Drama

Like theatre, drama in schools can unlock the use of imagination, intellect, empathy and courage. Through it, ideas, responses and feelings can be expressed and communicated. It carries the potential to challenge, to question and to bring about change.

Jude Kelly (theatre director and founder of Metal)

The Role of Drama
In Drama lessons we endeavour to bring out the positive aspects of the pupil’s personality, self-confidence, a tendency to listen actively, a sense of humour, and the ability to relate more easily to others.
Drama is about losing your inhibitions. It is about feeling confident enough to express your own point of view. We believe it is a positive and enlightened method of creating a more tolerant and conscientious group of human beings.

The teaching of Drama at Ash Green whilst meeting course requirements intends for the students to develop as artists and to develop their critical responses to the works of art they deal with. Students can develop their own artistic voice through the work they do within their Drama lessons.
All staff work to ensure students enjoy their lessons mostly due to practical engagement within the subject.
The department also aims to encourage visiting groups to work in the school and to offer extra-curricular activities.

Extra-curricular opportunities:
There is the opportunity for students to further extend their experience of Performing Arts Subjects by joining in extra curricular activities. Ash Green School produces a whole school production each year. So far pupils have worked together to successfully perform Grease (Feb’ 2005), Bugsy Malone (April 2006), Sister Act (Dec’ 2006), Little shop of horros (April 2008) and most recently Robin Hood (March 2009).

These performances have demonstrated the abundance of talent and ability that youngsters at Ash Green School have within the arts and made us all very proud. Make sure you get a ticket for our next production!
Pupils also regularly perform in our school assemblies and in smaller scale productions with our links with the RSC and Warwickshire Arts Zone. In the first week of last years summer holiday pupils from years 9 and 10 took part in a Dance/Media summer school. They worked extremely hard with a professional company to produce and perform in a film to be used in the exhibition ‘100 Faces’ at Leamington Pump Rooms.
There will be a similar opportunity for pupils this year based on a project on urban myths.

Throughout the year there are many opportunities to develop their Drama skills and to experience and enjoy the art form with their peers, professionals and the public.

The subjects within Drama and the Performing Arts make an important contribution to the life of the school by giving all students experiences of major cultural arts forms in Key Stage 3 and 4, developing social skills and fostering the ability to work collaboratively. Examples of moral and spiritual development are outlined below; Students develop morally by empathising with characters and situations in Drama.

We also promote the skills that arise naturally from work in Drama.
These include:
• Working together co-operatively to achieve a common goal, such as the rehearsing involved in completing an Ensemble Performing Task.
• Teaching an appreciation and understanding of other cultures through the study of Drama.
• Teaching our students the necessary skills to use Drama as a form of self-expression.

ASH GREEN STUDENTS VALUE DRAMA AS A SUBJECT BECAUSE THEY FIND LEARNING FUN AND ENRICHING.