Though many parents in Hong Kong place a strong emphasis on academic subjects, the German Swiss International School (GSIS) also offers a solid education in both art and music for students of all skill levels. Head of art (English Stream), Nicola Culican, who is also a practising artist, knows only too well that students need extra support if they are to pursue creative activities.
“Art is actually an academic subject and one of the biggest industries in the world,” Culican says. “Our students reach a high level of skill, while developing the ability to think conceptually. It’s more than drawing and creating – it’s observing the world and responding to it. This kind of skill can enhance other subjects as well as the individual, because it’s personal.”
According to Culican, students are allowed to opt out of creative subjects at both GCSE and International Baccalaureate (IB) level, and it’s easy for practical subjects to appear more important. But the skills of observing, analysing, understanding and interpreting fit the IB Learner Profile descriptors: these say students should be communicators, principled, open-minded, risk takers, balanced, reflective, caring, knowledgeable, inquirers and thinkers.
Tanya Shah, a Year 13 IB art student, says art has helped her develop and refine her ideas. “I’ve been forced to broaden my perspective and consider intentions much more closely. I’ve learned to think critically and engage in self-reflection,” she adds. Shah believes people often fail to realise how important creativity is. “It’s inherent in communication and problem- solving,” she says.
When she was younger, Shah assumed that a good artist merely had to make something nice to look at. Today, she thanks her parents for supporting her in studying the subject, and her teachers for understanding how personal and individual it is. She has been accepted at Dartmouth College in the US to study liberal arts, where she is looking forward to further exploring interdisciplinary thinking, although she’ll always value the hours she has spent in the art room with supportive friends and teachers.
Hain Yoon is also studying IB art, although she plans to major in psychology at university. “Being exposed to a lot of artwork means that you look at things differently, especially when you start doing your own work,” she says. Having tried painting, drawing, printmaking, photography and even installation art, Yoon sees a positive effect on her own perspectives, how she interprets things, and even her work ethic.