Drama
Back to Subjects MenuWhat is the Intent of the Drama Curriculum?
“The main factor in any form of creativeness is the life of a human spirit, that of the actor and his part, their joint feelings and subconscious creation.” – Konstantin Stanislavski
Drama is an exciting and necessary subject for students to participate in. It allows students to explore the world around them in a safe and secure environment. Throughout their studies at the Marsh Academy students will be exposed to a variety of stimuli such as exploring real life events, different cultures, moments in history and imaginary scenarios. Students will develop their imagination skills through a variety of dramatic techniques whilst refining their performance skills. By learning about the wider world in this setting, students will develop their understanding of others’ circumstances, building empathy and maturity. The Drama Curriculum at Marsh Academy is designed to prepare students for the world beyond school through the medium of Drama. By exploring the concepts of consequence, responsibility, acceptance and relationships students will develop an understanding of what it means to be a responsible and kind member of society. The Performing Arts industry is growing in the UK and the drama curriculum seeks to provide students with opportunities to study rich texts as well as develop key disciplinary knowledge and refine skills that will enable them to pursue further education and or employment in this important sector.
Drama in KS3 focusses on developing the performance skills and theoretical knowledge through the exploration of a variety of stories and playwrights. Each year group explores a variety of real – life stories explored through Drama, scripted pieces and devising units. The Drama curriculum is a spiral curriculum which builds upon student prior knowledge each year to prepare students for success at GCSE and beyond. The curriculum has been designed with opportunities to collaborate with other departments and utilise student prior knowledge. By linking units with other departments across the school, students are able to gain a deeper understanding of the theoretical contexts behind the story and lead to deeper analysis and interpretation. This is the case in units such as Home Front in Year 9, Hamilton in Y8 and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Year 7. Students will explore these stories as stimuli to inform devised work as well as working directly from a script.
Students will have the opportunity to perform in each lesson, building confidence on the stage and find enjoyment in demonstrating good practice. Each lesson will focus on understanding stage craft and awareness of the audience to prepare them for formal performances higher up the school. It is important for students to understand the importance of performing as a way of connecting with the subject content, as opposed to performing for performance’s sake. The Drama curriculum empowers all students to express themselves through the medium of drama as well as improve their communication, literacy, and interpersonal skills. Students will experience Drama all the way through KS3 and can choose to pursue it at KS4 and 5.
