BTEC National Award in Performing Arts

BTEC National Award in Performing Arts (Acting)

Course Synopsis:

A BTEC National Award in Performing Arts (Acting) is a practical, work-related course, equivalent to one A Level, which aims to provide you with an opportunity to study acting at an advanced level. You learn by completing projects and assignments that are based on realistic workplace situations, activities and demands. It aims to teach you to be responsive to the demands of the performing arts industry and provide you with a basis for the further study of acting at Drama School or University.

All the units are assessed and graded by College staff and external verifiers.
The BTEC qualification is equivalent to one A-Level, with exactly the same UCAS points tariff:

• Distinction (D) 120 points
• Merit (M) 80 points
• Pass (P) 40 points

BTEC National Awards are valued by employers and universities alike. If you want to work in the industry straight away, you could get a job in theatre or entertainment. If you decide to go to University, you could take a degree in Drama or a BTEC Higher National in Acting.

Year 12 and 13 students each form their own theatre company. Year 12 students are working on Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap. Year 13 students are using Neil Labute’s Bash to explore the practitioner Stanislavski. Public performances have included “The Proposal” & “The Anniversary” by Chekhov, “The Exception and the Rule” by Brecht and “Accidental Death of an Anarchist” by Dario Fo, a final major performance piece for the Year 13 group. The course lasts two years and is made up of the six units shown in the syllabus summary below.

Syllabus Summary
Year 12 – AS Level (Edexcel)	Year 13 – A2 Level (Edexcel)
Unit 1 – Acting 1 – This unit is about the process and skill of acting. You will develop the technical and interpretative skills necessary to work as an actor.	Unit 4 – Theatre for Children – This unit is about writing, rehersing and performing theatre aimed at children aged 12 years and under. It enables you to apply and adapt different skills in the context of theatre aimed at a specific age group. The final project is shown to pupils from our primary school.
Unit 2 – Film and TV Acting – This unit introduces the skills required to act to a camera.	Unit 5 – Rehearsing – In this core unit, you will be designated a role within a performance company. This final unit, in conjunction with Unit 6, is concerned with the making and rehearsing of material and public performance.
Unit 3 – Devising – This unit is about devising work for performance as part of a group. You will look at ways of responding to a stimulus and developing ideas into a performance piece.	Unit 6 – Performance – This core unit is the culmination of work carried out in Unit 5. Having been in a role throughout the rehearsal process, you will fulfil this role within the context of the performance itself, presenting work before an audience.
Entry Requirements: Students will need at least a B or equivalent at GCSE