Monday 20th February

Group Work 

Task 1 - Warm up

One student please lead a physical warm up.

Task 2 - Devising task

For 45 minutes please share your extracts found over half term and choose one to start experimenting with. You will show what you have created next lesson. Make sure that you are applying Frantic Assembly techniques

Independent Work

Task 3 - Understanding the unit

This unit is worth 30% of your A Level, so it is very important that you pick the right skill to be assessed on. 

Please read the blog post entitled 

Component 2: Creating original drama 

 and decide which role you would like to take on. 

The vast majority of our students generally choose Acting roles, but it is possible to carry out a technical role. 

Please email me your choice.

If you have any questions about this post please write them in the comments section below the post.

Task 4- The Working notebook

Today is the release of the Working Notebook. The whole unit is worth 60 marks and 40 of those come from the Working Notebook. 

Please read the posts entitled 

The Working Notebook (40 marks)

and 

Writing Section 1: Rationale and Research

From now on you should start to write section 1, updating it every week. This post gives you a suggested structure to use that will help you to meet the assessment criteria.

Section 1 deadline is Monday 20th March

Task 5 - Using the exemplar Working notebook provided

On your own, or with a partner highlight on the example working notebook the following information in three different colours

1. Dramatic Aims
2. Links between student's performance and their research 
3. key Frantic techniques/reference to style

You must bring all work completed today to your next lesson and if you have any questions about any of the posts read today please leave them in the comments box below the corresponding post, thank you

Writing Section 1: Rationale and Research

1200-1500 words max! Can include photos, images, sketches, quotes etc 

The Structure 

Part One - Rationale

1. Rationale for our starting point (This must be a very clear, concise explanation of the starting point (genesis) of the piece and how Frantic Assembly's style is suitable for the chosen subject) 200 - 250 words approx

Part Two - Dramatic Influences 

1. Research into Subject Matter/Stimulus (There must be very clear details about the research you undertook and why and how it is informing the development of character and performance)
2. Practitioner Research (Specific details about how you researched and explored Frantic Assembly's style and work, linking very definitely to how it is being applied to your performance)
3. Live Theatre Research (Make very clear links between performances you have seen and your work - how are you applying/adapting techniques/moments that you saw in performances. You can discuss non Frantic Assembly performances, as long as the techniques are still relevant to Frantic Assembly's style.
4. Stylistic and Contextual Considerations (This paragraph should clearly identify how you have considered the context of your performance, e.g historical setting and also Frantic Assembly's style whilst devising your performance                                                                  900 - 1000 words approx

Part Three - Aims 

1. Personal Dramatic Aims (Three very clear aims. What do you want to achieve in your performance? Some aims will be the same for the whole group, others may only concern you, e.g. aims for character creation. there should be a focus on audience response throughout this paragraph. Feel free to bullet point your aims to ensure they are concise. 200 250 words approx

Marking Section 1 and Section 2 Working notebook 

Section 1 (20 marks) and Section 2 (20 marks)

Band 4 (16-20 marks) 

Excellent response: 

• Explanations given in the Working notebook evidence excellent skills in creating and developing ideas to communicate meaning through devising. 

• Evidence of a very sensitive and highly creative response to the stimulus. 

• Evidence of full development and refinement of skills and the piece. 

• Precise details are provided throughout. 

• Structure and reasoning is logical and systematic. 

• Responses make perceptive connections between dramatic theory and practice.

Band 3 (11-15 marks)

Good response: 

• Explanations given in the Working notebook evidence good skills in creating and developing ideas to communicate meaning through devising. 

• Evidence of a fully engaged response to the stimulus, demonstrating strong creativity. 

• Evidence of a good degree of development and refinement of skills and the piece. 

• A number of precise details are provided. 

• Structure and reasoning is clear and consistent. 

• Responses make considered connections between dramatic theory and practice.

Band 2 (6-10 marks)

Reasonable response: 

• Explanations given in the Working notebook evidence reasonable skills in creating and developing ideas to communicate meaning through devising. 

• Evidence of creative engagement with the stimulus. 

• Evidence of some useful development and refinement of skills and the piece. 

• Only some details are given and/or details may lack precision. 

• Structure and reasoning is present but not always clear. 

• Responses make some useful connections between dramatic theory and practice.

Band 1 (1-5 marks)

Limited response: 

• Explanations given in the Working notebook evidence limited skills in creating and developing ideas to communicate meaning through devising. 

• Evidence of a predictable response to the stimulus. 

• Lack of evidence regarding development and refinement of skills. 

• Details are rarely given and/or where details are given, are imprecise. 

• There is little or no structure or reasoning present. 

