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Art Immersion

Art Immersion is a full-time immersive art and design program for students in years 11 and 12. Students spend four days a week in professional studio environments, developing both creative skills and industry knowledge through hands-on practice. In Year 11, students build foundational skills across multiple artistic mediums before choosing to specialise in either Visual Arts Immersion or Photography Immersion for Year 12. Graduates earn both VCE completion and Certificate III in Visual Arts, with many also completing additional industry qualifications through our flexible Wednesday VET programs.


Our graduates often progress directly to NCAT's own Certificate IV programs, gain entry to prestigious institutions including RMIT, VCA and Swinburne, or pursue alternative routes such as TAFE-to-university pathways and industry apprenticeships. Our comprehensive portfolio development and industry-standard training ensure students have the creative evidence and professional presentation skills that tertiary institutions and employers value.

Art Immersion enables you to:

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Study art and design full-time whilst completing your secondary schooling

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Develop skills in drawing, painting, sculpture and photography

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Work one-on-one with mentors who help you communicate your ideas and achieve your creative potential

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Develop confidence; identify and use your individual strengths

Students develop extensive skills and knowledge in painting, drawing, sculpture, photography and design; which they then apply to independent and group projects. We maintain close relationships with designers and artists working across diverse creative fields; established practitioners work directly alongside students in our studios. These connections ensure students graduate with both technical skills and comprehensive industry knowledge. Our students work in industry-standard facilities from traditional ateliers to fully equipped darkrooms and photography studios, with access to technology including laser cutting and 3D printing equipment.

During the iconic ‘Fashion Fortnight’ project, year twelve students collaborate to design and create wearable artworks which are then styled and photographed in our professional studios. This is an exciting and challenging project where students develop leadership and teamwork skills in a creative setting.

At our annual Couch Fest arts festival, students gain real entrepreneurial experience by running their own creative businesses, while the entire NCAT community – families, staff, and friends – gathers to support their ventures with genuine enthusiasm and pride in their achievements.

TestimonialsAbbey Baggio (Visual Arts Immersion Student)

“My last year at NCAT was a year full of self discovery. Finding out who I am as an artist has been such a positive journey; I’ve had so much fun learning about my strengths and weaknesses and truly just discovering what I’m passionate about.”

TestimonialsAbbey Baggio (Visual Arts Immersion Student)

“My art is a positive outlet for me and it has allowed me to discover such life-changing confidence within myself. This whole journey has changed me in the most lovely way and I’m so grateful and ready to create and trust myself with everything I create in the future.
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TestimonialsLeon Alasso (Visual Arts Immersion Student)

“I truly appreciate the opportunity I had to experience a more progressive environment. During my time in the Visual Arts Immersion program I got lots of support and great encouragement to try new things and it really pushed me to discover how I could make a career though art.”

TestimonialsSarah Moss (Visual Arts Immersion Student)

“My time at NCAT is something I will never forget. Through encouragement from my teachers, I progressed faster than I could have imagined. The Visual Arts Immersion program taught me a positive work ethic, to embrace my creativity and to explore all the different mediums and pathways available.”

TestimonialsSarah Moss (Visual Arts Immersion Student)

“Since leaving NCAT, I have gone on to start my own business in the film and television industry; freelancing as a makeup artist for advertisements, feature films and television shows. I am currently working full-time in the Hair and Makeup Department of long-running Australian television show, Neighbours.”

TestimonialsSarah Moss (Visual Arts Immersion Student)

“NCAT will always feel like home for me, and I will always be thankful for the uplifting advice I constantly received from my teachers - pushing me in the right direction while giving me the space to improve myself self-sufficiently.
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TestimonialsSam Larsen (Visual Arts Immersion Student)

“I’m currently studying a Diploma of Interior Design and Decoration at RMIT and I wouldn’t be here without the incredible knowledge and support from all of the teachers that had a hand in my education. I can never speak highly enough about the opportunities I’ve been given and I recommend it to any creative inspired person who wants to excel in their area.
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TestimonialsNatasha Stamos (Media Teacher)

“Within the Visual Arts umbrella we also have the Arts Immersion program which is a vocational learning program where students are in a studio environment for four days a week. They also get all their literacy and numeracy through that.
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Course Structure

Our two-program is structured to support both creative exploration and professional specialisation, allowing students to develop genuine expertise while completing their secondary education. Our curriculum structure, using VCE VM and VET units is deliberately chosen for these units' flexibility and application to applied creative learning. Students graduate with both VCE completion and Certificate III in Visual Arts, with many also completing additional qualifications through our Wednesday VET offerings.

Studio Practice

Individual artistic development through personalised mentoring and targeted projects in students' preferred media. This subject emphasises meaningful artistic themes as students create substantial portfolio works over two 3.5-hour weekly sessions. This extended timeframe allows sustained creative immersion, enabling students to master design processes for independent practice and ultimately exhibit their work in professional gallery settings.

Workshops

Full-day technical sessions building skills in drawing, painting, and photography. Each workshop has a specific focus and begins with relevant art history and theory, then trialling materials and techniques and applying these to an extended artwork. Structured and intensive development ensures students build comprehensive skills and knowledge from foundational techniques to advanced practice.

Creative Enterprise

Students use design thinking to develop and manufacture products using both digital technology (laser cutting, 3D printing and design software) and traditional craft techniques. They progress from guided development in Year 11 to running independent businesses in Year 12, researching the market and selling work at our annual Couch Fest arts festival.

Art & Industry

Through hands-on projects, students explore careers in character design, games design, and illustration while learning from industry professionals. They create professional texts including websites, resumes, portfolios, and artist statements, developing essential tools for arts careers and further study. Artist talks and written reflections build presentation and critical analysis skills, ensuring graduates have creative direction and strong verbal and written communication abilities.