Drama
Introduction to Drama at Harris Academy Morden
In Drama at Harris Academy Morden, lessons at KS3 are focused around developing theatrical skills for a live performance, helping students to become confident individuals in front of an audience. Lessons contain a range of activities, including scripted and devised work. Allowing students to be creative, and develop their literacy skills, whilst also gaining valuable knowledge of key Drama concepts, with explicit links throughout to the National Curriculum in England.
In KS3 Drama, students explore a range of theatrical styles, including pantomime and mime, as well as incorporating Theatre Practitioner techniques from Brecht, Artaud, and Boal. This versatile approach to Drama allows students to gain a wider grasp of the complexities of creating their own performances. Each year students read a full play and when exploring a text, students are encouraged to consider the social, historical, and cultural context of the play; enabling them to make connections across different periods and societies.
As students develop into KS4, work is split between three components, 1. Devising Theatre, 2. Performing from a Text and 3. Interpreting Theatre. Students build on KS3 knowledge and further this with the addition of written work. Students create their work with influences from their chosen Practitioner using their prior knowledge from KS3, and some newly introduced KS4 Practitioners. Students are also expected to edit and select key extracts of a play to perform for a live audience. Interpreting Theatre allows students to study a set text in depth and analyse a live piece of theatre. Students throughout the course develop a critical judgement while being assessed on their performance/design and collaborative skills, which will benefit them, post KS4.
Students are given a rich experience of the world of Drama through the exploration of a variety of different styles and exposure to set texts. Many workshops are delivered to give an insight into the Theatre Industry. While, each year, students are allowed to visit the vast number of productions on offer around London and in the West End to see theatre in action.
