Drama
“We must all do theatre, to find out who we are, and discover who we could become” August Boal
Purpose
At Heath Park, we passionately believe that Drama is a creative medium in which students can explore a variety of conceptual ideas. Students work with juxtaposing practitioners, styles, and genres, and are encouraged to present action that is reflective of themes, issues & ideas presented in everyday life.
Students will engage in acting through performance work. Working collaboratively to create, perform and review work. Students acquire the skills to bring to life a role on stage, develop their own ideas from taught methods, principles & techniques. Present work that draws on a variety of genres and styles. Whilst demonstrate their ability to evaluate areas of strengths, developments of own and peer’s work through written and verbal communication.
This involves student developing the ability to;
- Collaboration – Students can work in a variety of contexts to devise theatre.
- Communication – Students can share concepts & ideas to enhance the creative process.
- Stimulus – Students can suggest initial thoughts, feelings, and ideas from the starting point.
- Application of methods, principles, technique – Students can apply methods, principles, techniques to present live theatre.
- Strengths/ Development – Student evaluate areas of strengths, developments of own and peer’s work.
- State & Describe – Students can reflect stating & describing performance work through written communication.
- Explain & Justify – Students can reflect explaining & justifying performance work through written communication.
Curriculum Features
Key Stage 4 Drama
Our curriculum for Drama provides a layered curriculum that builds students’ knowledge & understanding from the foundations of drama to contemporary theatre. The curriculum underpins the three main assessment point create, perform & respond.
Students are assessed in creating, performing & review.
- Create – Students develop the ability to use physical & vocal skills to characterise basic performance roles on stage.
- Perform – Students develop their ability to perform taught methods, principles & techniques. As well as presenting theatre in juxtaposing styles (Naturalism, Abstract) & genres
- Respond – Students can effectively evaluate areas of strengths, developments of own and peer’s work. As well as review ‘State, Describe, Explain & Justify’ performance work through written communication. Providing students with a comprehensive and holistic to literacy instruction. Also, to help students view literacy as a critical element of all aspects of life.
Throughout their time in KS4 (Key Stage 4) Drama student engage with a variety of theatrical mediums, exposing students to contrasting performance styles & genres. The Eduqas GCSE Drama students complete three-unit Component 1 – Devising, Component 2 – Performance Text & Component 3 – Interpreting Text. The qualification provides students the chance to engage with the following;
- Director: – Providing opportunities to structuring an overall performance.
- Scriptwriter: – Improvising dialogue, and structuring lines to narrate a story.
- Practitioner/ Styles/ Genre: – Application of methods, principles & techniques develop from key works I.e. Frantic Assembly, Steven Berkoff, Greek Theatre, Jacque Lecoq, Katie Mitchell.
- Actor/ Actress: – Taking on a role to present a believable character on stage. The use of movement & vocal skills to bring to life a performers characterisation on stage.
- Design Elements – Reflection on stylistic features I.e. lights, sounds, staging, set used to enhance a piece.
- Live Theatre Review: – Review of live theatre performances. Embrace key works & be exposed to theatre in a variety of contexts.
Key Stage 5
The Pearson BTEC L3 students complete four-units over the two-year course. Students engage with Unit 1 – Investigating Practitioners, Unit 2 – Performance Skills, Unit 3 – Performance Group & Unit 22 – Movement. The learners can benefit from opportunities for deep learning where they are able to make connections among units and select areas of interest for detailed study. BTEC Nationals provide a vocational context in which learners can develop the knowledge and skills required for degree courses, including:
- Reading texts
- Extended writing
- Analytical skills
- Creative development
- Communication skills
- Collaborative skills
- Independence
- Preparation for assessment methods used in degrees
Enrichment
In Drama students can engage in a variety of after-school clubs, events, and trips. The opportunities are used as a chance bridge the gap in knowledge, acquire knowledge and skills from experience and expertise in their area of craft. As well as inspiring and motivate student provide them a greater understanding into the wider world of Acting and Theatre.
Extra-Curricular Clubs
- KS3 Drama Club
- Acting & Technique Class
- KS4 Rehearsal
Events
- Drama Sharing – Y9 Drama Summer Term 1 Project ‘Cookies – Verbatim’, and Y10 Component 1 have the chance to perform their work to peers, teachers and parents and guardian.
- Performing Arts – Heath Parks Got Talent & Performing Arts Showcase
Trips – Live Theatre
- KS4 Drama students can attend the theatre to watch live theatre productions. Students attend the theatre a minimum of once a year. We visit The Grand, The REP, The Birmingham Hippodrome, The Belgrade. Students have had the opportunity to DNA by Dennis Kelly, Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman, Sucker Punch by Roy Williams, Oceans at the End of The Lane by National Theatre.
In Drama students will develop the following attributes through practical & theoretical application of dramatic mediums: -
- Confidence
- Resilience
- Collaborative
- Communication
- Leadership
- Teamwork
- Creativity
- Imagination
- Expressive
- Conceptual
- Reflective
- Analyse – State, Describe, Evaluating & Justifying
