Performing Arts - Lancaster Girls' Grammar School

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Performing Arts

Drama teacher instructing students

Performing Arts consists of:
Drama and Theatre Studies and the Music Department

For more information about Performing Arts, please contact:
Mr Paul Swannell, Head of Performing Arts.

Performing Arts Learning Overviews 2021-2022

Drama and Theatre Studies

Drama at LGGS

Care
When watching theatre, students see characters interact, and experience certain emotions. They are connecting with the character, while at the same time experiencing what she is feeling and thinking, as if they were feeling or thinking it themselves. In effect the students are practising how to care for and empathise with others. Theatre is said to be like a gym for empathy. It's where we go to build up the muscles of compassion, to practice listening and understanding and engaging with people that are not just like ourselves. In Drama lessons, the girls practice sitting down, paying attention and learning from other people's actions and practice caring. Through their Drama work at LGGS, students can strengthen their empathetic muscles by watching each other, and literally practice caring about the characters and their stories.

Drama lessons provide a safe space to develop empathy. Theatre is an opportunity for our students to explore and mirror difficult and challenging emotions. They can safely watch an actor bully another actor, and can learn how both parties experience and respond to this situation. They can learn about the consequences. By developing an empathetic connection with the actors, the audience has the opportunity to experience this virtual reality in a safe space within our studio.

Contribute
The students come to their Drama lessons with a range of life experiences – many of which we may address at some point through their Drama work. Through their drama work, they have the space to share their views and opinions with others in a safe and inclusive environment. Drama aims to cultivate creativity in problem solving, challenging students’ perceptions of the world and themselves. Dramatic exploration can provide students with an outlet for emotions, thoughts, and aspirations that they might not otherwise have means to express. A student can, if only for a few moments, create a new role, try out and experiment with various personal choices and solutions to very real problems-problems from their own life, or problems faced by characters in literature or historical figures. The Drama lessons provide an environment where actions and consequences can be examined, discussed, and in a very real sense experienced without the dangers and pitfalls that such experimentation would obviously lead to in the "real" world.

Through Drama, students will learn to work together, to cooperate, to find the best way for each member of a group to contribute, and to listen to and accept the viewpoints and contributions of others. Drama is an important tool for preparing students to live and work in a world that is increasingly team-oriented rather than hierarchical.

Students have the opportunity to participate in a range of extra-curricular activities: Years 7 & 8 Drama clubs; 6th Form Drama Club; School plays and productions. We offer the Performing Arts festival involving the whole of KS3 and YR 12. We take Years 10 and 11 on a range of theatre visits and Yrs 12 & 13 on an annual Drama trip to London. We offer backstage tours and the opportunity to meet with actors, directors and designers. Students can participate in theatre workshops run by professional agencies, in school.

Challenge
Drama helps to develop skills in critical analysis and interpretation of play texts from different playwrights, while enhancing research skills and advancing knowledge and understanding of Drama in general. The Drama programme at LGGS is grounded in the academic elements of drama in addition to the practical performance making.

GCSE Exam Board - AQA Drama:
Specification 8261

GCE Exam Board - AQA Drama and Theatre Studies:
Specification 7262

KS3 Curriculum Road Map LGGS

A-level Drama & Theatre Studies


If you require any further details, please contact:
Mr P Swannell, Head of Performing Arts
 

Useful Links
Duke's Theatre Northern Ballet Theatre
Lancashire Youth Dance Royal Shakespeare Company 
National Youth Theatre Shakespeare for Schools

Music

Music

The music curriculum at LGGS aims to help every girl fulfil her musical potential, irrespective of prior experience. From simply learning to sing in tune to preparing for a career in music (through GCSE and A-level music), the department aims to tap into the musical creativity of every child. 

The music curriculum at LGGS aims to help every girl fulfil her musical potential, irrespective of prior experience. From simply learning to sing in tune to preparing for a career in music (through GCSE and A-level music), the department aims to tap into the musical creativity of every child.

