Download EXPERIENCE PERFORMING ARTS THE DREAM

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