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WEST LANCASHIRE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE PERFORMING ARTS William Shakespeare—’A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ March 2014 THE DREAM Whether you are looking to build up your skills to pursue a future career in the Performing Arts industry or want to develop your interest in drama or dance as part of your A Level options West Lancashire College has a range of courses that will challenge you, thrill you and greatly add to your enjoyment of being a college student. Our Performing Arts courses are all based on one simple fact—Performing Arts students want to Perform! The academic year is structured in such a way that all of our students are given several opportunities to perform before paying audiences each year, with a carefully arranged blend of skills development classes and full on show rehearsals that keep all of our students stretching themselves and developing throughout a fast paced programme. Performing Arts courses also give students extraordinary transferrable skills that will assist them in every aspect of their personal and employment lives, from building self confidence, improving their vocal range and power, working as a member of a team in situations of stress and individual responsibility, personal presentation skills, timekeeping, reliability, collaboration and negotiation, creative thinking skills...our Performing Arts students often make extraordinary personal progress during their time with us and frequently find themselves achieving goals that they had previously thought were only dreams. West Lancashire College PERFORMING ARTS Department WEST LANCASHIRE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE PERFORMING ARTS The BIG Decision… A Levels or BTEC? Every learner who is interested in Performing Arts must make a big decision when they go to college—whether to study the subject as an A Level or through one of the Full Time Level 3 BTEC qualifications. Performing Arts BTECs If you are a performer and you are sure that you want to pursue a career in the Performing Arts industry a BTEC is probably the wisest route for you. This is because the course will provide you with the professional training you need to enable you to excel at an audition for university or drama / dance school. Most of the higher level courses in Performing Arts require you to audition for your place, and the skills you show in that audition will be the determining factor in whether you are offered a place or not. Grades will matter too but it is talented performers that those institutions are looking for. Performing Arts A Levels If you are still undecided about your future career direction, or see Performing Arts as only one string to your bow, it is wiser for you to study the subject at A Level. As an A Level learner you will typically study four subjects in your first year and choosing a Performing Arts subject as one of these can give variety to your college experience. Our A Levels in Performing Arts and in Dance are actually variations of the Level 3 BTEC qualifications we run with Full Time Performing Arts learners and as a result are more practical than their true A Level equivalents. This means that you can have the best of both worlds, studying Performing Arts or Dance as part of our Sixth Form but learning practical skills as you go, and taking part in several performances to paying audiences per year. UCAS Points and University Whichever route you choose both A Levels and BTECs generate exactly the same number of the UCAS Tariff points that you need for university entry. For example, if you achieve three A Levels with the highest grades (A*) you will accrue 420 UCAS points; if you achieve a BTEC Extended Diploma with the highest grades (Distinction*) you accrue exactly the same number of UCAS points, 420. Our AS equivalent BTEC Certificates in Performing Arts or in Dance, and our BTEC Subsidiary Diplomas in Performing Arts or in Dance, are both worth exactly the same number of UCAS points as their A Level equivalents. If you are not sure about which course to choose ask to speak to someone in A Levels and the Visual and Performing Arts department—we are always here to help West Lancashire College PERFORMING ARTS Department WEST LANCASHIRE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE PERFORMING ARTS All the World’s a Stage! Performances all Year At West Lancashire College we understand that our learners want to perform and we structure our year around a number of high quality productions. Every one of our learners has opportunities throughout their course to take part in a number of performances before paying audiences that can include everything from pantomime, classical theatre, dance shows, cabaret, individual showcases, contemporary plays and large scale musical theatre pieces. Our productions form the back-bone of the Performing Arts department and provide experiences for our learners that they never forget. West Lancashire College PERFORMING ARTS Department WEST LANCASHIRE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE PERFORMING ARTS Enrichment Above and Beyond At West Lancashire College we strive to give our learners opportunities to continue to develop their skills outside of the classroom and through activities that add to their overall learning experience. In recent times our learners have taken part in a number of extra-curricular projects, including the Arts Council funded ‘Skelmersdale the Musical’ (right), a series of award winning productions with the local Storm2Theatre company (including Anton Chekov’s ‘The Bear’ below), and travelling to perform ’Little Foot’ at the National Theatre in London after winning the annual National Connections theatre competition, the biggest youth theatre festival in the world (bottom left and right). West Lancashire College PERFORMING ARTS Department WEST LANCASHIRE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE PERFORMING ARTS Collaboration Great opportunities Our learners also benefit from being able to collaborate with other West Lancashire College students throughout the year. In the last academic year this has included putting on a fantastic Cabaret Evening with three course meal provided by our Catering and Hospitality students (right); having costumes made by our Art and Design students for ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ (bottom right); working with our amazing Theatrical Media Make Up students for plays and photo-shoots (middle right); and collaborating with Art & Design students for photo-shoots throughout the year (below). West Lancashire College PERFORMING ARTS Department WEST LANCASHIRE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE PERFORMING ARTS More Information A Campus for Today As a Performing Arts students the majority of your classes will take part either in our 200 seat Hope Theatre (right) or our purpose built Dance Studio (below). Our Performing Arts facilities form part of a fantastic £43 million campus which was newly opened in September 2011 and provides a fantastically modern setting for your studies. Uniform All learners are expected to wear suitable clothing which will include a West Lancashire College Performing Arts department hoodie (you will be given instructions on how to purchase this) plus black jogging pants / jazz pants / tracksuit bottoms. Learners will also require suitable footwear (jazz shoes) and dance learners will require tap shoes, ballet shoes and leotard. How to Apply If you have a query about this course or would like advice on your study options please contact our Learner Gateway: In Person: West Lancashire College, Skelmersdale Campus, College Way, Skelmersdale, WN8 6DX. By Phone: (01695) 52300 By Email: [email protected] By Post: Learner Gateway, West Lancashire College, Skelmersdale Campus, College Way, Skelmersdale WN8 6DX. College Website: www.westlancs.ac.uk West Lancashire College PERFORMING ARTS Department