KS5 Performing Arts

All Performing Arts courses at St Mary’s are challenging, creative and fun. We will train you as a performer and enable you to pursue a career in Performing Arts.

BTEC Level 3 Extended Certificate in Performing Arts and BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Performing Arts will develop and improve your acting, dance and/or singing skills and you will use these to create a wide range of original and innovative performance material.

You will take part in spectacular shows, where you will perform in the onsite theatre and out in the wider community. You will learn about how to work as a professional performer and gain a wide range of knowledge about the Performing Arts industry. It is ideal if you are an aspiring performer.

What Will You Study?

This course is made up of units; each unit will take between 30-60 hours to complete. You will may be taught by more than one teacher, each teacher will be responsible for teaching different units (or parts of a unit), so that means that you may be working on two or even three different units at the same time. You will have to be well-organised and remember to keep information in the right places in your folder.

You will be taught the background information by doing class activities and research tasks. Then you will be given an assignment to complete. The assignment will be written or practical with simple tasks first to give you the opportunity to achieve the basic pass level, then the more complex tasks that require more research and independence will allow you to achieve merit and distinction grades. It is important to meet the deadlines so that you can get feedback from your teacher and understand how to reach the higher grades.

The Courses:

BTEC Extended Certificate units of study include; Investigating Practitioners Work, Developing Skills and Techniques for Live Performance, Group Performance Workshop and one further unit which is chosen to match your strength in acting, singing or dance.
BTEC National Diploma consists of 8 units; Investigating Practitioners Work, Developing Skills and Techniques for Live Performance, Group Performance Workshop, Performing Arts in the Community, Individual Performance Commission and Final Live Performance to an Audience, as well as choosing additional units that are relevant to your chosen specialism, such as Jazz Dance or Acting Styles.

What Next?

Upon completion of the course, many of our students progress onto further qualifications at conservatoires, drama schools, or to studying Performing Arts at degree level at university.

Should you wish to progress directly into employment, you will be able to contribute your high level of communication, teamwork, problem solving, communicating, self-presentation, self-management and adaptability skills, which are invaluable to employers. We have a large number of students working as professional actors and dancers ranging from cruise ship performers to television presenters, as well as in a range of non-performance related careers for example, teachers, nurses and fashion designers