Queensland Academy for Creative Industries

"Queensland Academy for Creative Industries (QACI) is a public specialist school located in Wilston, Queensland, Australia, offering a distinctive educational experience that sits at the intersection of rigorous academic study and creative practice."

As one of the Queensland Academies established by Education Queensland, QACI was founded in 2006 with a clear purpose: to provide gifted and talented students with an environment that nurtures both intellectual ambition and artistic expression. The school operates under the umbrella of the state's public education system, making it an accessible option for families seeking high-calibre schooling without the fees typically associated with private international schools. Academically, QACI delivers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), one of the most respected pre-university qualifications in the world and widely recognised by universities across Australia and internationally. The IB Diploma is particularly well-suited to the school's ethos, as it encourages students to think critically, engage across disciplines, and pursue independent inquiry — qualities that align naturally with creative and artistic development. For relocating families accustomed to IB schooling in other countries, QACI offers genuine continuity of curriculum, and the qualification's global portability makes it an attractive choice for expat families who may move again before or after university. What truly sets QACI apart is its specialisation in the creative industries. The school is designed for students with demonstrated talent and passion in areas such as visual art, music, drama, dance, film, and design, and the curriculum is structured to allow these interests to flourish alongside the academic demands of the IB Diploma. This is not a school where the arts are an afterthought — they are woven into the institutional identity. Students are encouraged to see creative practice not merely as a subject but as a mode of thinking and engaging with the world, which dovetails powerfully with the IB's emphasis on the Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay. Situated in Wilston, an inner northern suburb of Brisbane, the school benefits from its proximity to the cultural and creative heartbeat of Queensland's capital. Brisbane's growing reputation as a hub for arts, innovation, and creative enterprise provides students with access to real-world industry connections, performances, exhibitions, and professional networks that extend learning well beyond the classroom. The student community at QACI is drawn from across Queensland and reflects a shared commitment to creative excellence and academic achievement. For expat and internationally mobile families, the school's IB framework provides a familiar and trusted academic structure, while the school's specialised focus offers something genuinely uncommon: a public institution where talented young people are consistently challenged to develop both their intellectual and creative capacities in equal measure. For families relocating to Brisbane with children who are artistically driven and academically capable, Queensland Academy for Creative Industries represents a rare and compelling option — a school where the question of whether to pursue the arts or pursue academic rigour simply does not need to be answered, because both are pursued together.