Drama
Intent – why do we teach what we teach in Drama?
Aspects of performing arts help young people to understand how to appraise situations, think outside the box and be more confident going into unfamiliar situations. Students learn to trust their ideas and abilities. The confidence gained from learning performing arts skills applies to school, career, and life. Being creative and learning to make creative choices helps students to be better at thinking of new ideas, allowing them to view the world around them in new ways. Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
Understanding characters, roles and the subtexts of plays and musicals allows students to relate better to different situations, backgrounds, and cultures, encouraging them to show compassion and tolerance for others.
Implementation – How do we teach Drama?
At KS3 students are introduced to drama as an art form exploring a range of performance techniques including role-play, improvisation, vocal technique, physicality, tableau, mime and choral movement. They are encouraged to demonstrate confident and clear speech in performance, awareness of movement when creating characters and energy and commitment in all group work. Students then explore more complex strategies such as analysing text, staging, cross-cutting, split – scene, narration and marking the moment. They are encouraged to demonstrate an awareness of language and tone of voice when creating believable characters, proxemics in staging and energy and commitment in all group work.
GCSE Drama encourages students to develop a personal interest in why drama matters. They work imaginatively and creatively in collaborative contexts, developing and communicating ideas. Students learn to consider and explore the impact of cultural influences on drama texts and practice interpreting theatre through contextual analysis. As teachers, we seek to inspire independent learners who respond to work with a critical and enquiring mind.
In Years 10 and 11 students are introduced to the three examined components that contribute to their GCSE attainment. Students study key theatre practitioners and their methods through both theoretical and practical exploration. There is a significant focus on analysing performance through theory alongside the practice of devising performances through collaborative work. Students also have the opportunity to frequently visit theatres and understand performances as a whole form, focusing on technical aspects and the logistics that form the space.
Edexcel A-Level Drama and Theatre Studies is split into two contrasting years of study. It is designed to provide a balance across a range of learning activities. This specification combines the activities of exploring plays, creating theatre, the performing of plays, the analysis of theatre and the critical evaluation of all of these elements. Students completing the two year course successfully will have a thorough understanding of drama and theatre, highly toned analytical and creative skills and an ability to communicate effectively with others.
When studying drama, whether in Year 7 or Year 13 students will have many opportunities to take part in enrichment activities including trips and visits to the theatres, external facilitators and speakers visiting the Academy and industry experience are all available.
Drama and Performing Arts is so much more than what goes on in the classroom, it has the ability to change lives.
Documents
| Drama Curriculum Map | Download |
