sound alone shapes atmosphere.

What to look for

Present students with a short script excerpt. Ask them to sketch a basic set design and list two sound cues that would enhance the performance's cultural context, explaining their choices in one sentence each.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Case Study Analysis
• 20 min · Individual

Individual: Design Reflection Journal

Students sketch lighting and sound plans for a political theatre scene, noting cultural considerations. They annotate how choices support identity themes from key questions.

Analyze how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performance traditions , including storytelling, ceremony, and contemporary theatre , transmit cultural knowledge and assert identity.

What to look for

Provide students with three images of stage designs. Ask them to write one sentence for each image explaining how the design choices might honor or appropriate elements from First Nations cultures, referencing specific visual details.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by balancing technical skill-building with cultural sensitivity. Avoid rushing through activities without time for reflection, as ethical design requires discussion. Research shows that peer feedback and real-world examples help students move from imitation to informed creation, so use examples from professional and Indigenous-led productions to ground abstract concepts.

Successful learning looks like students using design elements intentionally to support story and culture, explaining their choices with specific evidence. Groups should collaborate effectively, while individuals reflect critically on how technical choices honor or misrepresent cultural traditions.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Lighting Focus Experiment, watch for students who assume lighting only sets mood.

  Use the activity’s peer critique sheet to have students identify how lighting angles and color shifts reveal character emotions or guide focus on key actions, connecting technical choices to narrative progress.

• During Soundscape Layering, watch for students who treat sound as background decoration.

  Ask groups to present their soundscape while showing the script, then have listeners note how each cue establishes place, time, or tension, using the provided reflection sheet to record specific examples.

• During Cultural Set Design Workshop, watch for students who copy Indigenous motifs without context.

  Require each group to include a cultural source statement in their design plan, referencing specific traditions and consulting provided Indigenous resources, then discuss authenticity in the final presentations.

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Methods used in this brief

• Case Study Analysis