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Drama

"Performing live is like harvesting your crops and sharing your food with people."

Jason Mraz

Context

Any aspiring professional performer will need to learn a variety of performance skills to perform in a way that will meet the expectations of their audience, and also accurately represent them as performers. Beyond just performing effectively, performers need to think about the other performers, technical crew, performance equipment, the expectations of the audience, quality and variety in the set, and the practice and rehearsal schedule it takes to get to the final performance itself. Regularly having the opportunity to perform in front of an audience can help hone technique, expression and stage presence in order that high quality performance, and the practice required to get there, becomes second nature. Reflecting on performances is also a useful tool – as performers can see themselves through the audience’s eyes and learn more about how to develop their performance style to continually improve and grow in confidence.

Classroom Activities and Enrichment

The Drama department at Deptford Green is staffed by dynamic and engaging Specialist Drama Teachers. Deptford Green boasts two state of the art Drama studios with excellent lighting and sound facilities, a large in house Theatre with cutting edge technical facilities and two outdoor performance spaces.

Deptford Green has a thriving extracurricular enrichment programme, where students have the opportunity to take part in two exciting productions per year. Deptford Green Drama Students regularly visit the theatre to view a wide range of productions and have professional theatre companies brought in to perform for them. We aim to inspire in our students the love of dramatic literature, theatre and live performance, and foster in them strong professional skills and practices that they can take with them when they leave us.

KS3

The Drama department provides exciting opportunities for pupils to develop strong collaborative, explorative and performance skills. We aim to inspire in our students the love of dramatic literature, theatre and live performance and foster in them strong professional skills and practices that they can take with them when they leave us. Students are provided with an understanding of the subject and skills specific for KS4. This takes shape from the first component studied in year 7. Schemes of work ensure that students develop he skills, knowledge and understanding to appreciate and learn the diverse nature of this and the subject.

All KS3 pupils have one Drama lesson per week, Students who take Drama as an option at GCSE will have three. (Please see our KS4 Pathway description section).

KS4

The Level 1 & 2 Certificates in Creative and Performing Arts provide learners with skills, knowledge and understanding within the sphere of the creative and performing arts. The qualifications aim to offer practical structured learning with the flexibility to specialise in disciplines directly relevant to the creative and performing arts industries.

1. Unit Title: Live Performance

The aim of this unit is to give learners the opportunity to explore all the skills required for a live performance. These range from planning, rehearsing and the performance itself, to the reflection required post-performance to ensure continual development as performers. By undergoing the process of preparing for a live performance, learners will have the opportunity to experience the variety of activities and skills required to bring a performance together.

Learners will work with others to plan and rehearse the performance, be accountable and independent during the rehearsal process, and record their adaptations in a log of rehearsals. Students will present their work to an audience making sure that their individual contribution to the performance meets the given brief, and demonstrates the relevant skills that they have developed throughout the course.

2. Unit Title: Performing Text

Understanding exactly how dialogue / conversation works, how this is reflected in good dramatic writing and how an actor ‘lifts’ such speech ‘off of the page’ is important for those wishing to work in the theatre or as performers more widely.

Learners should understand how to interpret and analyse text in modern and classic dramatic writing, through describing the context of two texts – one modern and one classic – and the purpose of one scene from each, identifying demands it places on the performer and how the writer communicates role/character through language, and techniques for ‘lifting’ text off of the page in order to convey the role/ character.

Learners should perform scenes from modern and classic texts using spoken dialogue and related movement, demonstrating effective vocal skills including pace, tone, clarity, articulation, rhythm and musicality, and appropriately interpreting the character. This will be observed by the tutor and recorded.
Learners should evaluate their performance, identifying strengths and areas for improvement.

Ms Hurley - Head of Drama: lhurley@deptfordgreen.co.uk