Drama
Examination Board: Pearson Edexcel
Exact Course Title: BTEC Level1/2 Tech Award in Performing Arts (Acting)
Why should I choose to study drama?
You will love the subject and enjoy performing or want to pursue a career in the Performing Arts Industry. Equally you may want to develop the social and communication skills needed in everyday life. Drama develops the individual, teaches you a wide range of transferable skills giving you the confidence to succeed in all you do.
What will I learn?
There are 3 components – Exploring the Performing Arts; Developing Skills and Techniques in the Performing Arts; and Performing to a Brief. During the course you will study a variety of drama techniques and learn about performance skills and qualities. You will develop your own personal management skills such as motivation, but you will also learn how to work as a team. From a subject specific point of view you will focus on use of voice and movement, drama techniques and strategies, the rehearsal and performance process. You will be able to work as a solo performer as well as a member of an ensemble and you will understand how a performance is created from the initial ideas to the final curtain.
What will be expected of me?
Marks for your controlled assessment components will come from diary entries, teacher observations, essays, PowerPoints, video evidence, working as a team and rehearsing and refining your work. You will need to be able to work with a wide variety of people – not just your friends. Furthermore, you will need to be able to take criticism, direction, recognise your own strengths and weaknesses as a performer, be prepared to set targets and work towards achieving them.
What skills will I develop?
Confidence, communication, self-motivation, social skills, team work and collaboration are central to the course as well. You will develop and learn technical skills and techniques, such as voice and movement, performance skills and awareness of audience, review and evaluation skills, as well as learning about the performing arts industry and how actors prepare for a performance and their role in a production.
How will I be assessed?
Controlled Assessment – 70% (Components 1 and 2) and External Assessment – 30% (Component 3).
Component 1 – Exploring the Performing Arts:
Examination of practitioners’ work and the processes used to create performance
A – Examine professional practitioners’ performance work
A1 – Professional practitioners’ performance material, influences, creative outcomes and purpose
A2 – Practitioners’ roles, responsibilities and skills
B – Explore interrelationships between constituent features of existing performance material
B1 – Processes used in performance
B2 – Techniques and approaches used in performance
Tasks and Evidence
A - Watch live and/or recorded performances
- Analyse performances in three different performance styles
- Explore roles and responsibilities, creative intention, key influences and purpose
- Make comparisons between stylistic qualities, using examples as evidence
- Explore how practitioners contribute to the performance process and how their roles and responsibilities differ depending on performance, style and outcome
Extended writing (essay), blog or PowerPoint presentation
B – Participate in practical workshops:
- The processes, techniques and approaches used by practitioners
- The interrelationships between constituent features within the performance work
Teacher observations, recordings of workshops and extended writing (essay), blog or PowerPoint presentation
Component 2 – Developing Skills and Techniques in the Performing Arts:
Develop performing arts skills and techniques through the reproduction of acting
A – Develop skills and techniques for performance
A1 – Development of physical, vocal and interpretative skills
A2 – Develop skills and techniques during the rehearsal process
B – Apply skills and techniques in rehearsal and performance
B1 – Application of skills and techniques during rehearsal
B2 – Application of skills and techniques in performance
C – Review own development and performance
C1 – Review own development of skills and techniques for performance
C2 – Review own application of skills and techniques in performance
Tasks and Evidence
A – Workshops and Classes
- Select a performance genre and associated style
- Discuss technical and interpretative skills required. Focus on specific skills and techniques needed
- Develop technical and interpretative skills and techniques through workshops and classes
- Apply rehearsal skills during workshops and classes, refine work and demonstrate teamwork skills
Teacher observations, recordings of workshops and classes, self and peer observations
B – Apply skills and techniques by reproducing a performance extract:
- Learn and memorise a performance
- Apply technical, stylistic and interpretative skills in performance
Teacher observations, recordings of rehearsals and performances
C – Review own progress
Use recordings and diary entries to review progress – explore strengths and areas for improvement in terms of skills and techniques
Logbook including: video evidence; rehearsal, development and performance notes (diary entries); strengths and areas for improvement; and target setting
Component 3 – Performing to a Brief:
Create and present a performance in response to the exam brief
A – Developing ideas in response to a brief
A1 – Understand how to respond to a brief through discussion and practical exploration
B – Selecting and developing skills and techniques for performance
B1 – Demonstrate how to select and develop performance skills and techniques needed to realise the creative ideas in response to the brief
C – Participate in a performance
C1 – Performance skills and techniques
C2 – Work effectively with others
C3 – Communicating ideas through performance
D – Evaluating the development process and performance outcome
D1 – Reflect on the process
D2 – Reflect on the outcome
Where will this qualification lead me?
Students who have taken BTEC Performing Arts at this level often go on to study a level 3 course at college/sixth form, others just take away the life skills they have learnt and developed and follow other courses.
