Why read this case study?
Access and participation in an accredited course offered outside mainstream formal education
- Dealing with young people who are geographically excluded
- Mixing young people from different schools and backgrounds
- Enabling broader access and participation in the arts by bringing young people into a city with a wider arts provision than their own home areas.
top
How did it start?
The Arts Development Officer at Eden Court Theatre regularly came into contact with young people who were concerned that they were unable to gain a qualification in drama when applying to further and higher education.
With advice from Borders Council who had experience in this field the arts development officer investigated funding opportunities and established the course. The curriculum is set by the Scottish Qualifications Authority SQA. (It can be found on their website: http://www.sqa.org.uk/) The Scottish Curriculum Association sets the course and Dingwall Academy acts as the SQA centre for the course at Eden Court.
top
How is it funded?
The project was funded by redirecting funds from the Arts Development budget at Eden Court - around £8000. Eden Court Theatre and Highland Council provided funding in kind.
Most of the budget has been used for the Drama teacher who is paid at Further Education rates. Highland Council employs the drama workers and Arts Development Officer.
Eden Court provides, in kind, sponsorship for the course in the form of:
Space within the theatre for workshops, classes and performances
Technical facilities and demonstrations, including costume
Access to workshops by visiting artists
Reduced price tickets for performances within Eden Court.
Currently students carry the costs of travel to and from Inverness and in some cases, accommodation for overnight stays. In the future revenue generated from performances, by the students, will be used to help support these costs.
Different schools have offered different levels of in kind support including email and free study blocks.
top
How is it run?
The course is taught by a sessional drama teacher and supported by drama workers already employed by Highland Council.
Only three out of the 29 schools in the Highlands offer this qualification and there are 26 young people participating from 12 schools.
The structure of the course is led by the SQA curriculum. The drama teacher and the Arts Development Officer plan and manage the course.
Students apply via their guidance teachers. Most students were in their 6th year, although some exceptional students in their 5th year were accepted.
All attendance is planned out of school time, mainly Saturdays and a weeklong block during school holidays.
Students are expected to attend most dates. These dates have been planned a year in advance to give students sufficient notice and to plan around a busy theatre.
Key staff communicate on a weekly basis, by phone or email. Contact with students is also done by phone and email due to distances from Eden Court. They can contact the drama teacher for support between sessions.
top
How is it structured?
The students attend approximately two Saturdays a month and a weeklong block in the school holidays.
They are also expected to complete homework, such as learning lines, scripting a scene, researching a topic, planning a rehearsal, creating a dramatic commentary or writing an essay.
The course is divided into three units:
Investigative Drama: A theme, issue or topic is investigated using creative drama skills. Within the group, individual students are responsible for the organisation and direction of a specific scene from the presentation. The group devises their own original drama to be performed to an invited audience.
Study of a text in a theatrical context: A play text is explored from the perspective of both actor and director. The focus is Sophocles' play, Antigone. The students learn about the first productions staged in ancient Greek ampitheatres. Students are encouraged to develop their own ideas about the play, as if directing a key scene. As an actor, students give their own interpretations of one role from the play and rehearse the part for performance.
Contemporary Scottish Theatre: The focus of this unit is trends in three post-1900 Scottish plays or theatre productions, approached from the perspective of both actor and audience. Each student selects one character from any contemporary Scottish text to rehearse for performance.
External assessment: The course is assessed by two written exam papers and one practical assessment.
Entry requirements: Students need a credit level pass in English. Some performance experience is desirable as acting is central to both the assessment and the workshop approach to the texts. It is not necessary to take standard level drama.
top
Why out of school learning?
The students' opinions:
Structure: The days are more flexible and focused and students felt they were able to experiment with their own ways of learning and bring their own experiences to bear on the course content.
Professional facilities and people: Make the course more 'real' and therefore develop their expectations of the profession.
Group support: Students felt that working with likeminded and committed students created a sense of community around the course. Many students took the opportunity to visit other arts events in Inverness together.
Showing commitment: Students felt that doing the course in their own time had an impact at interviews.
top
What now?
Eden Court will continue to offer Higher Drama whilst there is still a demand for it, due to insufficient provision in schools. It is unclear how this provision has affected local authority planning. There are also plans to build on this experience by offering a Higher dance qualification. Eden Court however does not see it as their role to be a provider of formal education qualifications.
The course - a number of issues have come to light during the pilot year:
- Space at Eden Court, other venues have been used. Students felt this added to the course
- All students will be interviewed in future to ensure they understand their commitment to the course
- There is no support for students with special needs or those who need extra support
- Funding for transport for students is still being sought.
top
What are the key issue for a project like this?
Is there a need for an accredited/ academically challenging course?
What can working with an arts organisation offer formal education?
How would you support students who are able to gain qualifications, with learning or other support, within schools?
top
