The Visual Arts Industries (VAI) program at Trinity Bay is designed to challenge and extend students who have a passion and drive to excel in a diverse range of visual arts fields. Our programs from Year 7-12 have a multi-disciplinary approach and offer students mentoring by local artists, studio and skill development and real life exhibition opportunities.
How to Apply
Please ensure that you complete and return the School of Excellence Application Form along with your Trinity Bay State High School Enrolment Form to the school. For 6 into 7 students, this should be no later than midday on Tuesday during the final week of term 1.
Enrolment information, including the necessary forms, can be found on our school's website under the Enrolling at our school tab.
Complete all forms accurately and in full, including two photocopies of your child's most current report.
Important note: Please photocopy all documents; no originals please.
Application Process
Stage 1: Apply
After completing all the above, applications will be screened and if successful applicants will move on to stage 2
Stage 2: Interview
- All paper applications will be read and parents and students will be contacted to arrange a face to face interview.
- Students need to prepare a portfolio of their artwork to bring to the interview. The work in the portfolio (which could be a display folio or a collection of images on an iPad or actual 3D artwork) should show what materials and techniques the student has explored and is interested in. As a guide, each student should aim to have at least five artworks that they have created themselves in the portfolio.
- Each interview will last approximately 45 minutes and consist of three things: a discussion about the artwork in the portfolio, a discussion about a sight unseen artwork, a drawing exercise where students are given a still life and a wide variety of materials and asked to respond to the subject matter in any way they like.
- Visual arts teachers will award a mark out of five to each component of the interview (that is, a total of 15 points). Students who do well on their interview will be invited to join the program.
Stage 3: Notification of acceptance process
- Unsuccessful applications who did not reach interview stage will be notified in as timely a fashion as possible, once shortlisting in early term two is completed.
- Successful applicants will be notified before the end of term 2 and invited to a meet and greet night.
- A review of unsuccessful applicants will be undertaken in the following year, if teachers observe aptitude that might not have been evident in the interview process.
- If your child is offered a position, parents will be required to contact the Trinity Bay State High School office to formally accept or decline the offer. If the school does not receive communication from the parents by the due date, the school reserves the right to remove the offer of a position.
Stage 4: Parental acceptance
- To acceptance this position you are required to place a down payment of $100 which will come off your school fees for next year. The due date for this payment is by the end of Term 3. This can be paid at the front counter at the main office at the school.
- If your child is in more than one excellence program only one payment in total is required.
- Along with payment, you will be required to return the completed Excellence program contract which was sent home with your letter of offer.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for this program your child must:
- show interest in visual arts (painting, drawing, sculpture/ceramics or photography and digital media) and have a willingness to explore new materials and techniques in this area.
- have a solid academic and behaviour record and transfer that performance to high school.
- be prepared to act as our ambassadors in various events and shows.
- once in the program, attend VAI after school sessions and let their teacher know if there are any issues with not attending.
- complete a VAI behaviour contract to agree to uphold exemplary behaviour in all their classes.
- complete all necessary procedures by advertised deadlines.