The Arts have been a major focus of the Collegiate curriculum since the school’s founding over 50 years ago. From our youngest students in the Early Childhood division through the Upper School, fine arts are incorporated into the day-to-day activities to support the development of critical thinking skills and appreciation for all forms of art.

The instrumental and vocal music programs at Collegiate continue to grow and flourish. An appreciation of music is cultivated among all of our students with the leadership of experienced and passionate teachers.

The Early Childhood division has a full-time music teacher who focuses on moving to music, playing instruments, singing, and engaging the students' imaginations in creative ways. Students in all divisions have numerous performance opportunities starting with the youngest age groups. The full-time Lower School music teacher exposes the students in grades 1 to 4 to developmentally appropriate activities that teach and reinforce music. In Middle School students choose either vocal choir or instrumental music, and can pursue performance in a variety of ensembles, including 3 levels of concert bands, 2 jazz ensembles, and a drumline. The Upper School instrumental music program is recognized around the region for its consistently outstanding performances at local, state, and national events. Upper School students have the opportunity to participate in the concert band, jazz ensemble, and drumline.

Vocal music is also a strong program at Collegiate. Our students can be seen and heard performing all over the city of Wichita and beyond, from our young boy and girl choirs (Grades 4 through 6) through the Middle School Encore mixed ensemble and finally to the Upper School Madrigal and Dynamics groups. Our Madrigals tour and perform in Europe every other year, motivating our students to work hard to become members of this elite group. WCS produces one major musical production in the Upper School and one each in the Middle and Lower Schools each year.

Wichita Collegiate supports an active theater program with a foundation in improvisation, story study, and characterization.

In the Early Childhood program, students will have the opportunity to bring to life nursery rhymes by acting out the story. In Lower School, classroom plays are presented in both 1st and 2nd grade, often times creating their own props and costumes to bring the story to life. Beginning in Middle School, students can elect to take theater as a class. With instruction from our drama teacher, students engage in theater games, write their own mini-plays, and bring characters to life.

The lessons learned in the classroom lay the foundation for our students to perform in our major productions, including the 4th grade musical, the 5th and 6th grade play, the 7th and 8th grade musical, and all of the Upper School productions. Whether producing original or standard repertory plays, Spartans shine on stage.

Through our arts program, students are exposed to both contemporary and historical art, creating a foundation of both an appreciation for and interest in visual arts.

• Studio and the Visual Arts: All Lower School incorporate the study of art history and are taught the foundations of design, combined with the opportunity to create art pieces in various media. Middle and Upper School students can take art electives to further hone their skills.

• Videography: Film classes are offered in the Middle and Upper School and incorporate the latest technology to enable students to create commercials, parodies, documentaries, and more.

• Photography: Photography classes are an elective for the Upper School students. A large digital photography lab enables our students to apply the fundamentals of photography they are taught in the class.

The Collegiate Enrichment Academy provides excellent after-school opportunities for students to explore their interests in fine arts and other areas through private or group instruction.  Experienced teachers provide convenient and focused classes on the WCS campus.  Learn more about the Collegiate Enrichment Academy by viewing our CEA page.

WCS Upper School students also have the opportunity to participate in the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) Annual Fine Arts Festival. This festival is a premier arts festival for students in grades 9-12 with an average of 30 schools participating each year.  Collegiate is the only school in the state of Kansas that is a member of ISAS and that participates in the festival.