Drama
“I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.” (Oscar Wilde)
PHILOSOPHY AND VISION
Artists are essential to society and are at the heart of everything we do.
Drama is an important tool for preparing students to live and work in a world that is increasingly collaborative rather than hierarchical. Helping students to develop empathy as well as the ability to communicate effectively- the skills gained through Drama reach far beyond the stage, transferring directly into everyday life.
The power of drama is increasingly being recognised as one of the most effective ways in developing emotional intelligence in young people, a skill that is not often developed through the traditional education system. Promoting communication skills, teamwork, cooperation, dialogue, negotiation skills and the ability to negotiate, drama stimulates creativity and imagination whilst teaching students to become critical thinkers. As a subject it encourages confidence in our young people preparing them for wider challenges they may face.
Through detailed exploration of the different genres within drama, theatre practitioners and of course play texts both classic and contemporary, as a team we aim to enrich our student’s cultural understanding and excite their imaginations through the delivery of engaging lessons. All of our KS3 students are given the opportunity to experience the subject.
Find out who you are, and discover who you could become!
Year 7
Introduction to drama; exploration of Roald Dahl texts.
Skills include - still image, transitions, role play, improvisation & split scene. Exploration & profiling of different characters, development of essential skills; hot seating, role on the wall, proxemics, spatial awareness, characterisation, movement/mime/gesture, non-naturalism and physical theatre.
Year 8
Introduction to different styles & genres; naturalism as well as non-naturalistic styles. Exploration; chorus, masks, physicality, audience impact, believability, unison and canon. Genres; melodrama, suspense & Commedia Dell 'Arte. Devised Study; drama with meaning. Research; improvisation, structuring, non-verbal communication, speech & movement, characterisation, stimuli, images & script. Introduction to different theatre practitioners.
Year 9
Continue to build on collaboration and communication skills with new class members.
Explore and develop comprehension of the differences between Naturalism and Non-Naturalism. Develop further understanding of the impact of theatre. Research into various theatre makers and explore their process theoretically and practically. Continue to work with text and devising skills, creating work for performance and then reflecting on personal development, practice and performance.
Year 10
Complete two internal assessments. The first will be a devised performance where students will be inspired by a set brief and the style of two practitioners. Students will research, develop, and create their own performances in a group and they will document this process with supportive written or verbal evidence. They will evaluate the performance and the process they went through. The second internal assessment will involve developing a scripted piece for performance. They will work on performance skills throughout the process and document their improvements and journey of transferring the play from the page to the stage. They will then evaluate their journey and final performance.
Year 11
In a group, students devise an original drama, completing written pieces of work that document the process and outline their intentions. During January, the exam board releases an exam paper with a specific task/brief; externally assessed. Students use prior knowledge of practitioners, work completed during KS4, to create an exam piece. Written elements are practiced in the approach to final examinations; writing & documenting the rehearsal process and evaluation. Skills; independence, delegation, research.