Abstract

In July 2013, the Australian Federal Government endorsed the F-10 The Arts curriculum framework, a document produced after many years of development and consultation nationwide. In this document the arts comprises dance drama, media arts, music and visual arts. Now available for implementation in each State and Territory of Australia, the nature and structure of the framework remains in question with regard to what aspects of the curriculum will be supported for implementation in Australian schools. As yet not one State has adopted the full curriculum for implementation. This presentation considers the Australian curriculum design process and highlights the interplays between decisions and decision-makers relating to issues of what knowledge is valued and who gets to decide.

Bio

Dr Madonna Stinson is a member of the Applied Theatre team at Griffith University, Australia. Her work as a curriculum writer in Queensland was the focus of her PhD: The Shifting Sands of Curriculum Development. She teaches and researches in the fields of drama curriculum and pedagogy in a range of contexts, and in curriculum implementation more broadly. A former primary and secondary teacher, she is widely published and a popular workshop leader and keynote presenter. Madonna is Director of Publications for Drama Australia and, in 2014, was made a Life Member of Drama Queensland for her contribution to the field of Drama.