Care
In music, care is at the very centre of everything we do. There is a vast range of musical ability and experiences when pupils arrive at the beginning of Year 7 and our focus is on ensuring that this range is fully catered for. This takes a tremendous amount of nurturing and understanding of the needs of individuals. Music is a very personal experience and we have to be fully respectful of the different cultural, social and religious backgrounds and experiences of our students. Some come from a traditional, classical music background and have received private tuition, some have their roots in religious music or the traditional music of a different country. Others have had very little access to music apart from listening to it on the radio, internet etc. Our role is to ensure that there are multiple routes to accessing the curriculum. The curriculum itself has a huge emphasis on performance – especially singing, which has an extremely positive impact on well-being and mental health. Our extra-curricular programme is absolutely vital to our provision of care. As well as offering opportunities to develop technical and ensemble skills, our rich programme of musical activities develops social skill, confidence, encourages integration of different backgrounds and cultures and offers opportunities for leadership. We have a thriving culture of the more experienced musicians leading the younger ones in all our activities. This emphasis on empowerment is particularly prevalent in the Performing Arts and Music Festivals as well as student-led ensembles such as Training Band. Our music tours and visits offer the chance for our students to experience performing in different countries and experience different cultures. We are very proud of the age range which we offer these experiences to and provision of care is at the very core of all our visits. For us tours are about more than just ‘music’, many of our students develop new friendship groups, discover new things about themselves and experience being away from their families within the safety net of a community of similar-minded people.

Contribute
Our students are encouraged to contribute positively to all aspects of our music provision. This varies from student to student, but the emphasis is on enabling all students, irrespective of prior experience to be able to access music in a positive way. Contribution comes in many forms. We only have one hour a week with the KS3 students so it is essential that all students actively engage in all aspects of the course, be it both of on individual tasks and the numerous pieces of group work that are incorporated into the curriculum. This means not just completing written work but contributing positively to class singing, discussions and peer assessment. The thriving extra-curricular provision operating in music means that there is a range of ensembles catering for a wide range of abilities – all the way from junior choir to a full symphony orchestra. All students have full access to these and have the opportunity to take part in concerts, events, musicals and tours. Whole school events such as the Performing Arts and Music Festivals allow for our older students to contribute in the role of leaders.

Challenge
In Music, we think very carefully about how to provide challenges, and opportunities for progress, across a huge range of abilities and confidence levels. Differentiation of class work is central to our planning, in order to ensure that the level of challenge set is appropriate for each individual. Sometimes this means providing a range of tools that allow our pupils to take the first step in accessing a task, and equally often giving more confident or able pupils a platform to extend a challenge beyond the expected level. Regardless of background or ability, all pupils are challenged to recognise and reach their musical potential. We aim to scaffold pupils in their ability to set their own goals and challenge themselves. Problem-solving and resilience are embedded in this practice. Performing is central to our curriculum; our pupils manage pressure and learn to take creative risks, challenging themselves technically, emotionally and socially in order to succeed as performers – in the classroom, on the concert stage and beyond. As composition is at the core of classwork across all key stages, pupils are challenged to find their creative voice and given support and guidance in linking this to key aspects of the curriculum. In our extra-curricular provision, we ensure that there is a range of activities on offer to meet all standards, from beginner to advanced, and encourage pupils to take part in groups where they may be technically stretched, develop new ensemble skills or begin to emerge as leaders and soloists.

If you require any further details, please contact:
Mr Paul Swannell, Head of Performing Arts / Music.
 

PERFORMING COMPOSING LISTENING


There is a rich extra-curricular music life at LGGS and students have the opportunity to join choirs, bands and even a joint symphony orchestra with LRGS. Regular concerts and events take place throughout the year, including a choir tour to Germany and a European orchestra tour. At the end of the year, the now-legendary Music Festival brings all the girls together in several weeks of preparation, culminating in a day of performances and evening concert.

GCSE Exam Board - Edexcel Music: Specification 1MU0

A-level Music 2023-2024

The Music Journey

LGGS Music Department Twitter

 

Peripatetic Music Lessons: Watch the following videos

BRASS BAND INSTRUMENT - Mr Adrian Boardman

CELLO AND BASS - Penny Holt​

CLARINET & SAXAPHONE - John Woodhouse

DRUMS  - Andy Smith

HARP -  Annakate Pearson

PIANO, KEYBOARD & BASOON - Fredrik Holm

SINGING - Georgina Rosanna Murray

 

Useful Links
BBC Bitesize Music For Youth
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