Haileybury Almaty

"Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working."
~pablo picasso

Year 7
Elements of Art/Still Life
Pupils establish foundational knowledge in the elements of art, which is then applied to studies in still life. With contextualising seminars on the still life genre, Vanitas, and the paintings of Wayne Thiebaud, pupils construct still life imagery and practice observational drawing, painting, and working with clay.

Interlace
Pupils explore, principally, the art elements of line and pattern through studies of Islamic and Celtic interlace, Insular art, and Norse art. Observational drawings of the looping, braiding, and knotting of decorative geometric designs will be developed through projects in poly block printing and ceramic relief tiles.

Year 8
Canopic Chests
Study of ancient Egyptian beliefs concerning order, the afterlife, deities, and the divinity of the pharaohs guides pupils as they produce their own creative work in a collaborative ceramic project- a canopic chest. In addition to developing skills in observational drawing and the manipulation of clay, pupils will understand that in a successful work of art, the content, form, and materials with which it is made work together to reinforce its meaning and function.

Portraiture/Masks
In the first unit on portraiture, pupils study human anatomy and proportion as they draw self-portraits with the goal of representing their likenesses. In the second unit on masks, they learn about masks from different areas of the globe: the masks of the damas of the Dogon people in Mali, Noh masks in traditional Japanese theatre, Venetian Carnival masks, and those of the Mexican Día de los Muertos festivities. Pupils create their own functional 3D masks using a variety of materials.

Year 9
Printmaking Workshop
Pupils explore image construction and wallpaper design through mono, lino, collograph, and silk screen printing processes. Contextualising seminars on Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts Movement will accompany tutorials on figure-ground relationship, plate manipulation and printing techniques. Pupils develop their designs from observational drawings of nature.

Earth Art
Pupils learn about the visual and conceptual qualities of Land Art and Environmental Art, citing examples by artists Robert Smithson, Richard Long, Andy Goldsworthy, Vik Muniz, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Maya Lin, and others. Project briefs include collage, sculpture, and performance, with mediums of organic matter and recyclable materials.

Year 10, IGCSE
Elements/Principles/Still Life
Students establish foundational knowledge in the elements of art, the principles of design, and composition, which will be further developed through creative work in still life. Through a range of seminars on prominent artworks, art historical movements (ie. Vanitas, Sensationalism), and technique within specific mediums, students gain insight into the varied approaches and possibilities in the genre.

Time
Seminars equip students with greater insight into the varied creative approaches and possibilities in artwork relating to the theme of time. Students are expected to consider issues of cause and effect, the nature of time (circular versus linear), personal and collective histories, mortality, and transformation as they commence their creative work. Students are challenged to self-direct their work, incorporating their ideas about time.

Mock Exam
Students take a mock exam in Term 3 to prepare for the IGCSE examination in Year 11. They choose an old exam paper and develop a body of work independently. Students are encouraged to be reflective, evaluative, and contextually aware as well as visually and technically investigative.

Year 11, IGCSE
Portraiture
Students explore the visual and conceptual qualities of the portraiture genre, building on studies in human anatomy to consider wider issues of identity, culture, and diversity. Art historical and contemporary references to be discussed include Baroque, Fauvist, and Cubist portraiture, and the work of Cindy Sherman and Kerry James Marshall. The term culminates in a self-directed final project in which students choose one of four themes to build their work.

Mock Exam
In Term 2, students prepare for the IGCSE examination by choosing an old exam paper and developing a body of work independently. Students are encouraged to be reflective, evaluative, and contextually aware as well as visually and technically investigative.

Years 12 & 13, A-Level
A-Level Art & Design offers a flexible but demanding 2-year course for aspiring artists, designers, and prospective university applicants to assemble a portfolio of completed artworks. In this time, students will hone technical skills, build critical and conceptual awareness, and improve the clarity by which they communicate their creative voices. The course begins with a revision of art elements, design principles, and compositional strategies, moving on to a number of project briefs across major art genres and mediums. Students are expected to engage in independent, thoughtful, and comprehensive research; rigorously investigate medium, content and function, the work of contemporaries and artists of the past, and realise their personal artistic objectives.