Secondary Arts Programs

These programs are designed to support students who are passionate about the Arts! At the Secondary level, while courses are offered in every subject area, students applying to these programs must be interested in focusing their elective courses in the Arts as they work towards their Diploma. 

Everyone is welcome to come and join our Arts-based communities! Students registered in the program/school will be expected to take two art courses each year. In addition to classes, schools will have a variety of extracurricular opportunities in the Arts for students to participate in.

• Students do not need to have prior experience in an art form to take a course in grade 9 or 10. Courses will include options like Dance, Music, Film, Visual Art, Media Arts, Communication Technology, Drama and Photography.
• Courses in other grades will be dependent on the interests of students.

ArtSpeaks @ Westview Centennial Secondary School

Claude Watson @ Earl Haig Secondary School

Creative Arts and Design Studio @ Lakeshore Collegiate Institute

Cyber Creative Centre @ Northview Heights Secondary School

CyberArts @ Don Mills Collegiate Institute

Design Studio @ Western Technical Commercial School

Etobicoke School of the Arts

Rosedale Heights School for the Arts

The Art Centre @ Central Technical School

Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts

Woburn Arts Collective @ Woburn Collegiate Institute

Claude Watson @ Earl Haig Secondary School

In November 2024, students may apply for admission to Grades 9 and 10. Students will be admitted in Grade 10 if space is available.

Students will apply to one of the Program Focus Areas listed below and take the courses listed. All students in the four program areas will be blended and scheduled into the Integrated Arts courses in Grades 9 and 10 where they will have the opportunity to study a variety of art forms over the course of the semesters.

In Grades 11 and 12, all Claude Watson students will continue in their focus arts area and will  take a second “Collaborative Arts” course where they will be creating with all other Claude Watson students in their grade.

Percentage of Primary Applicants offered Entry Grade seats for September 2024.

Performance Studies - Yellow 60% - 80%

Visual Studies - Orange 40% - 60%

Creative Arts and Design Studio @ Lakeshore Collegiate Institute Green 80% - 100%

In November 2024, students may apply for admission to Grades 9 and 10. Students will be admitted in Grades 10 if space is available.

The Creative Arts and Design Studio is a four-year multidisciplinary program that integrates Visual Arts, Communications Technology, Digital Media and Design. Each year students earn two credits, one in Visual Arts and one in either Communications Technology, Technological Design, or Information Computer Studies.  Students will be awarded a certificate upon graduation.  Students may choose to be part of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM).

The focus of the program is to foster students’ creative expression, technical proficiency and academic skills while encouraging independent work habits and strong communication skills.  The aim is to prepare students for success as both technicians and visionaries.  The program combines drawing and computer-based technology to develop skills including digital imaging, 3-D animation, photography, videography, web, and magazine creation.

Additional opportunities in the program include co-operative education (2 or 4 credits) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) SHSM.  Students can enhance their learning and gain valuable experience exploring intersections of digital media, traditional arts, and other industries such as engineering, business and social sciences. 

Cyber Creative Centre @ Northview Heights Secondary School Green 80% - 100%

In November 2024, students may apply for admission to Grade 9 and Grade 10. Students will be admitted in Grade 10 if space is available.

The Cyber Creative Centre is a Creative Industry training program that develops advanced skills in art, animation and design. The four year program combines traditional art and digital technology with a fast-paced, hands on, approach to learning. Formerly known as Cyber Arts, students are part of a community of innovative graduates and professionals. Enrichment includes industry mentorship and expanded opportunities.

Additional learning opportunities include a range of Visual Arts and Communication Technology classes, the Cyber Creative Centre SHSM (Arts and Culture) and Coop (2 credit or 4 credit). Students gain valuable experience in Creative Industries that include Animation, Marketing, Film, Graphic Design, Web Design, and more.

CyberArts @ Don Mills Collegiate Institute Green 80% - 100%

In November 2024, students may apply for admission to Grades 9 and 10. Students will be admitted in Grade 10 if space is available.

At Cyberarts, we embrace the transformative potential of merging art and technology to empower creatives. Our community and program inspire artists and designers to create exceptional work that captivates, enriches lives, and drives positive change in our ever-evolving world.

