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Introduction

Aims

 

Drama and Performing Arts are vital to our school. Since gaining specialist status the school has been impacted greatly in many different ways. Not only do we now have a fantastic performance space and a great variety of drama courses but we are seeing talented young people develop into professional theatre makers.

 

Since Performing Arts has come into the school pupils have found a way to express not only their own abilities but their personal experiences. It has brought a different kind of attitude to the school. Suddenly students have been able to watch performances created by our students and by visiting professionals. They have been able to experience theatre events that represent many different cultures and identities from across the world. Their confidence in their ability to achieve has soared. Students are becoming more able in communication, working in teams, expressing themselves openly and sharing their fantastic creativity with others.

 

Drama has been a major access into the lives of the pupils here at Handsworth Wood Girls’ School. They literally love the subject, watching it, creating it and criticizing it. Our drama department and the work we create here have been rated as outstanding. Using our skills and knowledge of the students we are the driving force of teaching and learning in our school. We push for professionalism in all the work we do and all the audiences that view our work. We invite the local community, primary schools and have had several important visitors during our time.

 

Students in the school perform at least once a term to the whole school. The work has been a variety of musicals, devised work and scripts. We have used well known works and local artists for our performances and exams. We have regular trips to the theatre to see performances and have had several professional theatre organisations come in-house. The best of these have been The Theatre Centre and The Rep. Their work we liken to our own, innovative, exciting and challenging. This work is performed for as many pupils as the hall will allow! It encourages the pupils greatly and opens their eyes to the standard of work that can be achieved. We have working relationships with many professional theatre establishments including The Kevin Spacey Foundation which two lucky students were able to work with this academic year. We are now working closely with The REP to develop a strong ethic of professionalism in making theatre.

 

We feel proud of the standard of work we create, perform and take everything we do very seriously. We also feel proud that we are developing young artists of the future, nurturing their talent for future generations.

 

Staff

 

Miss P Wall            Head of Performing Arts

Miss L Murray        Head of KS3 Drama

Miss N Holness      Teacher of Dance and Drama

Mrs A Galan           Assistant Head Teaching and Learning, teacher of Drama and Media Studies

 

Parents’ Information

 

We regularly invite parents in to view examination projects and other work created in Performing Arts. It is important to us not only to share our product but to gain feedback from parents to actively improve future projects. We also love to demonstrate some of the amazing talent we have here and prove to outside audiences how hard the students work in our subject.

 

Extra Curricular

 

We run many clubs for students. These include:

 

·         Dance club

·         Drama club

·         Yr 12 Extended Project in Performing Arts

·         Arts Award

·         Arts Mentor program

·         Whole school productions

·         Talent show

·         Choir

·         Glee Club

 

Plus many more opportunities to become involved in all that is PERFORMING ARTS!