Specialist High Skills Major

Specialist High Skills Major: Arts & Culture Sector

The City of Brampton's Cultural Services Division is pleased to offer services such as Arts & Culture certification workshops and experiential learning activities as a pilot in the 2025/26 school year. Coming soon! Registration will open in Fall 2025.

The Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) is a specialized high school program that allows students to earn their Ontario Secondary School Diploma and focus their learning on a specific economic sector at the same time. Students develop skills for their future careers, graduate high school with industry certifications and training, and earn an SHSM seal on their high school diploma.

About Specialist High Skills Major

The SHSM–Arts and Culture sector stream enables students to build a foundation of industry-focused knowledge and skills before graduating and entering apprenticeship training, college, university, or an entry-level position in the workplace.

Learn more About Arts & Culture specialization in SHSM

Sector - Recognized Certifications & Training Courses

Work with professional actors, vocalists, or directors to gain in-depth skill development in the chosen art form. This will be a masterclass for those students with previous experience and will be a valuable learning experience if you have a multi-disciplinary group including students in specializing in other art forms.

Please note, this certification will involve some light physical activities. Students will be sitting, standing, and moving throughout the room. They may work at times with partners or in small groups.

Required equipment: Comfortable clothing, pen & paper
Number of students per group: minimum 10, maximum 25
Fee: Coming soon
Lunch: may be provided for an additional fee
Hours required: 3
Location: Coming soon

Work with a professional DJ to learn the elements of performance for a show or event. Students will leave with the knowledge of how to prepare for professional DJ gigs, and best practices for booking and retaining their own clients. Students will receive instruction on song selection, BPM configuration, and other professional music mixing techniques. The course introduces students to the business side of DJ’ing as well as the artistry.

Please note, this certification will involve some light physical activities. Students will be both sitting and standing, and will be operating DJ equipment and computers.

Required equipment: Comfortable clothing, pen & paper
Number of students per group: minimum 10, maximum 25
Fee: Coming soon
Lunch: May be provided for an additional fee
Hours required: 3
Location: Coming soon

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of art conservation, including techniques and best practices aimed at maintaining the integrity of visual art pieces over time, assessing and treating art pieces, and learning about the specialized tools and methods conservators use to stabilize, repair, and prevent further damage. Previous experience is not required.

Please note, this certification will involve some light hands-on physical activities. Students will be both sitting and standing, and handling art works.

Required equipment: work clothing, pen & paper
Number of students per group: minimum 10, maximum 25
Fee: Coming soon
Lunch: May be provided for an additional fee
Hours required: 3
Location: Coming soon

This course delves into the art of vocal accompaniment and will be of interest both to instrumentalists and vocalists looking to enhance their performance skills and teamwork. This session covers essential techniques in vocal confidence, stage presence, and the supportive role of accompaniment. Participants will learn practical strategies for overcoming performance anxiety, interpreting lyrics, and dynamically expressing through both voice and piano. A combined practice session allows participants to apply these skills in pairs, with opportunities for feedback and discussion. Students receive a comprehensive foundation in confident, collaborative music performance.

Please note, this certification will involve some light physical activities. Students will be both sitting and standing.

Required equipment: comfortable clothing, pen & paper
Number of students per group: minimum 10, maximum 25
Fee: Coming soon
Lunch: May be provided for an additional fee
Hours required: 3
Location: Coming soon

This workshop will introduce students to the basics of live sound production, mic techniques, and more, offering industry insight to strengthen and inspire a sound engineering community that is reflective of the culturally diverse performance scene in Brampton. In this course, students will learn to set up and take down small-scale sound systems suitable for the average performance space while practicing live sound mixing techniques. Students will leave prepared to host events with their own sound setups and/or have the knowledge to advocate for themselves as performers & vocalists in other venues.

Please note, this certification will involve some light physical activities. Students will be standing for extended periods, and handling equipment.

Required equipment: Comfortable clothing, pen & paper
Number of students per group: minimum 10, maximum 25
Fee: Coming soon
Lunch: May be provided for an additional fee
Hours required: 3
Location: Coming soon

This course prepares actors for theatre and film to confidently prepare for auditions in film and theatre. Content includes monologue selection and rehearsal, what to expect before, during, and after the audition, and industry insights from an industry professional instructor sharing their experience. Previous experience auditioning is not required.

