Arts at Bangkok Patana School

Our students do justice to the well-resourced and purpose-built arts facilities at Bangkok Patana School. They make music, drama and art, sometimes as individuals, sometimes as a member of an ensemble. They share their skills, give hours of enjoyment to many members of our school community and most importantly they learn to develop faith in their own ideas and capacity for imagination.

In the areas of drama, music and art, student work is presented publicly throughout the year. Performing is not simply about being prepared and working hard. To perform well also requires personal confidence, poise and presence in the moment. Students learn a lot about themselves through performance experiences and develop important skills that will prove most valuable in whatever context they find themselves. That is we offer as many performance opportunities as possible within the school environment.

Students take part in Drama activities ranging from original musical theatre extravaganzas to Year group performances and extra-curricular programmes. Drama is offered as a subject from Key Stage 3 through to Senior Studies. The Drama Department works hard to provide opportunities for students not only to perform but also to learn by arranging trips to local and regional workshops and take part in a variety of performances in different dramatic media.

  • Our Dance and Drama Academy offers students recreational and competitive opportunities to develop their skills through our extra-curricular programme.
  • In Primary School, Drama is used to synthesise elements of the curriculum that the Year group has been studying in a creative way and all students in the Year group participate.
  • Students audition for parts in the Primary School theatre production, the annual  Key Stage 3 production, the Senior Play, the whole Secondary School production or the Secondary School House Drama competition.
  • Drama is offered as a subject throughout Secondary School and the students’ performance assessment pieces are often made open for other students and parents to attend.
  • Students are also encouraged to work backstage on publicity, costume design, set design, lighting, directing and stage managing. Secondary students have an opportunity to take part in Technical Theatre extra-curricular programmes.

Music is given high priority and the skills and appreciation of music are taught and encouraged across the two schools. Students from Foundation Stage onwards are exposed to specialist teachers in music.

The aim of the Primary Music Curriculum is for all students, by the end of Year 6, to have developed their music ability through performing, composing, listening and appraising music from a range of contexts and styles.

All students in Years 7, 8 and 9 learn a chosen instrument and attend music lessons in performance ensembles instead of class groups. These ensembles include string ensemble, Thai instrument ensemble, vocal ensemble, concert band and guitar ensemble. In Years 10- 13, the music programme is focused on the areas of performing, composing, listening and appraising and is based on the (I)GCSE and the IB music curricula.

In addition to music within the curriculum, students can register for one-on-one instrumental or voice lessons. The Instrumental Music Programme serves nearly 600 students studying over 25 different instruments. Students are encouraged to partake in performance and theory examinations overseen by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and Trinity Rock School, held at Bangkok Patana. Our results in the practical and theory examinations have been excellent with many students gaining merit and distinction passes.

The Patana Concert series runs throughout the year and students are invited to audition. Patana Classic, Patana Jazz and Blues, Patana Plugged, Patana Unplugged, Patana Primary and Patana United showcase the incredible wealth of talent students develop at Bangkok Patana School.

The Solo Festival encourages students to perform in front of a panel of external judges who give them constructive feedback on their performance. From first time performers to well-experienced senior students, both students and parents enjoy the performances.  

“Art is powerful in giving our young people a voice. We craft opportunities so that everyone can express themselves skillfully and responsibly.”
Visual Arts Department vision

The Visual Arts Department provides a creative, supportive atmosphere in which students can develop an understanding of the basic elements of art and design through experience and imaginative investigation. Within our purpose-built spaces, students access a wide variety of media such as a large etching press and smaller presses, silk-screening, photography, ceramics and collage. Examination courses are essentially practical focusing on painting and drawing, design or photography. Students create thematic coursework portfolios. Examples of work from all levels are continually exhibited around the school and in external venues. The IB Art show, the IGCSE Art Show and Primary Art shows are held annually in the Exhibition Hall, giving students real-life experience.

Learn in-depth about what our students are doing in the Arts