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Performing Arts and The Arts Specialism

Bishop Perowne Church of England College became a Specialist Arts College in 2002 and has retained Arts Mark Gold status, in recognition of our excellent practice and capacity within the Arts, since 2003. Widely recognised as a centre of excellence in the Arts, the Specialism makes a significant impact on the lives of both our students and on the wider community.


Staffing:


There are nine full time specialist staff in the Performing and Fine Arts Department. The Subject Leaders for Dance and Drama hold Masters Degrees in the Arts and Education and all other Department staff are highly qualified and experienced in the teaching of their specialism.


Our Creative Advisor - a role developed as a non teaching post whose remit is to establish an innovative and sustainable cross-curricular and community involvement for the arts - ensures that the Specialism at Bishop Perowne College has a sustainable and significant impact on all aspects of school life and beyond.


The College is privileged to have the support of a full time Technical Director who manages our Theatre and other facilities and equipment. He also takes an active role in developing the use of our facilities within the community.
One to one tuition in voice and musical instruments is given by fully trained and experienced peripatetic teachers.


Facilities:


Students benefit from an extensive range of specialist facilities.  These include:


The College Theatre:

Fully equipped with sound and lighting to industry standards and capable of seating 220 audience members with a fully retractable auditorium. An end on black box staging area affords space for extensive musical productions and orchestral concerts.


The Dance Studio:

Opened in 2010 when students performed alongside principal dancers from the Birmingham Royal Ballet - featuring a fully sprung floor, full technical installation for lighting and sound, ballet bar and mirrored wall.


The Drama Studio:

A dedicated black box studio with a full technical installation.
Music: two Creative Media suites which include a sound proofed recording studio and a large number of Apple workstations running notation and music editing software and instrumental practice rooms.


Technology in The Arts:

A fully equipped film and video recording studio with a green screen room and video editing facilities. Use by many curriculum areas to enhance teaching and learning this facility is supported by our Technical Director who delivers training and instruction in its use to both students and staff.


Fine Arts: 

Are based in two purpose built studio rooms which are fully equipped to give students a range of experiences and opportunities - including a kiln and intaglio printer.
Photography: a popular subject within College it is taught within the Fine Arts Department and utilises the software and editing facilities afforded by our five computer suites.


The John Bailey Art Gallery:

Was opened in 2012. A dedicated gallery it is fully furnished with polished wooden floor and the ability to display a full exhibition of work. Opened in 2012 by the Chair of Governors in the presence of The Mayor of Worcester and The Bishop of Worcester. The College now has an Artist In Residence working closely with both our students and our community.


The Curriculum:


All students in Key Stage 3 (Years 7 and 8) have Drama, Dance, Music and Art as on their curriculum timetable and study each for one hour a week. Teaching and Learning varies in each subject area but full schemes of work and assessment procedures are continually revised to ensure that all students are offered the best possible opportunity to achieve their full potential.


Courses are offered at GCSE level in all Arts subjects along with BTEC Performing Arts, Dance Leaders, Rock School and Photography. There are two qualified Arts Awards Assessors in the Department and Silver Arts Awards are offered to Year 9 as a one year foundation course to GCSE and Bronze to many other students as part of their cross-curricular or extended day activities. Curriculum attainment in the Arts is extremely high and a large percentage of the College student population opt for at least one Performing or Fine Arts subject in Key Stage 4.


The Specialist Intake Group:


The Specialist Intake is a group of students who gain entry to the College through an audition process and by proving previous commitment to the arts or a particular skill in an art form. They are offered a bespoke programme of arts training during their time at Bishop Perowne, including individual music and voice tuition, designed to further develop their particular skills or interest in the arts. In return the students make a commitment to be fully involved in Arts College activities and to support the development of others.


Community and Partnerships:


The development of our relationship with the local and wider community has played a key part in the strategic development of the Arts Specialism. Community links are numerous. Students regularly work with more than thirty different profession companies and practitioners each year including Rambert Dance Company, the National Youth Theatre, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Warwick Arts Centre. Adam Rutherford - Dance Practitioner - choreographs work for our resident all male dance company 'Wireboyz' (made up entirely of students) who have performed at the official launch for the Cultural Olympiad for the West Midlands.


All of the facilities at Bishop Perowne College are open for use to organisations and individuals from our local community. We encourage people to book them for Creative projects, rehearsals, concerts and meetings. Organisations such as the Worcester Fine Arts Society, Wyre Youth Dance Company, Worcester University, Tremor Theatre Company, Vamos Theatre Company and just some of those that already make regular use of our facilities.


Links with industry include CarnaudMetalbox who have been actively involved in and generously funded projects and facilities for our students, Mazak International, Worcester Bosch and Youth Dance England.


Partnerships with our Primary schools, Worcester College of Technology, the Sixth Form and the University, ensure a continuity that enables our students to develop academic and social skills that will serve them into post 16 education and beyond.

Extended Day:


Students enjoy an enormous range of extended day activities from Drama and Dance clubs to performance, fine arts, printmaking and film workshops. Each year, for one week, the normal College timetable is collapsed and the entire student population enjoys Arts Week. During this time activities such as overnight trips to London to see a West End show, professional artists delivering all day workshops and even experiences in the martial arts and African drumming, fill the College day. It is a unique and exciting experience which gives every student and every member of staff the chance to be immersed in the arts. Each year there is at least one major musical production in the College Theatre and students regularly take part in events such as the Shakespeare Schools Festival. Recent productions have included 'Blood Brothers', 'Beauty and The Beast' and 'Hairspray'. The productions are always completely sold out and approximately 2000 parents/carers, members of the community and of our primary school partners pack our Theatre across the show nights.


Annual music concerts, dance performances and festivals, the beautiful and inspiring Carol Service at Worcester Cathedral, our students performing in such places as London Theatres, the House of Lords and in front of HRH The Prince of Wales and working with David Bintley - Artistic Director of The Birmingham Royal Ballet - are just a taste of our Arts calendar.


Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural Education:


The Arts at Bishop Perowne promote and develop a relationship between school, students, parents/carers, educational partners and the community which is central to the ethos of our College and to the vision of an inclusive Arts provision for all. It is dynamic, motivational, spiritual and exciting. Many of our students go on to study the arts in higher education and many return to us to take part in productions or just to experience again the sense of belonging which is so strong within our College. The aim is to prepare students for the unpredictable but exciting world of the 21st century and to give them the chance to develop academically, creatively and spiritually.

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