Acting & Drama

Drama is a popular subject where students have the opportunity to develop a love of drama and the theatre as a vital part of life. Students are encouraged to develop self-expression, self-esteem and language use as well as an understanding of the importance of respect, co-operation and community. Students will study theatre skills as actors, play writers and directors and be given opportunities to showcase their skills to a variety of audiences.

DCC has outstanding facilities for Performing Arts, which includes a state of the art, fully equipped theatre, with an audience capacity of 300.

Year 7 and 8 students have one lesson per week taught by a specialist drama teacher. In Year 9, students opt for GCSE AQA Drama.

Students are offered a huge amount of extra-curricular activities at DCC, including clubs and shows and initiatives. All extra-curricular activities work towards enriching and developing students’ understanding, technique and performance skills. Students perform throughout the year in College and in the wider community.

Our current extra-curricular activities include a lower school drama club, a Shakespeare project, and a whole school musical.

Inspire

In Year 7 and Year 8 they follow schemes of work which are designed to explore a variety of theatrical devices to develop their performance skills throughout the year.

Students will also explore a variety of narratives which will expand their knowledge of social, historical and cultural themes. An emphasis is placed on building a supportive and caring system within the group and to give confidence and encourage commitment to the task in hand. Students learn both independently and in groups by rehearsing, practicing and refining their drama. Students are regularly required to observe and evaluate their own work and that of their peers, considering strengths, weaknesses and targets for improvement.

KS4

In Year 9, students opt for Drama GCSE

Students are required to complete work; Devising Drama, Acting Techniques and Scripted Performance. The course is designed to provide the students with as many opportunities as possible to meet the criteria of these units.

Students are required to keep an actor’s log throughout each assessment which tracks personal progress, level of understanding, research applied and development of the theme. Evaluations are needed to support the log.

 

Year 9 students are required to study the play Blood Brothers and be able to put their techniques worth 40% of the course. Under controlled exam conditions, students are then required to write a report on this work worth 20%. A scripted performance will be rehearsed and performed to an external examiner worth 20% and at the end of the course students will sit a written exam on a set text they have studied and evaluate their scripted work. There is a written exam which makes up the remaining 40% covering the set text Blood Brothers.

All Key stage 4 students have three one hour lessons per week with both theoretical and practical lessons built in. Students are also offered extra- curricular time to rehearse or study.

Teacher of Drama – Mrs. Janine Garnett

Teacher of Drama – Mrs. Sara Frith