Now is the time of year when Year 11 students are thinking about their options for next year. GCSEs will kick in soon after Christmas, and so it’s a good idea to have done some research before the exam period really gets going.

Students who excel in Performing Arts will be thinking about their next steps – A Levels might not feel like the best fit, and certainly for those students who know already that they want the performing arts industry to figure in their future, a full time Performing Arts course is an obvious choice. But why Stagedoor? Why not one of the local colleges?

At Stagedoor, we deliver a Level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma. This qualification is the equivalent to three A Levels, by which I mean that it takes the same number of hours to teach, contains a similar amount of work, and comes with similarly high expectations. On completion, students will achieve the same number of UCAS points as they would for three A Levels, which means that university entrance is absolutely within their grasp, if that’s what they choose to do next. On the subject of university, taking a full time Performing Arts course does not mean that students only have one pathway open to them at 18. Yes, many Stagedoor students will decide to continue to train at Drama school, but the variety of degree courses open to a student with great grades in a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Performing Arts is vast. A subject search on the UCAS website will throw up Theatre Studies, Drama and Performing Arts degrees, of course, but also Creative Therapy, Creative Events Management, Writing, Drama Therapy and Education courses, and any number of joint honours degrees. The vast majority of universities specify BTEC Extended Diploma within their entry requirements, meaning that the Stagedoor course is not going to close any doors to future careers.

Of course, Stagedoor isn’t the only place to study Performing Arts, so what do we have that no one else can offer?

Firstly, we are small. This means that everyone gets plenty of attention, and, crucially, that we can build the course around the interests and ambitions of the students. The Extended Diploma involves 13 different units of study. 7 are mandatory, but the other 6 are options. There are about 30 options to select from, and so students at Stagedoor have real input into the shape of their course.

Secondly, Stagedoor is taught by a really experienced teacher, who has a track record of supporting students to achieve incredibly high grades in this qualification. With 20 years teaching experience, I was shortlisted as TES Arts and Drama Teacher of the Year in 2016, and am a Specialist Leader in Education for Drama. I am also Education Consultant for the Touring Consortium Theatre Company, a company which tours high quality drama around the UK. Its next productions are David Edgar’s adaptation of Jekyll & Hyde, starring Phil Daniels (Quadrophenia, Scum, Eastenders) and Pressure, written by and starring David Haig (Four Weddings and a Funeral, My Boy Jack)

Finally, and most importantly, we have a unique link with the Everyman Theatre. This offers our students something they simply will not get anywhere else – real insight in to the Performing Arts industry. So far this year, our students have been to see six professional productions, some in the Everyman Studio theatre, some in its main auditorium. For each of these productions, the students have met actors and production staff, taken part in workshops, toured the sets, and, in some cases, contributed to the development of the piece. These experiences come as part of the Stagedoor package – students do not pay for theatre tickets, or for transport to the theatre, as we are a few minutes’ walk away. This means that students are exposed to a huge range of different sorts of performance. The shows they’ve seen so far this year have included big budget musicals, two-handers, award winning plays and productions written for children. As well as watching performances, the students have performed in the theatre themselves. Their first performance was just 7 weeks in – and it sold out. Their next performance will be in February. Being able to perform in a professional theatre means that the stakes are higher – the tickets are on sale through the Everyman box office, so, whilst many members of the audience were family or friends of the students, some were members of the public who were interested in seeing what a group of young performers could do. We are also able to take full advantage of the theatre’s facilities, using costumes and props as well as being able to access dressing rooms and, most importantly, the support of a professional technician to set and operate the lighting and sound for the performances. Our students have been welcomed into the Everyman, and they are in the building frequently – when they are at the theatre, they are treated as members of staff, rather than students. They are really finding out about the industry, but from the inside, out.

What do our students say about their experiences? Here are some extracts from their industry logbooks…

“Watching the rehearsal of the Hammerpuzzle Theatre Company was something that I had found both interesting and inspiring” – Joseph – current Year 12 student.

“This was the best musical I have ever seen.  All the music was performed live which was incredible… This was a great comparison to the play we watched the night before as it was on such a different scale. After we saw the performance we got to meet the cast and had a Q&A session with them. Their stage manager then took us down on to the stage so we could see the set and all of the equipment behind it too.” – Izzie – current Year 12 student.

“This was such a great workshop to do. I found it so much fun as I was in my comfort zone and I learnt a lot about a job that I never really thought of before.” – Saskia – current Year 12 student.

“It was a great opportunity to see a professional rehearsal and all the work that goes into a show at that stage. Hopefully in future we can use this as an example of how we can still alter a show and make positive changes even after we’ve had a scene on its feet for some time.” – Sean – current Year 12 student.

So what makes Stagedoor different? We offer students a unique opportunity to learn about the Performing Arts by getting stuck in and being part of a professional theatre. We don’t just teach the theory, or encourage students to research the industry online, we take them there, we show them, and they do it – from day 1.