Creative Arts at Wells Cathedral School

Creative Arts

Our Philosophy We aim to inspire a lifelong passion for the creative arts by giving pupils of all abilities – even those who might not consider themselves as ‘naturally creative’ – the confidence

like to pursue in their GCSE and A level studies or as a hobby. Our curriculum is complemented by workshops by visiting artists, trips and co-curricular activities. Because

and opportunities to perform and try a variety of styles. In Years 7-9, pupils are exposed to a diverse range of artistic knowledge, skills, techniques, materials and disciplines. They can then make informed choices as to what areas, if any, they would

of our approach to creative arts, our pupils achieve success across the arts, whether seen in their quality of art or performance, or in the excellent results achieved in their Trinity, GCSE or A level qualifications.

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https://wells.cathedral.school/creativearts

Our Approach Our integrated approach to teaching Art, Photography, Drama, Dance, Music and Food Technology allows for creativity, imagination and flexibility and builds our pupils’ confidence and curiosity by giving them the opportunity for self-expression through teamwork, risk-taking, resourcefulness and reflection. It also enables our pupils to investigate themes from multiple viewpoints so they can see the connections between the arts; previous themes include surrealism, cultural creativity, entertainment, style, media, identity and structures.

Our curriculum is supported by our integrated arts workshop days (where pupils go off timetable for a fun day to explore a specific topic area), visiting professional practitioners from all the arts areas who come to work with our pupils, and trips to places like The Globe London, Stratford-upon-Avon (RSC), the National Theatre South Bank, Tate, Tate Modern and the National Portrait Gallery for both workshops and performances.

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Dance As well as our curriculum lessons, we offer one-to-one, paired and group tuition in many dance styles. We can provide ISTD examination classes in Modern Theatre - a dance style known for its theatrical qualities, often seen on the stage of musical productions. We also offer a range of styles without examination contemporary, street, jazz, musical theatre dance and beginners ballet - that build upon dance skills, technique and confidence from lessons and support any further dance tuition.

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Our dance companies have competed in national dance competitions, such as The Big Dance Off. Dance troupes are formed to choreograph impressive routines for various dramatic and musical productions. We support pupil-led initiatives, including the recent Street Dance outfit ‘Blanc’ and the multi-disciplinary project ‘Reborn’: a dance, lighting, drama, music technology and percussion project, which provide the pupils with performance opportunities in Cedars Hall and at showcase events.

https://wells.cathedral.school/creativearts

Drama We have built a reputation for our productions’ strength and ambition through critical acclaim. We often take our shows out to professional venues, and recent shows featuring pupils in Years 10+ include Chicago: Teen Edition (Strode Theatre) and A Christmas Carol (Cedars Hall).

Our production of Les Misérables was even attended by its original producer, Sir Cameron Mackintosh.

Pupils in Years 7-9 have recently staged performances of Annie, Matilda and High School Musical (Cedars Hall).

Every pupil has the opportunity to be in a large-scale production if they choose or, more informally, in events like our House Drama Competition.

Interested pupils have the option to book one-to-one lessons in Music, Speech, Drama and Musical Theatre. We have scholarships available for current ability and potential, and pupils have achieved excellent results as they pursued their Trinity qualifications.

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Year 11, GCSE Art

Sixth pupils each have their own individual workspace. We organise trips to galleries, host artists’ talks and workshops, and arrange visits to artists’ studios. Our pupils’ work is exhibited across the school, including in the John Baxter Foyer of Cedars Hall. Our @artatwells Instagram page celebrates pupils’ achievements, and we enter their work into a range of competitions, exhibitions and initiatives.

Scholarships are available based on ability and potential.

Upper Sixth, A level Art

Pupils will cover a wide range of art techniques, processes and media, developing a contextual understanding of Art and Design by exploring the work of artists, both contemporary and historical, from across the world. To study GCSE and A level Art, pupils should have a confident ability in drawing, enjoy the subject and be willing to experiment and adapt to different ideas and approaches.

