Drama
Curriculum Intent
“Theatre is a powerful art form. It teaches lessons about life, society and emotion, and more importantly yourself.”
~ Anastasia Roberts (Theatre practitioner)
The unenlightened student may ask, ‘What’s the point in doing Drama? I know what I want to do with my future and I don’t see how it helps.’ Although this might also be the view some students have with a number of non-core subjects, the Drama curriculum has many strands of purpose.
On one level it stimulates students’ imagination, encouraging empathy with characters and allowing them to experience situations they might never have encountered. This is underpinned with knowledge and understanding of the history of theatre, its styles, genres and conventions, all explored through practical demonstration, often drawing on cross-curricular links with subjects such as History, English and Religious Studies.
Students develop practical skills that are the foundation for future study and careers in theatre and film, including backstage and design roles within the wider and growing creative industries sector. In addition, students develop analytical and evaluative skills both in appreciation of their own and others’ drama (including professional live theatre) as well as learning how their own and others’ drama can be improved.
On another level, Drama develops the student’s own AET character and sense of self by being exceptionally brave, discovering what’s possible, pushing the limits and being big hearted. Many of the themes and issues encountered in plays they study and dramas they devise support and extend the Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare (PDBW) programme they encounter in their tutor time.
We recognise that Drama can be a bit like Marmite - it can be that students either love it or hate it! But like Marmite, which has many health benefits (if you can get beyond the taste of it), we strive to promote and facilitate the development of employability or ‘soft’ skills, which the subject fast-tracks by its very collaborative and performance-based nature. These skills include speaking and listening, problem solving, creativity, staying positive, aiming high, leadership and teamwork. Although some students’ nature is introverted or they develop self-consciousness with puberty, if they can keep the bigger picture in mind of how the subject develops these employability skills they can all see a reason to step up out of their comfort zone.
Please click on the document link below to view our Curriculum Map for Drama.