Performing Arts

Our BTEC Award in Performing Arts gives learners the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in performing arts and the creative industry in a practical way, focusing on development of key skills in performance by analysing and performing existing theatrical styles and plays, building effective ways of working in the Performing Arts through collaborative theatre making, growing attitudes and practices that are considered most important in the Performing Arts, including personal management and communication and gaining knowledge that underpins how we might go on to work in the Performing Arts in the future.

Our BTEC Award in Performing Arts follows the Pearson Specification and consists of three main components:

Component 1: Exploring the Performing Arts Levels

To develop as a performer you will need a broad understanding of performance work and influences. This component will help you to understand the requirements of being a performer (in acting) across a range of performances and performance styles by analysing existing practitioners in detail. You will look at elements such as roles, responsibilities and the application of relevant skills and techniques, and broaden your knowledge through observing existing work and by learning about the approaches of practitioners, and how they create and influence performance.

Component 2: Developing Skills and Techniques in the Performing Arts

Working as a performer requires the application of skills, techniques and practices that enable you to produce and interpret performance work. In this component, you will communicate intentions to an audience as a performer.  You will take part in workshops and classes where you will develop technical, practical and interpretative skills through the rehearsal and performance process. You will work from existing texts, applying relevant skills and techniques to reproduce performance. Throughout your development, you will review your own progress and consider how to make improvements.

Component 3: Responding to a Brief

Live performance can happen in a number of places and for a range of reasons. For example, you may perform in a traditional performance space to an audience to communicate ideas about a particular theme or issue, or you may be part of a touring group that takes a performance to a community setting, such as a local school, to teach a young audience a safety message. In this component, you will have the opportunity to respond to a brief. You will be given a brief that outlines the performance and design requirements and asks you to consider your target audience and to start the creative process by using the given stimulus included in the brief. Working as part of a group, you will develop your ideas for a workshop performance and apply your skills and techniques to communicate your creative intentions to your audience.

This BTEC Tech award will teach you practical and transferable skills and knowledge that can be taken forward in your educational journey and future life whether that is towards a career in Performing Arts or elsewhere.

Performing Arts skills such as reproducing repertoire or responding to stimuli, development of ideas in rehearsal and performance are practically applied as well as those of personal management, self-discipline and communication, confidence and critical thinking that can be applied in any area of future study and work

Components 1 and 2 are internally assessed and externally verified and assessment tasks may take the form of assignments that demonstrate the knowledge and skills developed across the component. Forms of assignment can vary but typical forms of assignment might be a peoce of extended writing, a logbook detailing practice, a presentation, or video evidence of workshops or performance.

Component 3 is an externally set assessment that takes the form of a key task (assigned by the exam board) conducted under supervised conditions and the marked by an external examiner.

BTEC Level 2 Tech Award in Performing Arts can lead naturally to A-Level Drama and Theatre at DLD, or Level 3 BTEC Performing Arts elsewhere.

The skills developed in BTEC Level 2 Tech Award in Performing Arts are transferable across many other subjects in the arts and humanities and so is an appropriate course for students looking to study any number of subjects that might require research skills, communication and presentation skills or problem solving, collaboration and teamwork.

BTEC Level 2 Tech Award in Performing Arts can begin a path to careers in the performing arts as a performer, or in many related industries and roles such as

• Advertising and Marketing
• TV, Film, Radio and Photography
• Music, Performing and Visual Arts
• Computer games, Special Effects and Motion Capture
• Events, Museums, Galleries and Libraries

Further study in Drama and Theatre can also positively contribute to careers in Education and Law.

There are a number of performance and theatre-making opportunities in the College’s various co-curricular Drama Clubs.