Drama

Vision

Drama is one of the oldest art forms and enriches any curriculum; it equips students with the tools to tackle and solve problems, to think critically and confidently and to express opinions.

Studying Drama requires emotional maturity and allows our young people to explore and develop an understanding of themselves and their place in this ever developing and changing world. 

At Bridge, students learn how the roles of performer, director and designer combine as ‘Theatre Makers’ as well as understanding how social, political, cultural and historical changes have impacted both on the art form and reflect the world we live in.

Our creative Drama curriculum allows students to acquire the tools and knowledge necessary to form and express individual responses to a range of issues with the core of our subject based around building young people’s confidence in themselves.

KEY STAGE 3 SUMMARY

In KS3 we explore basic drama skills such as characterisation, still image, narration, and storytelling – whilst establishing a safe and supportive work environment in which students can be creative and work cooperatively to explore a wide range of themes and ideas.

We have designed the curriculum to cover a wide breadth of different theatre genres and styles, with a focus on encouraging effective teamwork and developing confidence and performance skills.

Students also will begin to explore the impact of theatre practitioners throughout history and how they have shaped theatre as we understand it today.

Ultimately our goal is that young people enjoy being creative and expressing themselves allowing them to build confidence and learn to take risks with their work. Our teachers always value the contributions of the students and will help to support emerging expertise in those we teach.

KEY STAGE 4 SUMMARY

At GCSE we study AQA Drama over two years.

There are many opportunities for learning outside of the classroom in Drama. Theatre visits are an essential element of the course and we work with a range of external practitioners to help bridge the gap between education and industry to add to our students repertoire of skills.

The three main components of the course are:

• Component 1: Devising Theatre – (Creating from scratch your own performance)
• Component 2: Performing from a Text – (A selected play will carefully be chosen)
• Component 3: Interpreting Theatre (Written exam studying Blood Brothers By Willy Russell and Live Theatre)  

BTEC Tech Award in Performing Arts (2022)

The three main components of the course are:

• Component 1: Exploring the Performing Arts (Studying Live theatre and the works and roles in the professional industries)
• Component 2: Developing Skills and Techniques in the Performing Arts (Performance)
• Component 3: Responding to a brief (Creating from scratch your own performance)

KS4 Drama will enable students to:

• Actively engage in the process of dramatic study in order to develop as effective and independent learners and as critical and reflective thinkers with enquiring minds;
• Work imaginatively and creatively in collaborative contexts, generating, developing and communicating ideas;
• Reflect on and evaluate their own work and the work of others;
• Develop and demonstrate competence in a range of practical, creative and performance skills;
• Develop a basis for their future role as active citizens in employment and society in general as well as for the possible further study of drama;
• Consider and explore the impact of social, historical and cultural influences on drama texts and activities.

KEY STAGE 5 SUMMARY

At A Level we study EDUQAS DRAMA; a course for those students interested in practical and theoretical aspects of the subject, building on their understanding of theatre studies at GCSE level.

Candidates will study five texts over the two years from the perspective of an actor, director, designer and member of an audience.  This course is suitable for those students interested in developing skills in textual and devised performance. It is well suited to team players and creative thinkers.

The course is broken down into 3 core components over two years.

• Component 1: Theatre Workshop – 20% (Devised Performance & Text Performance)
• Component 2: Text in Action – 40% (Performance on a set Theme)
• Component 3: Text in Performance – 40% (Written examination)

Set texts include:

• Love and Information by Carol Churchill
• Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Simon Stephens

Aladdin, January 2023

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