Juilliard-Nord Anglia Performing Arts Programme

Recently, we had the honour of welcoming Amy Christman, a Juilliard Music Curriculum Specialist at our campuses, where she worked closely with our students and teachers. We asked her a few questions about her role and how we benefit from the Juilliard-Nord Anglia Performing Arts Programme.

Could you explain what your role as a curriculum specialist entails?

The Juilliard-Nord Anglia Performing Arts Programme provides performing arts teachers with access to a range of resources. These include an online compendium of lessons, pedagogical resources, and curated performances called Juilliard Creative Classroom. Each school also receives the support of Curriculum Specialists, who offer support throughout the year through virtual and in-person visits. This includes meeting with teachers to look at specific lessons and resources, offering professional development workshops, and working directly with students in demonstration lessons.

"Our shared goal through this work is to immerse students in an approach to classroom instruction which promotes success for all students, ignites creativity, and engages students in inquiry and reflection through student-centred learning which is grounded in Core Works of music, dance, and drama."

What do you personally like about your role?

Curriculum Specialists have a multi-faceted versatile role, which is one of the things I love about it. Visiting schools to meet and work with students and faculty is one of my favourite parts, or course! It is thrilling to be in classrooms to observe students’ creative work and to work as a thought partner with teachers as they continue to develop and refine their use of Juilliard resources. Beyond the in-person visits, a large part of my role as a Curriculum Specialist is to offer ongoing support throughout the year. I also love this aspect of the role! Developing relationships with teachers allows me to connect them to specific Juilliard resources, offer virtual sessions, and target supports to meet goals for students learning specific to their classroom and school community.

What can students and teachers gain from this collaboration? Can they all benefit from this collaboration?

This programme allows Juilliard to work in collaboration with each school’s teachers and administrators to support the development of each child’s creative potential and artistry, as well as the deep thinking, communication, and collaborations that come along with that. This is an inclusive educational experience for all students to discover and activate their artistic abilities. Teaching and learning materials are designed to benefit all students in their academic career and as future arts-inspired adults.

What is the main goal we (The Juilliard and Nord Anglia Education) are trying to achieve? 

Beyond one primary goal, our collaboration seeks to foster a lifelong engagement in the performing arts, allow students to experience joy in performing, cultivate their personal artistry, and develop their creative thinking. By cultivating the mindset, habits, and disposition of artists, students begin to embrace ambiguity, question, investigate, problem solve, and learn to manage both process and product. Students learn to perceive with more nuance, developing empathy for other perspectives. Learning is anchored in masterful works of the performing arts which we refer to as Core Works, and which provide rich artistic worlds to explore, illuminate skills and concepts for students, and infuse students’ work with new perspectives and professional input.

Our shared values for the Nord Anglia/Juilliard collaboration are:

• Success for all students
• Student-Centered Learning
• Igniting Creativity
• Engaging students in Inquiry & Reflection
• Anchoring students experience in Core Works