The Arts Pathway lead:
The Arts Award leads:
Ms Clare Harms (Director of Drama)
Mrs Claire Bennett (Art Department)
The Arts Pathway
“You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone’s soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows that they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift.”
– Erin Morgenstern, multimedia artist and author.
Perfect for those looking for a career in the creative industries. The Gold Arts Award offered by Trinity College is a QCF Level 3 qualification which is recognised on the UCAS Tariff (16 points on new scale)
The Arts Pathway is an opportunity for students who have selected to study one or more creative subjects in the Sixth Form. Students who opt for this pathway will be innovative, creative, enjoy a challenge and desire practical experience in the industry.
The course will engage students in a variety of different Arts based experiences; dependant and driven by individual artistic passions. Students will have the opportunity to work with industry professionals to get a flavour for some of the roles and positions that exist under the broad umbrella of ‘The Arts.’
After the initial skills-based ‘in house’ film making project, the layout of the course will be project-based and mainly student led.
The Arts Pathway
For the Arts Pathway it is expected students will elect to study at least 1 of the following subjects; Art, Drama & Theatre, English Literature, or Music at A Level.
It would be a valuable experience for those wishing to be, or have an interest in working with; artists, writers, composers, performers, directors, producers, curators and librarians.
We are approaching the unit from the perspective that, ‘In a rapidly changing world, we will need people who can question, adapt and invent as well as analyse and use existing knowledge.’
The programme will open with a project exploring Protest Art. The students will be encouraged to engage with an issue of importance to them and use their creative skills, whether they are artists, performers, musicians or writers, to raise awareness.
Once students have gained a better understanding of their own interests and talents, the course shifts to give them an opportunity to explore careers in the Arts. They will meet industry professionals and visit Arts institutions.
In the final term students will use their skills to engage with the wider community through visiting some of our partner primary schools and delivering Arts themed workshops.
Enrichment opportunities
- BBC: On set experience
- ITV access to set
- Working with students and teachers of Drama in a local theatre company
- Lectures in Journalism
- Media Experience
- Engagement with the local community
- Artists in Residence on site
- Visits to local theatre companies and galleries
Example list of creative initiatives that would be student led
- CHS Arts podcast
- Film festival
- CHS TED Talk – Arts based content for peers
- Radio station
- Blogging
- Directing
- Film critique
- Sixth Form Play
- Photography, Sculpture & Painting Exhibition
The Arts Award
The Gold Arts Award offered by Trinity College London is a QCF Level 3 qualification which is recognised on the UCAS Tariff (16 points on new scale).
It is a portfolio based qualification where students submit evidence for moderation of achieving the necessary assessment criteria.
This is offered to Lower Sixth Students as a +1 option and aimed at those who are choosing at least one Arts A Level (Art, Drama & Theatre, Music, English Literature). It links extremely well to CHS’s Arts Pathway but may also be enhanced by the Business & Enterprise Pathway. It will highlight the possibilities of further study and careers in the Creative Arts Industries as well as focusing on highly desirable independent study and leadership skills.
It aims to:
- Foster a greater appreciation for the Arts within the local and wider community
- Extend students’ knowledge of a variety of art forms and develop students’ cultural literacy
- Combine creative, entrepreneurial and professional skills to prepare students for life at work
- Develop Project Management skills; as self-managers, independent thinkers, team workers
- Enhance students’ skills and personal attributes with new challenges that will develop them as more ‘rounded’ young people and prepare them for higher education or employment
- Develop leadership skills within a specific and measurable context
- Stimulate critical and contextual thinking and develop a desire for knowledge, stimulation, understanding and creativity.
- Give students the opportunity to make links with local & national arts practitioners and providers
- Allow the opportunity for students to be involved in outreach projects in the local and wider community
It consists of two units.
Unit 1: Personal Arts Development
Students are required to:
- Extend existing arts practice by working in a new arts area
- Identify development opportunities within wider arts sector
- Research advanced practitioners and review arts events
- Form and communicate a view on an arts issue investigated
Unit 2: Leadership of an Arts Project
Students are required to:
- Identify project aims and outcomes
- Organise people and resources
- Manage the effectiveness of the project
- Manage a public showing of the project
- Review leadership development and find effective ways to collect and evaluate feedback from participants, audience and other stakeholders
Teaching staff are primarily there as facilitators to guide individuals (for Unit 1) and groups (for Unit 2). Much of the actual work towards the award will be done independently but the taught lessons will involve work on planning/ preparing for particular events/ collecting and collating portfolio evidence/ reviewing evidence & progress.
Actual ‘Arts’ content will primarily come from the students’ own A Level lessons, co-curricular activities and from Arts Pathway activities as well as placements/ work shadowing etc. that they organise themselves as part of the award. This is particularly aimed at allowing students to develop arts experience in areas that are not usually available as part of the A Level specifications. These might include video or film-making, photography, dance, pod-casting, puppetry, music technology/production and almost anything else a student might be interested in.
Students are required to attend at least 3 arts events (gallery visits/ music concert or recital/ theatre trip) in order to adequately prepare for Unit 1. Some of these would be student organised in order to encourage independent learning
An overview of the delivery:
Autumn Term (primarily working on Unit 1)
- Introduction to award requirements
- Planning of individual Arts Practice element
- Choosing a practitioner to research and completing this element
- One or two ‘Arts visits’
- Reviewing arts events (choosing medium in which to review- e.g. write article in The Waconian, record a podcast, film a review for YouTube)
- Portfolio evidence collection / review
Spring Term (primarily working on Unit 2)
- Planning of Unit 2 project begins (list given of possible choices- see below)
- Groups & roles decided
- Aspects to be ‘taught’- budgeting, strategy planning, marketing, event planning, health & safety, communication, market research, planning for collection of feedback, reviewing, leadership skills etc.
- Portfolio evidence collection/ review
- One or two further ‘Arts visits’
- Reviewing arts events (choosing medium in which to review- e.g. write article in The Waconian, record a podcast, film a review for YouTube) (if not completed in Term 1)
Summer Term (Unit 2/ moderation)
- Likely date for delivery of project for Unit 2
- Portfolio evidence collection/ review
- Overseeing of project/ collection of required feedback
- Deadline for portfolio of evidence (June?)*
- Moderation (June)*
*This deadline & final moderation could be extended into Autumn term of U6th year if project date is late in year or following year (e.g. Sixth Form Play in November)