BTEC Performing Arts

Sir John Deane’s has a thriving Performing Arts department with the chance to get involved both on stage and behind the scenes.

We stage many high quality performances ranging from large scale production to more intimate nights of theatre, music and dance. Recent productions include Return to the Forbidden Planet, Our Country’s Good, Guys and Dolls, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Miss Saigon.

We also have a number of theatre trips throughout the year across the North West and further afield as well as the chance to attend workshops with external practitioners working within the Performing Arts industry.

Your studies will enable you to develop skills needed to progress to a specialist performing arts college or university course – and ultimately a career in the performing arts industry. This is an insightful, challenging, confidence building and creative subject that develops a wide variety of highly desirable and marketable skills – something that will be of immense value in other subjects and eventually the world of work.

Musical Theatre Techniques 

Singing Techniques for Performers 

Acting Styles 

Developing Skills and Techniques for Performance 

Group Performance Workshop 

Summary 

Musical Theatre Techniques 

In this unit, you will develop the skills required to be a musical theatre performer by participating in technique classes, rehearsals and final performance. By learning about the key features of musical theatre performance you will develop an understanding of the skills and techniques required to create a successful performance. You will reflect on your progress as you develop skills and techniques in acting, singing and dance, setting targets and reviewing your progress. 

Singing Techniques for Performers 

In this unit, you will develop the skills required to be a singer by participating in technique classes, rehearsal and performance pieces. You will learn about the structure and physiology of the singing voice and develop an understanding of how the sound is produced. You will develop a repertoire of both solo and ensemble pieces as you develop the appropriate technical and performance skills required to be a singer. Throughout your learning and development you will be taught how to reflect on your progress and practice which will support your development 

Acting Styles 

This unit will introduce you to the basic differences of a range of styles of theatre and the approaches of theatre practitioners. You will take part in workshops that explore acting styles, techniques and practices used by different theatre practitioners in their work. This will enable you to create character, interpret lines and develop your vocal and physical skills while rehearsing and performing a text or devising original work. Throughout your learning and development you will reflect on your progress and practice, which will support your development as an actor 

Developing Skills and Techniques for Performance 

In this unit, you will develop the appropriate skills and techniques for a performance discipline, specialising in either physical theatre or musical theatre. You will participate in regular workshops, classes and exercises where you will acquire, practise and develop the necessary technical, practical and interpretative performance skills to help you succeed when performing live to an audience. You will work with existing performance works, analysing and interpreting the material in order to understand and apply the relevant skills and techniques appropriate to the style 

Group Performance Workshop 

In this unit, you will learn how to respond to a given stimulus as part of a group, using research, discussion and practical exploration to develop performance material and later present an informal presentation of the work to an invited audience. The work may be in a single discipline or combine elements of dance, acting, musical theatre and variety. You will reflect on the development process, considering the success and potential of the work for further development, as well as evaluating your own contribution to the process and the product. To complete the assessment tasks within this unit, you will need to draw on your learning from across your programme. 

Students will be encouraged to explore a broad range of genres and styles within Performing Arts. In order to develop a good understanding of the demands of a performer, we strongly recommend watching as many live performances as possible.