Arts and Humanities

Programme Description

The Arts and Humanities Major at Yale-NUS College is an interdisciplinary program that combines the
theory and practice of artistic expression across a variety of different media including but not limited to
painting, sculpture, photography, creative writing (poetry, fiction, drama, and nonfiction), music, dance,
and theater. It offers modules grouped in three Tracks: Art History, Art Practice, and Creative Writing.
These tracks are a way of planning for greater depth and breadth within a particular field of study within
the arts and humanities. They are also mutually permeable, in the sense that a student interested in
different aspects of the arts can select modules from different tracks in a flexible manner.

Students in this major will learn to understand the history and evolution of artistic practice; to
demonstrate literacy in textual and non-textual forms of thought; to describe and interpret artistic
processes and methods; to recognize the relationship and relevance of art to society and community;
and to re-imagine the world through artistic perception and practice. This major prepares students for
work in several fields: creative production, writing and publishing, art administration, academia and art
education, advertising and design.

Students who complete the Arts and Humanities Major should be able to:

Identify form, structure, and other principles of art;

Use theory as a way of clarifying various modes of self–expression;

Understand, and communicate through non-textual forms of thought and feeling;

Recognize the relevance and relationship of art to community, society, and traditions;

Describe, interpret, and implement artistic processes and methods;

Appreciate the integral importance of history to all artistic processes;

Demonstrate literacy in the analysis of different modes of art; and

Learn to reimagine the world through artistic lenses by making art.

Collectively, these capacities will enable students to think creatively and critically about the arts.

Students will pursue these learning objectives in two ways: by gaining breadth across the Major, and
depth within any one or two tracks of particular interest to the student.
The Art History Track: This track will introduce students to art as a historical and critical discipline.
Students will examine artworks in their historical, social, political and religious contexts through a
number of different theories, methodologies, and interpretative approaches. Students will gain both
visual literacy and an understanding of the foundational principles of current art historical research and
writing. They will engage important questions such as: What does a work of art mean, to whom, and
why? How does the art-object function in culture, and how does culture function in art? In our global
society today, how does the traditional history of art play a role in the context of new ideas? In tackling
these questions, this track aligns with the broader objective of the Arts and Humanities major to equip
students with the fundamental tools to critically think, analyze, and approach a wide range of artworks
from different time periods and cultures.

The Art Practice Track: This track focuses on integrating the plasticity and inter-relationality of space,
time, and place from the perspective of an art practitioner. Students will be enriched by the artistic
processes they experience, and learn to take risks with new modes of creative expression to become
more familiar with positioning one’s work in the contemporary world. This track consists of a synthesis
of various methods, forms, processes and creative approaches concerning art practice. The projects that
students will embark upon will involve individual and collaborative efforts that can push beyond the
frontiers of current art practices and discourses. Student projects will engage in critical and reflective
thinking in relation to community, context, and society. The breadth of exposure to various practices, as
chosen by the students, will help shape meaningful projects that are presented publicly.

The Creative Writing Track: In the Creative Writing Track, students will initially familiarize themselves
with a genre or genres, learning the history and traditions of the forms, using published models as
touchstones for their own creative work. As they progress, students will gain experience through the
workshop format. Students will also engage dynamically with aspects of voice and style in their work.
Students will learn to view their work flexibly, emphasizing writing processes as opposed simply to
produce. By the upper levels they should be able to develop and design writing projects that reflect a
degree of professionalism that reflects their abilities to self-critique in a way that might eventually lead
them to work of near publishable quality. They will likewise be expected to critique the work of others at
a professional and constructive level. At all levels, craft at the sentence level will be emphasized and by
the upper level, students should only be submitting work that displays an innovative approach in terms
of form, content, and engagement with the world.

COURSE

Introduction to the Arts Module

This module is intended as an introduction to various forms and modes of artistic practice, history, and
theory. Each iteration will focus on a different broad theme that will inform the various lectures,
seminars, studio exercises, and assignments over the semester. The module allows students to
experience and recognise the practices and traditions of the representative tracks, and form
connections between them. Students will learn how to apply their knowledge of several of these forms
of their choosing, in a final portfolio that demonstrates their capabilities in at least in one theoretical
mode and two practical modes and includes reflection on and self-assessment of their processes.

