Arts and culture
This guide is for school and school board staff who are planning and delivering SHSM programs.
Overview
The Specialist High Skills Major in Arts and Culture (SHSM–Arts and Culture) helps students build a foundation of sector-focused knowledge and skills before graduating and entering apprenticeship training, college, university or an entry-level position in the workplace.
This SHSM program has 5 required components:
- bundle of 8 credits
- certifications and training recognized by the arts and culture sector
- experiential learning and career exploration activities
- reach ahead experiences
- sector-partnered experiences (SPEs)
Find a list of some of the careers that this SHSM can lead to.
Variants of this SHSM
The SHSM–Arts and Culture can focus on a specific area (for example, dance, dramatic arts or technical production) by varying the mix of its 4 major credits.
Where local circumstances allow, your school board may offer 1 or more variants of this SHSM.
Bundle of 8 credits
The SHSM–Arts and Culture requires students to complete a bundle of 8 Grade 11 and Grade 12 credits, made up of 4 major credits, 2 other required credits and 2 cooperative education (co-op) credits.
These credits are required for all students, regardless of the pathway a student chooses after graduation:
- apprenticeship training
- college
- university
- the workplace
Four major credits
These credits provide arts and culture sector-specific knowledge and skills.
These 4 credits:
- can be any combination of Grade 11 and Grade 12 credits
- may include up to 3 arts and culture-related co-op credits (these are additional to the 2 required co-op credits in the bundle)
We (the Ministry of Education) maintain an SHSM-approved course list for the arts and culture sector. Contact the SHSM lead at your school board to get the list.
Two other required credits
These are required credits from the Ontario curriculum.
These 2 credits must include:
- one English credit (a compulsory English credit is required in Grade 11 and Grade 12 to graduate)
- one of the following:
- business studies credit
- Canadian world studies credit
- additional major credit
- additional arts and culture-related co-op credit (in addition to the 2 co-op credits required in the bundle)
Your school may commit to including a contextualized learning activity (CLA) for the arts and culture sector in each of these 2 credits. If your school offers this, then:
- some of the course expectations for these credits are met through the CLA
- your school decides if the CLA for English is completed in Grade 11 or in Grade 12
Even if your school does not formally commit to including CLAs, it can still offer them in 1 or more of these credits.
Two cooperative education co-op credits
Co-op credits in this SHSM provide students with real learning experiences in an arts and culture workplace setting. This lets students refine, extend, apply and practise:
- knowledge and skills they learned in the cooperative education curriculum
- arts and culture-specific knowledge and skills learned through their SHSM program
| Credits | Apprenticeship training Grades 11–12 | College Grades 11–12 | University Grades 11–12 | Workplace Grades 11–12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Major credits May include up to 3 co-op credits related to the sector (this is in addition to the 2 required co-op credits) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| English may include a CLA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Business studies, Canadian and world studies, or science may include a CLA May be substituted with 1 additional major credit or 1 co-op credit (this is in addition to the 2 required co-op credits) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Cooperative education | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Total number of credits | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Certifications and training
Students must complete 3 compulsory and 3 elective certifications and/or training courses/programs that are recognized by the arts and culture sector.
Compulsory certifications and training
Students must complete:
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Level C — includes automated external defibrillation (AED)
- Standard First Aid
- Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) — generic, not site-specific, instruction
These are the proper names of the specific certifications or training courses/programs for this SHSM.
Elective certifications and training
- advanced training in a technique (such as figure drawing, conducting, sewing)
- advanced training in a technology (such as 3D printing, laser cutting, Serato)
- advanced training in an art form (such as mime, tapdance, improvisation)
- advanced training in art therapy
- anti-oppression and allyship training
- audition preparation
- basic electrical safety
- Beauty Specialist Certification Program – 3-part course
- curatorial techniques
- customer service
- elevated work platforms
- event coordination
- fall protection
- first aid/CPR/AED awareness
- framing and matting
- game design
- health and safety – basic
- infection control
- instructor certification
- interactive art forms
- ladder safety training
- leadership skills
- lighting and sound equipment maintenance
- makeup/cosmetology
- musical instrument repair
- portfolio development
- project management
- proposal/grant writing
- pyrotechnics
- recording equipment
- sector-specific software 1 (such as animation, graphic arts)
- sector-specific software 2 (such as photography)
- stage combat
- technical staging
- working at heights
- wrapping and taping for performance and injury
Learn more about certification and training in SHSM programs.
Experiential learning and career exploration activities
Experiential learning and career exploration opportunities relevant to the sector might include instances where an SHSM student:
- observes a co-op student one-on-one at a placement in the arts and culture sector (an example of job twinning)
- spends the day observing an artist (an example of job shadowing)
- works with a member of an industry association or professional for 1 or 2 weeks (an example of work experience)
- participates in a local, provincial or national competition focused on one of the arts
- goes to a sector trade show, conference, symposium or job fair
- tours of a local theatre, museum, studio or art gallery
Learn more about SHSM program experiential learning and career exploration opportunities.
Reach ahead experiences
The SHSM-Arts and Culture must provide students with 1 or more reach ahead experiences. These are opportunities to take the next steps along their chosen pathway – as shown in the following examples:
- apprenticeship: visiting an approved apprenticeship delivery agent in the sector
- college: interviewing a college student enrolled in a sector-specific program
- university: observing a university class in a sector-related program
- workplace: interviewing an employee in the sector
Learn more about reach ahead experiences.
Sector-partnered experiences (SPEs)
Students engage with a sector partner to learn about the arts and culture sector and how it connects with ICE (innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship), coding and/or math literacy skills.
Learn more about SPEs in SHSM programs.
Careers in the arts and culture sector
These are examples of careers in the arts and culture sector, sorted by the type of postsecondary education or training the careers usually require.
Apprenticeship training
- artisans and craftspersons
- other technical and coordinating occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting and the performing arts
- painters and decorators
College
- actors and comedians
- announcers and other broadcasters
- artisans and craftspersons
- audio and video recording technicians
- broadcast technicians
- film and video camera operators
- graphic arts technicians
- graphic designers and illustrators
- interior designers and interior decorators
- other performers
- other technical and coordinating occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting and the performing arts
- photographers
- supervisors, textile, fabric, fur and leather products processing and manufacturing production supervisors
- technical occupations related to museums and art galleries
- theatre, fashion, exhibit and other creative designers
University
- authors and writers
- conductors, composers and arrangers
- conservators or curators
- dancers
- painters, sculptors and other visual artists
- producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations
- professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations
Workplace
- camera, platemaking and other prepress occupations
- desktop publishing operators and related occupations
- graphic artists and illustrators
- musicians and singers
- other performers
- photographic and film processors
- textile fibre and yarn, hide and pelt processing machine operators and workers
- weavers, knitters and other fabric-making occupations
Information and resources
Partnership opportunities
For local labour market opportunities in arts and culture, please contact your school board’s SHSM lead.
The SHSM model
This SHSM’s requirements are unique and geared to the arts and culture sector. However, the design of all SHSM programs follows a consistent model with 5 required components.
Find more information about the components of an SHSM.