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Why study Drama?
Drama gives you the opportunity to use your imagination and express yourself in a creative and practical way. It helps you to develop important skills such as problem solving, communication, planning and creative thinking. It is particularly suitable for those who love being creative, getting their ideas across in a dramatic way and communicating their ideas with others.
The skills that you develop in Drama are useful in many different careers, including: communications and media, theatre, film, TV, radio, costume design, production, writing and teaching.
What do I need to get in?
Entry is at the discretion of the school or college but you would normally have achieved:
What will I study?
Drama is a practical, hands-on subject that develops your creativity and imagination, and your artistic skills. You will learn how the use of voice, language and movement can develop your ideas for drama. And, you will learn the skills and techniques involved in planning, producing and presenting drama.
You will also find out how actors and writers work, and how the environment and culture affect their work.
The course has two compulsory units, plus an added value unit that assesses your practical skills.
Drama Skills (9 SCQF credit points)
In this unit you will:
- develop your drama skills and ways of communicating thoughts and ideas to an audience
- learn how to respond to stimuli (things that prompt ideas for drama)
- develop your understanding of how to portray character
- learn about form, structure, genre and style when creating and presenting drama
- reflect on your own progress and that of others.
Note: This unit may be taken with a Scottish Context option, which contributes towards the Scottish Studies Award.
Drama: Production Skills (9 SCQF credit points)
In this unit you will:
- explore and develop your production skills and use these skills to present drama
- use problem solving skills in order to generate ideas for presenting drama.
Added value Unit: Drama Performance (6 SCQF credit points)
In this unit you will:
- apply your production skills in a drama performance.
How will I be assessed?
Your work will be assessed by your teacher on an ongoing basis throughout the course. The course is not graded. You will be assessed as pass or fail.
You must pass all three units, including the added value unit, to gain the course qualification.
The added value unit will be assessed through a drama performance in which you create and present a drama.
What can I go on to next?
If you complete the course successfully, it may lead to:
Further study, training or employment in:
Which jobs are related to this subject?
Where can my parents find out more?
Your school will give your parents an Options or Choices information booklet, which has detailed information on the curriculum and the individual subjects or courses you can study. It will also invite them along to a Parents’ Information Evening.
They can also read the information leaflet(s):
Nationals in a Nutshell - Drama (National 4)