• Responses make only generalised connections between dramatic theory and practice.

The Working Notebook (40 marks)

Each student is required to complete a Working notebook documenting and exploring the creation, development and refinement of their ideas during the devising process. 

Students should illustrate the ways in which they have made connections between theory and practice throughout including: • research they have undertaken and how this has informed their decision making 

• ways in which they have applied the work and methodologies of their selected practitioner 

• relevant experiences of live theatre production and how these have influenced them in the shaping and development of their piece. 

The Working notebook is divided into two sections, each marked out of 20 marks: 

• Section 1: Rationale and research 

• Section 2: Development and refinement. 

Section 1: Rationale and research 

In this section students should define their inspiration for the devised piece and document their influences. 

They should outline their personal dramatic aims and objectives and those agreed upon by the devising group. 

Students must include: 

• the rationale for their starting point 

• an explanation of their dramatic influences, including the influences they have drawn from their research, their chosen practitioner and live theatre productions they have experienced.

an explanation of the stylistic and contextual factors they have taken into account 

• an explanation of their individual dramatic aims and intentions, identifying the connections they have made between theory and practice 

• an explanation of the dramatic aims and intentions of the piece, identifying the connections they have made between theory and practice.

Section 2: Development and refinement 

In this section students should explain how they developed and refined their work during the devising process, reflecting on their decision making along the way. 

They should demonstrate how theory has informed their practical work. 

Students should contrast the outcome of the final piece with their original aims and intentions, identifying how and why these changed during the devising process. 

Students must include: 

• an explanation of the approach they have taken in devising the piece 

• an explanation of their collaborative and independent decision making in relation to their evolving ideas, detailing how these ideas were experimented with, developed and refined during the devising process. Students should identify how these ideas connect theory and practice. 

• an explanation of the decisions they have made in relation to the application of their theatrical skills, detailing how these skills were developed and refined in the context of devising 

• an explanation of their final ideas for the devised performance, identifying how these ideas connect theory and practice 

• a comparison of the outcome of the final devised performance with the initial aims and intentions for the piece, identifying key areas of change and how the devising process has shaped these changes.

The Length of the Working Notebook 

If entirely written your Working Notebook should not exceed 3,000 words (evidence beyond this must not count towards the mark) 

Each section is suggested to be 800–1,200 words 

If written accompanied by: annotated photographs / annotated sketches/ drawings /annotated cue-sheets each section should be approximately 4–7 A4 pages and should not exceed 20 pages (evidence beyond this must not count towards the mark) 

Choosing a Starting Point

Guidance on devising 

The stimulus/stimuli for the devised piece must be chosen by students.

There is no restriction on the subject matter that forms the basis of students’ devising work.
For example the starting point for the piece might be:
• from literature or art
• an adaptation of a poem, a folk tale, a newspaper story
• theme-based or focused on an historical event
• wholly original
• intended to educate the audience, to express a political viewpoint, to be serious or comical.

The devised piece must be informed by the work and methodologies of Frantic Assembly

 It is important that the content of the devised work is entirely in line with the dramatic intentions of Frantic Assembly.

"Frantic Assembly has always been about more than the work on the stage. It is about the ethos of collaboration, of empowerment, of that constant desire to improve. It is about telling stories in a voice we don't always hear and about finding talent in places we don't always look. Over the years the Frantic Method of devising theatre has helped people understand and make work throughout the world."

"We began with little more than a fierce work ethic and a desire to do something different and to do it differently."

Component 2: Creating original drama 

This is a practical component in which students are assessed on their ability to create and develop ideas to communicate meaning as part of the theatre making process making connections between dramatic theory and practice (AO1) and apply theatrical skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance (AO2).

Component 2 constitutes 30% of the A-level. 

It is marked by teachers and moderated by AQA.

For this component, students must complete two assessment tasks: 
• Produce an individual Working notebook documenting the devising process 
• Contribute to a final devised, group performance. 

The Working notebook is marked out of 40.
Each student’s contribution to the final devised performance is marked out of 20.


Which role?

Students must choose to be assessed as a:
• performer
or
• lighting designer
or
• sound designer
or
• set designer**
or
• costume designer*
or
• puppet designer
or
• director.

*Costume designers may choose to include make-up and/or hair and/or masks. 
**Set designers may choose to include design of props. 

Each student must choose one specialism only for this component.
They are assessed in relation to this specialism for both the Working notebook and devised performance.

Each pair/group is to be self-contained and totally responsible for all aspects of the devised work, which should seek to realise clear artistic intentions for an audience.


More information can be found on pages 24-29 of this document -
http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/drama/specifications/AQA-7262-SP-2016.PDF