Please note, this certification will involve some light physical activities. Students will be both sitting and standing, and moving throughout the room.

Required equipment: comfortable clothing, pen & paper, prepared monologues are optional (selections will be provided)
Number of students per group: minimum 10, maximum 25
Fee: Coming soon
Lunch: May be provided for an additional fee
Hours required: 3
Location: Coming soon

Students learn strategies for building a thorough and comprehensive arts & culture portfolio that showcases their work, skills, and learning. This course will cover common portfolio elements across multiple art forms, including specifications for each. Students will make connections to various arts practices and will be shown portfolio examples. Whether the portfolio is digital or physical/analogue, students will learn to enhance their professionalism and present themselves confidently, from post-secondary entrance interviews to pitching their creative or artistic projects to sponsors, funders, or employers.

Please note, this certification will involve mainly sitting, with some time spent in icebreakers, moving throughout the room.

Required equipment: pen & paper
Number of students per group: minimum 10, maximum 25
Fee: Coming soon
Lunch: May be provided for an additional fee
Hours required: 3
Location: Coming soon

This training prepares students for success in writing arts & culture proposals and grants. They will learn common elements including understanding program guidelines, and achieving clarity with project description, budget, artistic examples, and support letters. Multiple art forms will be covered, including specifications for each. An overview of local, provincial, and national arts funders will prepare students to seek support for their future arts projects. Students will review and critique examples of real-life arts & culture grant proposals.

Please note, this certification will involve mainly sitting, with some time spent in icebreakers, moving throughout the room.

Required equipment: pen & paper. We will provide sample proposals for students to read in advance.
Number of students per group: minimum 10, maximum 25
Fee: Coming soon
Lunch: May be provided for an additional fee
Hours required: 3
Location: Coming soon

Experiential Learning in Theatre Technical Operations

Experiential learning: This session provides an opportunity for interactive engagement with Brampton On Stage’s expert technical operations staff as they perform light maintenance on lighting and sound equipment. Students will witness demonstrations, and be invited to replicate what they have been taught. Time permitting, a tour of The Rose theatre may be included.
Reach-ahead: Students will learn about the career paths of the technicians hosting the session, as well as about the variety of technical positions and career opportunities within Brampton On Stage.
Note: This session will involve some light hands-on physical activities. There may be an opportunity to climb a ladder into the lighting grid (a fully enclosed space) which involves heights.
Number of students per group: Minimum 10, maximum 15
Fee: Coming soon
Lunch: May be provided for an additional fee
Hours required: 2.5
Location: The Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Lane

Accessibility

We are committed to offering an accessible and comfortable experience for all. Please contact us at arts.culture@brampton.ca to discuss any accommodations or modifications that we can provide.

Program Schedule

This schedule is a sample and can be modified to accommodate your arrival and departure times.

9:45 AM: Arrival
10:00 AM: Session begins
11:30 AM: Lunch
12:00 PM: Session continues
1:30 PM: Wrap-up and departure

Who Can Participate

Our program in the 2025-26 year is a pilot and will prioritize Brampton secondary schools offering the SHSM Art & Culture sector program. These schools will have the first opportunity to book dates, until November 2, 2025.

After November 3, 2025, the available dates open to all other schools.

Dates Available

October 15 – Topic of your choice, Snelgrove Community Centre
October 16 – Topic of your choice, Snelgrove Community Centre
October 29 – Topic of your choice, Snelgrove Community Centre
December 10 – Experiential Learning in Theatre Technical Operations, The Rose
January 7 – Experiential Learning in Theatre Technical Operations, The Rose
February 11 – Topic of your choice, Snelgrove Community Centre
February 12 – Topic of your choice, Snelgrove Community Centre

Rates

Please check back in the fall for the fee.

Lunch may be provided at an additional fee of $10/student.

How to Register

Sessions will be booked on a first-come, first-served basis according to the dates available.

Choose your desired date first.
Choose your desired workshop topic.
Contact us for availability.

Additional details on the registration process will be available in fall 2025.

Additional Resources

For additional City of Brampton programming for Specialist High Skills Majors in all sectors, please see Recreation’s offerings at www.brampton.ca/SHSM.

Learn More

Contact Cultural Services

Brampton City Hall
2 Wellington St W
Brampton, ON
L6Y 4R2

Email Cultural Services