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Drama

Curriculum

WHERE YOU ARE ABLE TO EXPLORE – CHALLENGE AND REALISE YOUR POTENTIAL

Vision

To ensure that our Drama department makes a contribution towards Thorns as a centre of excellence for the Performing Arts. To provide rich provision of our subject, and impact on the individual, the school and the community through our work in Drama.

Aims

  • To refine acting skills by encouraging hard work and commitment.
  • To develop the whole person, through emotions, and social skills, using drama as a tool to do so.
  • To show academic development in theatre arts, such as skills, practitioners, texts, process and careers.
  • To develop an appreciation of the arts.

Drama is delivered through the L4L curriculum in year 7, enhancing and supporting students’ learning through a rich and varied curriculum. In addition, students are given the opportunity to work with our learning officer from the Birmingham Hippodrome on additional projects such as Arts Award and performances back at the Hippodrome.

Students also complete an 8-hour project in drama exploring the skills needed to create and perform a piece of drama. The project introduces students to a variety of stimuli and techniques and the making, performing and responding structure of the curriculum. 

Drama is delivered through the L4L curriculum in year 8, enhancing and supporting students’ learning through a rich and varied curriculum. In addition, students are given the opportunity to work with our learning officer from the Birmingham Hippodrome on additional projects such as Arts Award and performances back at the Hippodrome.

Students also complete an 8-hour project in drama exploring both text and devised work. The project builds on their prior knowledge of the making, performing and responding structure of the curriculum. 

Drama is delivered through performing arts on a rotational basis to every student in year 9. Through this, they complete 3 acting projects throughout the year.

Rotation 1

Theatre Styles

To learn about the techniques of the practitioners Brecht and Stanislavski. Students will devise a project around and issue of importance to them. They will then use the techniques they have learned to improve the quality of their work 

Rotation 2

Live Theatre

To watch and analyse professional performance work in terms of the elements of design and acting.

  
   

Students in year 10 will be given the option to study Drama at GCSE level through the exam board Eduqas. GCSE Drama gives students a broad and balanced experience of Drama, through both performance and design skills. As part of the course, you will devise your own piece of theatre and give a performance from a published script. You will be able to choose acting or design as part of these projects. You will also explore a range of texts and a variety of live theatre performances. Students have access to Digital Theatre + to support them in experiencing professional work and will also visit the theatre during the course. Students will have workshops delivered by other professionals to support them in their development.

The Eduqas course is split into 3 components listed below:

  • Component 1: Devising Theatre (40%)

You will work with a group to create and perform a piece of theatre.

You will produce:

-A portfolio of evidence to show your rehearsal process.

-A performance between 5-14 minutes long.

-An evaluation of the final performance/design.

Assessed by your teacher and moderated externally. 

  • Component 2: Performing from a text (20%)

You study 2 extracts from the same text, in either acting or design. You will produce:

-A group performance lasting between 5-14 minutes long.

Assessed by a visiting examiner. 

  • Component 3: Interpreting Theatre (40%)

Written examination 1 hour 30 minutes. The exam has 2 sections:

Section A, a series of questions around a text you have studied in class.

Section B, answer one question from a choice analysing and evaluating a live theatre piece seen throughout the course.

External examination. 

There are 2 drama clubs per week, that is attended by all year groups. They are  run together to encourage leadership skills and aspiration.

Monday’s class explores performing and devising in drama. 

Thursday’s class looks at technical theatre such as set design and lighting. 

Students rehearse in preparation for our annual production. 

Weekly support workshops are presented for BTEC Tech Award Actors.

Styles: Absurdism, classical, comedy, commedia’dell’arte, epic, forum theatre, melodrama, naturalism, symbolism, theatre of cruelty, verbatim, devised, musical theatre, physical theatre.

Creative intentions: Theme, issue, stimulus, style/genre, contextual influences, collaboration with other practitioners, influences with other practitioners.

Purpose: Educate, inform, entertain, provoke, challenge, raise awareness, celebrate.

Roles: Actor, singer, director, writer, designer.

Responsibilities: Rehearsing, performing, devising, choreographing, directing, writing, refining work, self-managing and managing others.

Skills

  • Physical: Actions/gesture, characterisation, expression, focus, control, mannerism, movement memory, spatial awareness, posture, pace, relaxation
  • Vocal: Clarity, articulation, projection, breath control, remembering lines, pitch, characterisation, pause, pace, tone, expression –
  • Performance/interpretive: Use of props/set/costume/make up, use of space, facial expression, stage presence, energy, awareness of the space and audience, interaction with other performers, interpreting and developing a character, communicating a style or genre, communicating themes, learning blocking, stage directions, dialogue, managing, directing, communication, creative writing, organisation.


Practitioners: Stansislavski, Brecht, Artaud, Boal, Frantic Assembly, National Theatre, Mark Wheeller, Redcape Theatre Company, Dennis Kelly, Willy Russell, John Godber, Splendid.

Mrs C Clark

Head of Department