Design Studio @ Western Technical Commercial School Green 80% - 100%

In November 2024, students may apply for admission to Grade 9 and Grade 10. Students will be admitted in Grade 10 if space is available.

The Design Studio is a unique design-centered program with a focus on creative thought, design thinking and transferable skills. We integrate design with academic subjects to create a passionate program of high-level knowledge and expertise. Under the umbrella of design, we cover but are not limited to, graphic design, experiential design, industrial design, motion graphics, architecture, film and formal presentation, all with an emphasis on critiquing and collaborative learning. While the program is design-focused, the overarching aim is to develop a skill set of transferable skills that will enhance any profession in or outside the traditional design field.

By using the Design Thinking model, we have created a program that fosters creativity into problem solving. The Design Studio curriculum focuses the student's development as an independent learner using creative and critical thinking skills.  Activities are student-centered and project driven.

Transferable Skills

• Become a Creative and Critical Thinker
• Recognize problems as opportunities rather than an obstacles
• Feel creatively satisfied by reaching goal specific outcomes
• Practice and adapt Design Thinking and The Creative Process to multiple platforms
• Learn to create aesthetics through prioritizing authentic functional goals
• Instructors set students up for success in the Design Studio and beyond

Etobicoke School of the Arts

In November 2024, students may apply for admission to Grade 9 and 10 only. Students will be admitted in Grade 10 if space is available. 

Students apply to one of the 3 program spotlights. All students will take TAS1O1 – Technology and the Skilled Trades taught through an Arts-focused lens. This course is a graduation requirement. In addition, students will select ONE of the bolded courses from each spotlight (anchor course) related to their preferred art program of interest. In subsequent years, students will have the opportunity to take two or more courses in the Arts

Rosedale Heights School of the Arts Yellow 60% - 80%

In November 2024, students may apply for admission to Grades 9, 10 and 11. Students will be admitted in Grades 10-11 if space is available.

All students are expected to take a minimum of 2 art courses per year. Students can select courses or a combination of courses from any department according to their area/s of interest.

 *Student may opt to defer Healthy and Active Living (Phys Ed.) and take Dance as a third Art course.

The Art Centre @ Central Technical School Green 80% - 100%

In November 2024, students may apply for admission to Grades 9, 10 and 11. Students will be admitted in Grades 10-11 if space is available.

The Specialized Visual Art Program at the Central Tech Art Centre is guided by a philosophy of art education that is reminiscent of Germany’s legendary Bauhaus. Students in our program will develop fundamental skills across a wide range of different media, learning to produce various kinds of art concurrently rather than favouring one medium over another. Instruction is delivered in a manner that balances the development of technical skills with the introduction of conceptual ideas. This style of learning helps to foster a well-rounded artistic skill set and maximizes a student's creative growth. All of our Visual Art instructors have extensive postsecondary training in their area of instruction and/or significant industry experience in their respective fields.

Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts

In November 2024, students may apply for admission to Grades 9 and 10. Students will be admitted in Grades 10 if space is available.

Performing Arts Applicants:

Students applying to the Performing Arts will be asked to select three of the four course offerings and will be scheduled into two of their choices. 

Visual Media Arts Applicants:

In Visual Media Arts, all of the students will take Grade 9 Visual Art (AVI1OP) in Semester 1 and Grade 10 Visual Art (AVI2OP) in Semester 2. As a result, students will have a wide variety of options in Grade 10.

Woburn Arts Collective @ Woburn Collegiate Institute Green 80% - 100%

In November 2024, students may apply for admission to Grade 9 and Grade 10. Students will be admitted in Grade 10 if space is available.

The Woburn Arts Collective was designed by students for all learners with a desire to expand their knowledge, work collaboratively and innovate with a focus in the Arts. Our goal is to make the Arts accessible for all while adapting to a changing workplace which is more technologically advanced and requires creative problem solving skills. 

In addition to taking specific Arts-focus courses, each year students will participate in an Integrated Arts program where all students will be working alongside and with each other. For more details about the Integrated Arts program, please visit the Woburn Arts Collective Website.