Performing Arts students explore a range of core skills including dance, music, drama, musical theatre, prop and scenery making.
Whatever your interest, there will be a role for you on our Performing Arts pathway.
Performing Arts pathway students, at our Gobowen campus, have the opportunity to explore a range of core skills. These include dance and movement, script work, theatre in education, prop and scenery making and much more.
Whatever your interest, there will be a role for you to take part and have fun with.
Develop your performing arts skills
Students develop and enhance a range of skills such as:
- creative interests
- imagination
- problem solving
- open mindedness
- confidence
- communication skills.
Were you born to perform?
Internal work experience
As a Derwen College Performing Arts student, your internal work experience might include:
Derwen On Tour
…or DOT as we call it – delivers Makaton sign, song and dance performances and workshops. They perform at special events around College, or at external events such as the local Llangollen Eisteddfod.
The group works together to create and develop appropriate workshop activities in line with the target audience’s request.
DOT rehearses regularly, in preparation for a live performance, showcasing their sign, song and dance work.
DC Theatre
… our Theatre in Education performance group.
DC Theatre creates educational theatre that portrays a particular message, or to raise awareness around a specific topic. Past themes have been around topics such as bullying, recycling and kindness.
The finished interactive piece is performed with Makaton sign and song, along with educational facts and figures and workshop activities.
DC Theatre works together to gather information and develop a script. They create and source props, scenery and costumes to support their Theatre in Education activities. These performances/workshops are performed internally to educate learners across other pathways.
Derwen Dance Crew
… (also known as DDC) is a street dance group that trains each week. The group learns set street dance choreography to compete in a range of competitions both internally and externally – including at national street dance competition, Audacity Events.
DDC uses street dance skills to hone their talent in locking, popping, house, commercial and hip-hop. Through these performances they develop specific performance skills such as team work, confidence, time management, coordination and professionalism.
Theatre and Backstage Production
… allows our students to develop a professional experience of the work that goes on before, during and after a performance.
Students liaise with the show director to plan and make contributions to the backstage elements of a theatre production.
They then work on designing, developing and creating a range of production ideas. These can include costume, make up, scenery and prop making, as well as how to promote a performing arts event.
Christmas and summer shows
Students whose main pathway is Performing Arts work towards two major productions each year – the Christmas and summer shows – providing opportunities to develop and showcase performance and backstage skills.
Students accessing Performing Arts as a linked pathway develop skills in their chosen discipline through their weekly linked pathway sessions, but do not take part in these major productions.
External work experience
External work experience opportunities include local playgroups and theatres, other external workshops, and bespoke projects.
Some of our aspiring actors apply to continue their performing art studies after College. Options include inclusive theatre training programmes such as Hijinx and Chickenshed.
Link Pathways
Students studying on a vocational pathway at our Gobowen site, can choose one linked pathway to go alongside their main area if they wish to (they don’t have to).
Choosing a linked pathway creates a broader set of transferable work skills which can be applied when considering workplace opportunities.
If students choose a link pathway, they will spend up to half a day a week in the chosen link area. Please note that qualifications are only undertaken in the main pathway area.
If Performing Arts is your main pathway…
Performing Arts students can have a link vocational pathway. Link pathways help to increase students’ range of skills into other work areas, whilst continuing their performing arts aspirations.
“Although I think I was born to perform, I have learnt that it’s always good to have a plan B. I’ve been doing a little bit of work in Retail and Enterprise just to broaden my skills set. I still want to be a Dance Teacher Assistant but I could also work in a shop or a café now.” Amy
If Performing Arts is your linked pathway…
You will spend up to half a day each week developing core skills in your chosen discipline of music, dance or drama. You will have opportunities to develop and showcase these skills through activities within Performing Arts.
Please note, the College’s Christmas and summer productions form part of the main pathway programme for Performing Arts students, and are not available to students who choose Performing Arts as a linked pathway.
Where to see us
You can see Derwen College Performing Arts students at various events and competitions throughout the year.
If you would like DOT or DDC to perform at your event, please contact Jessie Vaughan on 01691 661234. You can also email your interest to jessie.vaughan@derwen.ac.uk
Pathways and Programmes booklet for day and residential students at our Gobowen campus
Keep up to date with Performing Arts on TikTok
Information about Derwen College’s provision, programmes, pathways, facilities and services is correct at the time of publication. We continually review and develop our provision and therefore reserve the right to make changes where necessary. The availability and content of particular programmes, pathways, facilities and services may change. Any provision agreed for an individual student will be subject to the terms of their individual placement and funding arrangements.