Drama
All Shelford students participate in Drama in Year 7 and 8. They explore a range of historical and contemporary performance styles through workshop activities and performance tasks. Utilising various play-making techniques, theatrical conventions and dramatic elements, students devise original ensemble works and develop their use of expressive and performance skills. Students learn to manipulate basic stagecraft and the actor-audience relationship to enhance meaning in their presentations. The foundations of Drama are explored in Year 7 in a supportive environment, where students develop self-confidence, focus and an appreciation for the way expressive and performance skills may be manipulated in presentations. In Year 8 students research to extend their knowledge of theatre history, and learn to analyse and evaluate their own performance work and the work of others using appropriate terminology.
Drama at Year 9 is an elective subject that aims to extend the students knowledge of performance styles, theatrical conventions and stagecraft. They investigate conventions and techniques employed in non-naturalistic theatre and work on refining their use of expressive skills. Students devise original solo and ensemble works, and also learn methods of analysing and realising scripted drama. They investigate how to manipulate dramatic elements to create meaningful and considered pieces of theatre, and use drama terminology to critically analyse and evaluate the development and realisation of their own and others' work. Research is undertaken on theatrical styles and students will attend and analyse professional theatre productions. All students will be involved in devising, rehearsing and performing an original ensemble work for the Shelford community.
