If you love performing and want a course that’s hands-on, creative, and fast-paced — this is it.
This is a highly practical course where you’ll build and sharpen your skills across a range of performance disciplines. You won’t just learn about performance — you’ll do it.
Your teachers bring real experience from the professional industry, using it to guide you as you create, rehearse, and develop your own performances. Expect an exciting, fast-moving environment that’s perfect for students who are truly passionate about performing arts.
One of the highlights? You’ll have the chance to create your own theatre company, working collaboratively to devise original performances inspired by different styles and well-known practitioners. Across the two years, you’ll take part in a wide range of performance opportunities to showcase your work.
As well as developing as a performer, you’ll gain essential real-world skills including independence, creativity, problem-solving, communication, and leadership — all of which are highly valued in any career.
Whether you see yourself on stage or want to build confidence and standout skills, this course helps you take centre stage.
Students not studying Drama or Performing Arts at school should have a proven record in the interest of performing arts by having participated in extra-curricular clubs and enrichment, for example, drama clubs or school productions. To gain entry to this course you will be required to attend an a workshop audition. Single Vocational subjects may be taken alongside A Levels or AAQ courses. Students studying three A Levels or a mixed programme will be expected to have a minimum of two GCSEs at grade 5 and three at grade 4, including English Language and Mathematics.
You will also be required to complete a successful workshop audition.
You will study 3 compulsory units and one optional over 2 years such as:
Unit 1: Investigating Practitioners
Unit 2: Developing skills and techniques for live performance
Unit 3: Group Performance workshop
Optional Unit example - Acting Styles
This course is designed to give you a ‘tool box’ of performance skills in a range of different styles and genres. You will be involved in many live performances and will see external theatre productions and work with visiting professionals. The course has been designed with the support of The Octagon Theatre and The Arden School of Theatre in Manchester so the skills you gain are geared towards preparing you for the industry. You will learn how to create a theatre company and experience a range of career paths in the industry, meaning you develop more than just performance skills. This is a practically demanding subject, with energetic lessons alongside crucial development of your professional theory knowledge and English skills.
Assessment consists of four units, two of which are examined externally. You will be examined in both practical performances and controlled assessments.
Exam Board: Pearson RQF
Upon entry to a performing arts course you will be accepted into the Performing Arts Academy. The academy is an opportunity for our performance students to participate in professional workshops with industry professionals at the Octagon Theatre, universities, drama schools and local casting agencies. You will learn about different career opportunities in the performing arts industry and widen your experience and understanding of the professional world of performing arts.
Our enrichment programme allows you to develop skills in different styles and we alternate yearly between a large scale musical performance and the National Theatre Connections Festival, allowing students to gain professional experience and perform at local theatres such as The Lowry, Octagon or Home Theatre Manchester.
We keep class sizes small which means our students get the very best in personal tuition alongside the chance to gain more lead roles and be noticed when we have guest professionals visit, including casting agents and university recruiters. Keeping our class sizes small has proven to increase student performance and confidence, giving you greater opportunities to be heard and seen, meaning you can reach your full potential. Our teachers have professional experience in the performing arts industry and have developed the Performing Arts Academy. The academy offers students the opportunity to take LAMDA exams, gain work experience and participate in professional workshops at the Octagon Theatre and with other professionals to develop those wider performance skills. We have free workshops and performances all year round delivered by guests from universities such as UCLAN, Liverpool Hope University, Arden School of Theatre, Sterling Academy, the Octagon Theatre, Bolton University and professional scriptwriters and actors. We have excellent facilities including a theatre, rehearsal rooms, recording studios and a dance studio.
Students progress to study at drama or dance school, or university. The skills developed are very transferable and desirable in other careers including law and public relations-related careers. Careers may include becoming a dancer, stage or screen actor, director, stage manager, teacher, drama therapist or choreographer.
Additional to your study, we provide you with the opportunity to visit the theatre to watch professional performances and visit Media City to learn about TV and radio performance.
We are looking for students who are dedicated to success and ready to learn in a fast paced energetic environment. You will be expected to attend extra rehearsals, study sessions and skills workshops in order to be the best you can be.
Our students also perform in a number of shows and events including national competitions. We also rehearse towards a large scale musical which is performed in a professional theatre.
Future students would benefit from researching the following practitioners and theories in preparation for the course: Frantic Assembly, Laban movement and efforts, Steven Berkoff and Konstantin Stanislavski.
It’s always lovely when former students drop in to see us and recently a number of Expressive Arts
Sixth Form Bolton Celebrates Honours Programme Students Earlier this week, The Sixth Form
Bright Future Awaits B6 Expressive Arts Students Creative students at The Sixth Form Bolton are
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