Equivalent to one A Level
This is a two year applied-learning course for those who have experience and are interested in developing acting, singing and dance skills for musicals as well as a broader understanding of the genre.
This course is equivalent to one A Level qualification.
Please note that this course cannot be combined with BTEC Dance.
You will study performance with an emphasis on the Musical Theatre genre. This study includes understanding key practitioners within the field. You will develop your acting, dancing and singing skills as part of the course as well as other transferable skills such as research, communication and team-work skills.
You will learn how to create new, and interpret existing, performance material. You will rehearse, perform and evaluate your work throughout the year. Assessment is a combination of performance and written work with both internal and external assessment units.
Topics Covered
Music is a highly respected academic course that will challenge and inspire you to gain greater expertise on your instrument, to understand good practice in composition and to improve your evaluation skills by analysing some of history’s greatest works.
Whether or not you decide to study music after A Level, this is an exciting course for any dedicated musicians.
You will have the opportunity to perform in a range of orchestras, bands and choirs and there are weekly opportunities for you to perform solo or ensemble repertoire.
In addition to your four weekly classes, all music students have access to music theory classes, leading to Grade 8, and lessons with a specialist performance tutor. You will be given frequent lectures from music professionals and take part in workshops and masterclasses throughout the year. You will also be given the opportunity to engage with a range of instrumental and choral ensembles.
You will also have weekly, university style academic tutorial sessions in small groups.
A significant amount of support and exam preparation is given to every student through an individually tailored programme.
The course includes:
This course offers the wonderful opportunity to practically and theoretically explore all aspects of theatre
You will develop acting, directing and design skills as well as building self-assurance and exercising your imagination. You will study play texts, participate in performances, devise new work, write analytical essays and reflective journals. The course offers active, practical exploration of ideas and theories through workshop and performance. You will also develop rigorous written skills that you will use to analyse both scripts, live theatre productions and evaluate your own acting pieces.
The course is assessed via external written examinations (40%) and coursework. The coursework element is assessed through filmed or showcased performance (30%) and written reflective report (30%).
This course offers you the chance to develop your skills in choreography, performance and analysis. Energy and commitment are the main requirements for this physically and mentally demanding course.
Technical classes focus on contemporary dance genres. Workshops in many other styles, which relate to specific areas of study, are also learnt and these can range from ballet to kathak.
The compulsory area of study is Rambert Dance Company and we choose an optional area of study from The Independent Contemporary Dance Scene in Britain and American Jazz Dance.
We follow the AQA A Level Dance specification. The course is linear and assessment of the course is in the final year through a practical exam and written exam.
Why Study Performing Arts?
The course is aimed at those who have a serious interest in music and well-developed practical skills. It involves written, theory and aural work, as well as composing and performing. The course includes the study of American Popular Song, and associated artists such as Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole, but is mainly focused on ‘classical’ music, covering composers as diverse as Bach, Berlioz, Beethoven and Boulez.
We have a dedicated suite of practice rooms and recording suite as well as access to Sibelius for composition tasks. Our excellent range of instruments includes Steinway grand piano, harpsichord, fortepiano (a copy of the type played by Mozart, Haydn etc) giving students a real insight into how the development of instruments affected the development of the music written for them and vice versa.
We welcome guest performers and encourage students to take part in enrichment activities such as Jazz ensemble, vocal groups and chamber ensembles. Our students are involved in the annual College production (band/on stage) as well as our May ‘Springfest’ showcase concert. We also attend concerts such as the Chipping Campden Music Festival.
Students studying Music (or Music Technology) will be offered subsidised individual instrumental/vocal tuition by a team of expert visiting teachers as well as theory support.
Music is a highly regarded academic subject which enables students to progress to further study at degree level both in Music itself but also in a wide range of other subjects. Recently, students have gone on to conservatoires such as the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Welsh College of Music and Drama (Cardiff), as well as universities such as Oxford University, Goldsmith’s College (London), Keele, Bradford, Oxford Brookes and more.
Are you a Netflix binge watcher, a vlogger, a gamer, a social networker, or simply a casual consumer of media products? Whatever your relationship with the mass media, you will benefit from the insight, knowledge and skills that a course in Media Studies can offer.
We have professional Adobe software installed on all of our 25 desktop PCs. We use Full HD video cameras and Digital SLR cameras for print production work. There is an enormous amount of media teaching experience in the department; the College has experience of delivering Media Studies courses for over 25 years. College equipment is available for student use outside lessons and classroom activities.
Students are encouraged to enter relevant competitions and produce production work outside the classroom.
Many students who study Media Studies at A Level go on to study a Media Production course at university. For example, TV Production, Multimedia Journalism, Film Production, and Advertising. You may want to combine the subject with Graphics, Business Studies, English or Law to eventually move into vocational areas such as marketing, events management, public relations or journalism.
Recent students have gone on to a range of academic and vocational courses. For example, one student went on to do an apprenticeship in multimedia marketing. This student completed a degree as part of the apprenticeship. Another student has gone on to study Media Performance at Salford University, with a view to performing and directing TV and Film.
The course is a two-year A-Level programme
You don’t need GCSE Media Studies to take the subject at A Level at Bilborough Sixth Form College but you will need creativity, imagination, a willingness to develop a range of technical skills and an interest in all aspects of the media: television, radio, magazines, video games, social media and the music industry. We follow the Eduqas specification. The course is assessed through a mixture of exams and practical coursework and you study a wide range of texts from popular TV spy thrillers such as Killing Eve to Video Games such as Assassin’s Creed and music videos by Beyonce.
You’ll work in a specialist edit suite and will have access to all the equipment you need to successfully produce practical projects. Much of the shooting for the coursework takes place outside college. To allow students to take the cameras off college premises it is essential that they are insured. As it is impossible to cover these items under the general college insurance, the department underwrites the insurance and charges each student a £15 fee to cover the cost. This money should be paid at enrolment in August.
This intensive course covers fundamental aspects of actor training performance. You will develop skills in various performance areas such as children’s theatre, screen acting, and devising and directing theatre productions, as well as developing an understanding of the performance industry.
In addition, you will undertake preparation and training for auditions for future industry opportunities and higher education courses. To inform and enhance your learning and development, you will be expected to undertake independent rehearsals, study and research. This course is aimed at students who have ability and interest in drama, acting and theatre studies.
You will be involved in a range of performances which will develop your skills as a performer, and some of those performances will be selected and then toured.
We also work with professional performers and companies within the industry to provide excellent work experience and workshop opportunities for dancers and actors. These include Amy Dowden from Strictly Come Dancing, Vanhulle Dance Theatre, Ellis Theatre Arts, Flexus Dance Company, Imagine Ballet, Scare Acting, One Dance UK, National Adventure Farm, Alton Towers, Derby Theatre and The Brewhouse.
This course is a stepping stone into employment, university or dance school. You will gain the skills and knowledge to become competent, confident and innovative in your approach to your chosen career path. As part of the course, you will become part of our in-house performance company, Fleet Street Studios, leading and managing all projects.
You will have the opportunity to take on performance roles in a variety of shows, including musicals, ballet, dance, music gigs, fashion shows and conferences. You will also have the chance to undertake work experience with reputable providers which will help you build up your industry contacts.
We also work with professional performers and companies within the industry to provide excellent work experience and workshop opportunities for dancers and actors. These include Amy Dowden from Strictly Come Dancing, Vanhulle Dance Theatre, Ellis Theatre Arts, Flexus Dance Company, Imagine Ballet, Scare Acting, One Dance UK, National Adventure Farm, Alton Towers, Derby Theatre and The Brewhouse.