GCSE and A level pupils can work in drawing, painting, sculpture, 3D construction, installation, printmaking, photography, film, video and mixed media. Upper

Years 7-9

Fine Art

https://wells.cathedral.school/creativearts

Food Studies Most of our pupils in Years 7-9 have Food Studies as part of their curriculum, depending on their other academic commitments. Our key aims are to develop practical skills, encourage pupils to become confident and creative cooks, and extend their knowledge by incorporating key topics, such as current healthy eating guidelines and an awareness of food provenance. In addition to our food studies curriculum, we offer a range of co-curricular opportunities to experience cooking through our activities programme, with the Christmas Cake Club consistently proving to be one of the most popular options.

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Music We are unique in being the only one of the four Specialist Music Schools in England that is within a setting of an all-round school. This allows us to cater for musicians of exceptional talent through specifically designed programmes that put music at the centre of their daily school routine while also being able to provide a very broad range of musical opportunities for those who pursue music as a hobby. One-to-one instrumental lessons are available with world-renowned teachers, and pupils can make the most of our many and varied ensemble opportunities, including choirs, orchestras, instrumental groups in all genres and music theatre. Music scholarships are based on current ability and potential.

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https://wells.cathedral.school/creativearts

Photography is also taught in Years 7, 8 and 9 as an option where pupils explore the medium of digital photography and learn camera skills, image composition and photographic processes.

We organise regular trips and workshops for pupils to experience first-hand the practice of current and past photographers.

Marco, Upper Sixth Oliver, Year 11

We offer Photography at both GCSE and A level. These courses aim to provide pupils with the creative skills and understanding of a variety of photographic genres, media and processes. We mainly use digital cameras and Adobe Creative Suite to process images, but pupils also explore alternative mixed media, such as cyanotypes, acrylic transfers and collage.

The emphasis is on developing independence and pursuing a personal line of enquiry, and exam moderators have remarked on the diversity of our offering, stating: “Candidates experimented purposefully with a range of photographic techniques. This led to a range of quality outcomes”.

Alice, Lower Sixth

Photography

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Pupil Profiles

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Meg

Woody

I found Wells Drama to be lively and immersive with chances to improve skill sets and venture out of comfort zones with encouragement and support from teachers. I’ve enjoyed the school productions, ranging from Shakespearean plays to musicals; there is always a strong team spirit amongst the cast, and they are a great chance to make friends in other year groups. The arts at Wells have helped me come out of my shell and grow in confidence, which has helped me in other areas of life too.

Having the opportunity to act and perform in such a professional setting at Wells Cathedral School will always be a highlight in my life. The thrill of acting and working together with other passionate people is always such a special experience, and the teachers are always supportive. As a General Music Scholar, I have had the chance to perform in Lunchtime Concerts.

My music practice periods have helped me to improve, enabling me to get into groups such as Jazz Combo and Jazz Orchestra.

https://wells.cathedral.school/creativearts

Pupil Profiles

Justin

Willow

I studied Art for GCSE and A level. I’ve really enjoyed it because it allows me to express my ideas and emotions in a medium that I enjoy, whether it’s paintings or photographs or films. This year I’ve focused on making films, and I was able to share my creativity and vision using moving pictures. It is a great experience from writing the script to filming it and editing it. I have also gone on many interesting trips, including to a memorable sculpture exhibition in Year 10.

I loved studying Art, Drama and Music from Year 7, but when I started Photography in Year 9, I immediately knew that it was for me! After experimenting, I ultimately decided that I want to concentrate on Fashion Photography. Miss Nelson has helped me to research, study and become immersed in the genre for A level, and I have offers to study it at a number of universities. I am forever grateful to Wells for helping me to find my passion, and I am looking forward to a future in Fashion.

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Find Out More If you would like to find out more about Wells Cathedral School, please contact our admissions team on 01749 834441 / admissions@wells.cathedral.school or visit our website https://wells.cathedral.school