Performing Arts

Intent

With a BTEC in Performing Arts, students will gain valuable hands-on experience which can take them straight into their next chosen pathway. For students with their sights set on a career in the performance industry, a BTEC in Performing Arts is a great choice. The practice-based courses aim to provide students with the relevant skills and knowledge that employers value, as well as the confidence to progress into a fulfilling, exciting career in a creative industry.

The Performing Arts BTEC courses will introduce you to a broad range of styles and approaches to many aspects of performing including design and behind the scenes, it will enrich your ability to develop and realise roles from published material, devised performance material and help you to create your career plan.

What will you study?

Exploring performance styles
Creating performance material
Performing for an audience
How a performance is put together
What goes on behind the scenes

Component 1 - Exploring the Performing Arts

Aim: get a taste of what it’s like to be a professional actor, dancer or musical theatre performer.
Assessment: internally assessed assignments
Weighting: 30% of total course

During Component 1, our students will:

explore performance styles, creative intentions and purpose
investigate how practitioners create and influence what’s performed
discover performance roles, skills, techniques and processes.

Component 2 - Developing Skills and Techniques in the Performing Arts

Aim: develop skills and techniques in the chosen discipline(s) of acting, dance and musical theatre.
Assessment: internally assessed assignments
Weighting: 30% of total course

During Component 2, our students will:

take part in workshops, classes and rehearsals
gain physical, interpretative, vocal and rehearsal skills
apply these skills in performance
reflect on their progress, their performance and how they could improve.

Component 3 - Performing to a Brief

Aim: consider how practitioners adapt their skills for different contexts, and put this into practice in a performance.
Assessment: externally assessed task, where students work in groups of between 3 and 7 members to create a performance based on a set brief.
Weighting: 40% of total course

To achieve this aim, our students will:

use the brief and previous learnings to come up with ideas
build on their skills in classes, workshops and rehearsals
review the process using an ideas and skills log
perform a piece to their chosen audience
reflect on their performance in an evaluation report.

Implementation

Subject specialists have given consideration and thought to the sequence and rationale of the curriculum; why we teach the content we do and in the order that we do. This is to ensure knowledge is not isolated information; it is connected knowledge that enables comprehension.

At Key Stage 4, the full BTEC Tech award in Performing Arts Award is delivered. Content is structured into 3 Components. We do not ‘teach to the test.’ The curriculum is designed to ensure students have the skills and knowledge to explore the arts industry, develop skills and techniques and apply these to a set brief. Each lesson builds on prior learning, allowing connections to be made between components that have been organised and designed to promote learning and provide depth and breadth of understanding.

Impact

In 2024, 100% of students achieved a Level 2 Distinction and above, which compliments MEPA Academy’s vocational training programme.

How are students supported in Performing Arts?

Students at MEPA Academy are supported through a range of reasonable adjustments personalised to the student. The reasonable adjustments include but are not exhaustive to: providing templates for graph, tables, grids to students, use of Pencil grips/Easy Writer pens and pencils, scribing for students, providing extra time, use of writing slope, effective and appropriate seating, directed questions, use of rest/calm/movement breaks. Teachers use a range of reasonable adjustments for each student to maximise their opportunities to learn.

Extra Curricular and Enrichment

To Read

Firebird – Misty Copeland (fiction)
Ballet Shoes – Noel Streatfeild (fiction)
The Ballet Book – Darcy Bussell (non-fiction)
Zoonation

To Watch

Watch as much live and recorded dance in as many styles as you can. What style excites you most? What gives you creative ideas? What could you see yourself doing?

Choreography by Matthew Bourne
Choreography by Motionhouse
Emancipation of Expressionism (Hip Hop Dance performance)

To Listen

Samba music
All styles of music and different genres of Musical Theatre

To Research

Look out for any community dance projects in your area you can get involved in, you will be surprised at how many there are.
Watch the videos suggested above by Matthew Bourne and Motionhouse, what else can you find out about the company?
Zoonation

To Visit

Visit the theatre
Engage in community dance
Platforms such as live YouTube and Vimeo are great for when visiting the theatre is not possible

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Awareness and Learning

Artistic appreciation, understanding of cultural and social development and approaches, Shakespeare, whole school production, involvement, cultural drama – theatre visits.

Careers Related Learning

Students do study Drama, Musical Theatre or Dance at university or a specific Drama or Performing Arts College such as University of Creative Arts, RADA, MEPA College, Birds College and Performers College. We support them with their applications, including the choice and preparation of audition pieces. Performing Arts is extremely versatile. It is useful for a wide range of careers as it develops presentation and public speaking skills, builds confidence, leadership skills, develops empathy and the ability to debate, discuss and collaborate.

Career ideas: West End, cruise ships, tours in the UK and worldwide, acting, broadcast presenter, community arts work, dramatherapy, journalism, runner, film/theatre director, stage/TV management, arts administration, choreography, media research, music producer, special effects technician, talent agent, education, recruitment, marketing and many more.