Drama and performing arts excellence and scholarship at Woldingham

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DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS EXCELLENCE AND SCHOLARSHIP

at Woldingham

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS

EXCELLENCE AND SCHOLARSHIP

Woldingham School has an outstanding reputation for drama and performing arts. Our industry-standard facilities and specialist staff support students to create productions of the very highest standard. The school has high specification technical support with state-of-theart sound and lighting run by a highly-qualified technical crew. Drama staff work hard to bring out the full potential of each and every student. Drama staff and students work closely with the Music Department on many productions.

FACILITIES

Woldingham’s Millennium Centre has some of the best facilities for music and drama performance of any school in the country. The 630-seater acoustically designed Dineen Auditorium includes an orchestra pit and fully computerised sound and lighting system. The Millennium Centre also has recital and rehearsal rooms, a studio theatre, wardrobe room, dressing rooms, recording studios, a live lounge, and foyer area.

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME

Drama and performing arts scholars in Years 7 to 11 attend bespoke weekly sessions, where they collaborate as a company of performers to develop and refine their skills, whilst working towards performance platforms, the nationally-recognised Arts Award and grade exams. We have a Drama Ribbon (prefect), a Sixth Former, who is the senior student for drama and performing arts and who plays an important role with our younger scholars and is an ambassador for drama and performing arts across the school.

Sixth Form drama and performing arts scholars join our Wold PA Elite Company, which offers semi-professional training in all aspects of performing arts. Students can also take a Level 3 Vocational CAPA Qualification (worth UCAS points), specifically designed for success moving forward in performance. The Wold PA Elite Company’s tiered progression programme of study includes development of acting, movement and vocal skills; effective audition technique; masterclasses from industry professionals. Students graduate from the Wold PA Elite Company with a company showcase.

GCSE AND A LEVEL

Drama and performing arts scholars are encouraged to take Drama at GCSE and A Level, but it is not compulsory. We also offer GCSE Dance. Students do not have to take GCSE or A Level Drama to be involved in most productions or performance opportunities.

CO-CURRICULAR DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS

Drama and performing arts clubs and activities include:

KS3 Drama Club

Students in Years 7-9 develop acting and performance skills by working on short plays, play adaptations, and devised theatre.

Screen Acting & Production

Students develop and refine skills, both in front of the camera and behind it. Students learn screen acting techniques, camera angles, storyboarding, editing and more - as well as having the opportunity to achieve RSL PAA Awards (grades 1-8 in screen acting).

Glee & Musical Theatre Club

A high energy training session focusing on staging extracts and songs from musicals, as well as developing skills needed for contemporary song and dance.

Theatre Tech Club

For each full-scale production, Theatre Tech Club assists with costumes, props and set, under the guidance of a member of drama staff. Students develop lighting, sound and camera operation skills with support from our professional theatre team.

LAMDA Lessons

LAMDA solo, paired and trio lessons focus on acting, verse & prose, devising, Shakespeare, public speaking and musical theatre. Students can take LAMDA grades.

Arts Award

The Arts Award, managed by Trinity College London in association with Arts Council England, inspires young people to grow their arts and leadership talents: it’s creative, valuable and accessible. Woldingham offers Bronze & Silver Awards.

Dance

We run classes in contemporary, commercial street, ballet and choreography.

OPPORTUNITIES TO PERFORM

Throughout the year, there are numerous opportunities for students in all year groups – both front and back stage – in drama and musical theatre productions, as well as workshop performances of scripted and devised work, and annual dance show. Our ’Wold Fringe Festival’, where we celebrate all things theatre, takes place at the end of the summer term.

2024’s performing arts programme included:

Get Up & Dance (celebrating a wide range of dance styles)

Back to the Movies (Glee and Musical Theatre Club show)

Remember My Name (Years 7-9 production)

Summer Drama Showcase & Gosforth’s Fête (Drama & PA scholars and LAMDA students)

Animal Farm (Year 10 & Lower Sixth production)

The Wiz (Sixth Form production)

Plans for 2025 include an adaptation of Our Day Out by Willy Russell (Drama and PA scholars), Hercules (KS3 Drama Club) and Echoes in Time: The Legends Live On! (Glee and Musical Theatre Club).

TRIPS

Students have the opportunity to attend some of the best live theatre in the country, with many visits to local and London theatres as well as occasional trips overseas.

Trips have included the National Theatre’s production of Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba, drama students in Year 9 and Lower Sixth went to see The Woman in Black at London’s Fortune Theatre, and all students in Year 11 saw the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Macbeth in Stratford upon Avon.

Last year, the Drama Department organised a trip to New York for Sixth Form students, where they saw a Broadway production of Chicago and took part in two professional workshops on musical theatre and casting.

EXCELLENCE AND OPPORTUNITY

Students are encouraged to gain experience and develop their skills outside of school, as well as in school.

Drama Scholar Alex performed in National Youth Music Theatre’s (NYMT) world premiere of The Boy Who Sailed The Ocean In An Armchair at the Curve Studio, Leicester, working with experienced professionals. Drama and performing arts scholars Maya and Sophia performed with the NYMT in two productions of When I Grow Up, one at the Rose Theatre, Kingston and the other at Southwark Playhouse, London. Sixth Form drama scholar Anna studied sound design and composition on a residential course run by the National Youth Theatre.

UNIVERSITY AND BEYOND

Our Sixth Form leavers have gained places at institutions such as RADA, Central School, LAMDA and Tiffany Theatre College of Performing Arts and chosen to study drama at top universities including the University of Cambridge.

Award-winning actors Emma Corrin and Carey Mulligan attended Woldingham and were both Drama Ribbons.

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Woldingham offers drama scholarships at 11+, 13+ and 16+ and performing arts scholarships at 11+ and 13+. Students who don’t receive a scholarship are encouraged to reapply at a later stage as their skills and expertise develop by taking advantage of drama lessons and the many performing arts opportunities at Woldingham.

For more information on drama and performing arts scholarships at Woldingham, please contact:

Miss Stacey Williams, Director of Drama williamss@woldinghamschool.co.uk or

The admissions team registrar@woldinghamschool.co.uk

Marden Park, Woldingham, Surrey, CR3 7YA (for satellite navigation please use postcode CR3 7LR) 01883 349431 registrar@woldinghamschool.co.uk www.woldinghamschool.co.uk

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