This course will allow for the development of skills that will enable a student to:

Identify elements, forms and structures in different art forms;

Describe and communicate diverse artistic practices;

Analyse artworks with reference to the specific medium and its conventions;

Reflect on the development of artistic processes and practices through time;

Demonstrate the skills and techniques needed for the practice of an art form; and

Conduct critical analysis of one’s own and other student’s work.

CAPSTONE

Every student doing this major will undertake a capstone project for which thorough guidance will be
provided in semester one of the student’s final year at the College in a Capstone Seminar module. An
Arts and Humanities capstone research project can take several different forms, depending on a
student‘s area of focus. The Capstone Seminar module will support the implementation of the capstone
project through the development of self-regulated research excellence. Students taking this module will
pursue their projects together, learning to critique and improve each other’s written proposals in a
seminar setting. Over the semester, students will fine-tune research skills and oral and written
communication skills collaboratively.

Refer to the A&H capstone document for more information.

Graduation requirement for Class of 2019 onwards: 45 MCs + Capstone (10 MCs) = total of 55 MCs.

Structure of the major for Class of 2020 and onwards:

There is one compulsory Introduction to the Arts module for the major.

There is one compulsory Capstone Seminar module for the major.

There are 3 tracks to the major: Art History, Art Practice, Creative Writing.

There is no need for a student enrolling for the major to declare a track.

The distribution (of the 55MC graduation requirements) for the major is divided as follows:

5 MCs: Introduction to the Arts (to be taken as early as possible after declaring the major)

5 MCs: at least one module in Art History

5 MCs: at least one module in Art Practice, and

5 MCs: at least one module in Creative Writing

5 MCs: at least one module at 4000 level, in any one of the three Tracks

10 MCs: Capstone project [in or across Track(s])

20 MCs: the remaining MCs (worth 4 modules) to be selected by students from among the three Tracks

Structure of the minor for Class of 2020:

Students enrolling for the minor must complete a total of 25 MCs (5 modules).

5MCs: Compulsory: Introduction to the Arts

15MCs: At least three modules at either 2000 or 3000 level in any two from the three tracks.

5MCs: An additional module at 4000 level in the major.

Structure of the minor for Class of 2021 and onwards:

The 25 MC should be drawn from minimum two of the three tracks

Pre-requisite policy for the major:

Students who wish to access a 4000 level module in any of the three tracks must have completed at
least one module. This must be either (a) at the 2000 level in the corresponding track, or (b) at the 3000
level in the corresponding track, or (c) a student must get prior approval for waiving (a) and (b) from the
module instructor and the Head of Study.

Welcome to Arts and Humanities

Teacher: Katherine Ledger

Course Description: Arts and Humanities teaches a mixture if visual arts, music, theater, and dance.
Students will be learning about the history of each aspect of the arts and humanities and will even
participate in learning the techniques of each.

Objectives: Mastery of material covered in the texts Music and Art Past and Art Present. Students will
also learn the material through hands on experiences in the classroom.

Materials: Textbook Music and Art Past and Art Present, accompanied by guest speakers, videos, and art
materials.

Student Materials: Textbook, pencil/pen, notebook paper. Composition books and dry erase boards will
be provided in class.

Determination of Grades: Homework, quizzes, bell-ringers, tests, projects, and classroom participation
make up the final grade. Bell-ringer grades will be added up each week fora weekly grade. At the end of
each quarter, the week with the lowest grade will be dropped and not included in the final grade. Daily
participation points are earned by listening attentively, responding appropriately, having necessary
materials, and completing in-class assignments and homework.

Extra Credit assignments will be given sporadically throughout the year to all students.

Make up Work: It is the student’s responsibility to obtain and complete missed assignments resulting
from absences.Dailyassignments are written in a notebook kept at my desk. Missed worksheets will be
places in a folder with the student’s name on it. School policy for make-up (1 day later for 1 absence, 2
days for 2 absences, ect) will be strictly enforced. Make up tests and quizzes will be given weekly before
and after school. Tests and quizzes must be made up within the week unless given extra time by the
teacher.

Classroom Expectations:

- Remember your Ps!

Success in Arts and Humanities: is dependent upon consistently learning the vocabulary and historical
information in each unit. You cannot “cram” before a test and never expect to see those words again.
Each unit builds upon the previous one. Therefore, it is difficult to catch up if you fall behind. By
participating in class, doing all of your homework and studying 15 minutes each night, you prepare
yourself for the challenges of the upcoming year.