Thursday 3 December 2015

MY FAVOURITE SUBJECT... PERFORMING ARTS!

Reader Georgia shares the lowdown on her fave school subject… performing arts! Find out which bits you'd like and which you might not!

Georgia says:
Performing arts… people sometimes think that it's all about the acting, the singing, the dancing, but that's not the case. There is a LOT of written work! Because it is such a practical subject, you need to keep a log for everything you do as evidence. Each performance you do, evaluate it! Each script you learn, write about it! This sometimes puts people off, but in fact I love all of these aspects of the subject. I enjoy the writing, because it helps you to understand the practical things more and I think non-stop practical work could get a bit dull.

Having said that, performance is probably what draws most people to the subject and that side of it is absolutely brilliant, especially if you are a lover of musical theatre! In our first year we did a section on Bugsy Malone which I really enjoyed because it was the first main focus of the course. We were supposed to get a feel for different skills and learn how to work as a team… let's say that bit didn't go too well, but hey!

At the moment, we are working on monologues, one of the most important things in drama and one of the most likely things you may have to prepare in an audition. Each member of the class has a separate monologue so each performance is different and everyone has the freedom to play about with their piece and create something really unique, which I am loving! I can't wait to see what the rest of the course has to offer, and I know it will be just as exciting. I love performing - it's my life - and I love the subject too. The balance of practical work and writing flows really well, and all of it leads you towards the final exam, so if you're thinking of opting to study performance arts, go for it… you won't be sorry!

Cathy says:
Wow… I never had the option to study this at school, but what a fascinating subject! Georgia explains how the subject works very well… would it appeal to YOU? COMMENT BELOW to share YOUR fave school subject!

2 comments:

  1. My school didn't offer Drama until I was in S3 and was already studying my chosen Standard Grades - grr! I studied it at Higher though. So fun! We read Tally's Blood by Ann Marie Di Mambro, Men Should Weep by Ena Lamont Stewart and Lovers by Brian Friel. We performed from two plays each (I was in Tally's Blood as Lucia and Lovers as Cissy) and had 3 sections in the written exam. Section A was the Irish essay - an essay about a character in Lovers. Section B was a ground plan and adding stage directions to a scene from Lovers. Section C was the Scottish essay - either about Tally's Blood or Men Should Weep, whichever one fit best. For the essays, we had to memorise over 30 quotes on various subjects because you didn't know what would show up in the exam. Tricky! I won the Faculty Award for Drama in S6 and got a B in the final exam (my teacher sent in an appeal but they refused to change it to an A) which isn't bad for a deaf girl with an awful memory!

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  2. I LOVE perfoming arts, but my school don't offer it! ��

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