CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR

PERFORMING ARTS Centre of Excellence forPERFORMING ARTS

The Centre of Excellence for Performing Arts was creat-

ed in 2010 as a response to consistently high achieve-

ment within the area and an eagerness to extend the

extra-curricular offer beyond the norm. It works on

reach goals that might otherwise seem out of reach.

Within the department we have a varied curriculum of-

fer that extends itself out into the community and be-

yond, working alongside theatres, universities and schools

alike. The rigorous and empowering variety of courses

that meet all needs within the subject area enables stu-

dents to be introduced to and further their initial inter-

est in a selection of areas within the performing arts

that they might otherwise have not encountered before.

Over the last academic year Cronton Sixth Form Col-

lege has forged new partnerships with Romanian, Bel-

gian and Australian colleagues and formed a dedicated

alliegance that enhances and strengthens our depart-

ment whilst complimenting current performance practice.

‘I’ve  had  an  amazing  time!    I’ve  learnt  so  much  about  my  passion  -­  music.’

OWEN HULSE BTEC NATIONAL DIPLOMA POPULAR MUSIC

With the launch of its annual Performance Programme

which aims to create industry standard extra-curricular

performances alongside its successful curriculum offer,

the department is now targeting some of the borough’s

most talented individuals with a busy programme that

generates high energy, industry standard productions.

‘A Level Dance is exactly whatI wanted it to be. It teaches me how to properly under-stand my body and to use it correctly and creatively.’

Hayley Flanagan A2 Dance

‘A Level Theatre Studies is the right mix of theory and practical for me. I can’t imagine enjoying my Sixth Form experience without it!’

Tom Washington AS Theatre Studies

Students devise and pro-duce their own work -

A Level !eatre Studies

‘Rehearsing A Christmas Carol has taught me a lot about the industry. Doing something on this scale in your own time demands a great deal of discipline and effective time management and both of these are drummed into students very early on.’ Chloe MillingtonBTEC National Diploma in Musical Theatre

(((

Dickens is still the man to beat! I -

Matt Plant (Director)

From a theatrical point of view there

are hundreds of facial expressions and

harrowing situations with which to work.

The evocation of visual effects enables

the audience to fully engage with a time

long past but we are still able to visit

it via the almost cinematic and visually

evocative narrative that Dickens has left

us with eternally. The commodity cul-

ture that Dickens delves into, revealing

a backdrop of spectacular insight into a

world that is rapidly changing, is all too

familiar to us and this makes the story

even more accessible – evoking within us

perhaps a social sympathy for those who

have little, whether it be money or morals.

A Christmas Carol 2010

The performance then is not about, as

Audrey Jaffe puts it, ‘the man of no feel-

ing, but the man who has forgotten how

to feel.’ Alan Menken has brought this

to life with a tremendous score and we

have had such fun with it, collaborating

with schools and working with colleagues

from within the borough and beyond.

David Lloyd Mostyn(Musical Director)

Friends

Like Us in 1966, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 1967,

and then the extraordinary Jesus Christ Superstar in 1970. The same year

brought about extraordinary cultural shifts and fundamental recognition

of fresh theatrical endeavour. The work looks at the psychology of Je-

who becomes increasingly frustrated with the way Jesus directs his disci-

ples. Some of Rice’s best work is here and the youthfulness of Lloyd Web-

ber, prior to the sophistication of Phantom of the Opera and the complex-

ity within Cats, is evident throughout. The Twentieth Century is perfectly

situated for this work; its inhibitions opposing the frank frustrations of the

time and discussing as much about modern day life as in the year 33AD.

Rehearsals take place in the DRAMA STUDIO

Rice and Lloyd Webber pick up their awards for best selling album 1971.

Forthcoming Productions

SCHOOLS TOUR 2011

Centre of Excellence in

PERFORMING ARTS

Contact: matthew.plant@crontonsixthformcollege.ac.uk or check our website

Cronton Sixth Form College Drama Studio (13th & 14th April) Drama Studio (13th & 14th April) Drama Studio (25th & 26th May)

A Circus, that [he] ‘attempted to write words that could

have stood on their own without music, deliberately conver-

sational rather than poetic for the most part. I still came

up with several false rhymes, which annoy me now, but at-

tempts to eliminate most of these, when Andrew staged a

West End revival of the show in 1996, didn’t actually make

much difference. Indeed one or two JCS fans complained

to me about the changes; for example I altered a priest’s

line from ‘One thing I’ll say for him Jesus is cool’ to ‘Infan-

tile sermons - the multitude drools’ in order to rhyme with

‘Miracle wonderman, hero of fools’, and received a letter

-

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times technique is less important than a visceral approach.’

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR 2011

More information on our productions can be found on our Centre of Excellence website. Simply log onto www.cronton.ac.uk and click the Centre of Excel-lence production link or call 0151 424 1515 (3150) for more details.