The Heart of the Arts Academy

The Heart of the Arts Academy specializes in the arts program, but also gives gifted students a wide range of courses to select from. Located in Antananarivo, Madagascar, it is found in the capital city so that it provides easy access to its many students. The purpose of this international school that is sponsored by Yamaha™, is to enrich the minds of talented students living in impoverished countries.

Our school considers numerous career paths for students to take. The flexible curriculum allows students to express their unique individuality, while obtaining their high-school diploma. By fulfilling their four years of high-school education at our facility, students can paint their canvas to success. Our school prepares students for a future by following either a college or university path.

Our large building allows us to accommodate students involved in various forms of art expression. We understand each student’s needs and interests, and work continuously to incorporate them into their studies. Though our school is mainly art-oriented, we acknowledge the importance of other subjects such as science, mathematics, athletics, technology, social science, linguistics and business. We offer courses in both English and French to cater to the needs of many. As well, there are many translators in our facility due to the fact that we are an international school that has opened its doors to students around the globe.

Within our walls, a wide range of art opportunities are available. Our visual arts program is situated in the six art studios in our school. There are multiple theatres where drama and dance students can “willingly suspend their disbelief.” The music program is equipped with over one hundred different instruments from a variety of cultures that have been provided by Yamaha™. These instruments contribute to the student’s understanding of the world at large. We also provide opportunities for students who specialize in media arts, fashion and photography. 

The students in our school come from different areas of the world. It is our goal to enhance the learning of those who do not have the same opportunities as others. There are many talented students in the world that have the ability to succeed, but are hindered because they lack the monetary means to further their education. Our building is always open and has same-sex dormitories for all attendees to sleep in, which are constantly monitored by staff. Students are able to go to The Heart of the Arts Academy if he/she has been recommended by their previous school, or if they have been approved by the school's administration. Students that have received a letter and are unable to afford the trip to Antananarivo have access to a flight to the school that has been kindly paid for by our sponsors. Students are encouraged to write to their family, and phones are also accessible at all times. If parents or family members wish to visit their loved one in our school, we have the means to bring them here.

Our school is in many ways a school for gifted students aged 13-18 who want to pursue a passion, but are unable to due to factors like war, domestic abuse, poverty, etc. Our school suspends the obstacles that stand in a student’s way, and let them explore their mind without repercussions or punishment. Previously, many of our students have been prevented from continuing one or many different forms of art that they have a deep love for. Our staff continuously offers opportunities for students to reach or exceed their own expectations. We realize that student achievements vary greatly depending on his or her own experiences, for example their memories of war. Those realizations in our school are honed and embraced for what they really are: individuality. The focus o n uniqueness links directly with the theme, ‘Express the inner you’. Students apply themselves to a degree that they are both capable of and proud of.

Our staff is as unique as the faces of the many students walking down our halls. They consist of alumni, trained professionals with at the minimum a university degree and people that are or were once actors, musicians, photographers, etc. These people act as living proof that personal expression can be just as successful as mathematical prodigies and other high forms of success. Our school is equipped with recruiting staff that travel from country to country, holding conferences in order to find talented youth who lack the opportunities that our school can in fact provide for them.

Students are taught by teachers that demonstrate determination, dedication and perseverance. Some of these teachers have encountered poverty and other obtrusive hurdles, but managed to overcome them, taking hold of their interest and molding it into something useful and worthwhile. 

The atmosphere in our school is very open. We encourage students to ask questions, participate and be open to positive criticism. It is our hope that by having students question things, we will teach them to be critical thinkers. Our students are a reflection of Heart of the Arts Academy, and therefore we want them to have the utmost exposure to different types of learning and different types of art. Hopefully our students can share their passion with others in order to make our world more attuned to individual interests.