Assessment Type 1: Performance

For a 10-credit subject, students undertake one performance task. 

For a 20-credit subject, students undertake two performance tasks. 

Process and performance 

For a performance, students are led by the teacher to work collaboratively through the framework of the Company and Performance area of study to conceive, explore, develop, produce, refine, and perform (or present) a dramatic work or product. They apply the dramatic process by undertaking roles and collaborating in an ensemble to achieve individual and shared outcomes.  

Students present their performance to an audience. The length of the performance or presentation is dependent upon the size of the group, the nature of the class of students, and the availability of resources. Teachers should ensure that each acting student has the opportunity for a minimum of 5 minutes in-focus stage or screen time, or the equivalent for off-stage presenters. The scale of the performance may range from an in-class performance for peers during a lesson, through to a full-scale production in a theatre or the equivalent for a screen production. 

Students complete a performance in one of the following ways: 

• a live performance of a published play(s) or excerpts (or self-devised work in either text form or conceptual form), involving all or most of the class members as a single theatre company  
• two or more live performances of published plays or excerpts (or self-devised works) by smaller groups from within the class as small theatre companies 
• the creation and screening of a short film or trailer(s) involving part or all of the class as a screen production company or companies 
• an individual dramatic performance or presentation developed in collaboration with at least one other person from within or outside the class. Examples of collaboration by individual performers or presenters may include, but are not limited to:  
  • directing students from a younger year’s class in a live performance or film  
  • conceiving and producing a monologue performance which involves the technical, design, or directorial assistance of at least one other student or adult 
  • designing costumes in collaboration with a student or adult 
  • creating and presenting a film trailer for a hypothetical film, in collaboration with at least one other student or adult. 

Presentation of evidence 

Each student selects and presents evidence of their learning, including their understanding, creativity, analysis, evaluation, application and development. Evidence can be presented as an individual or group oral presentation, or an individual or group multimodal presentation, or an individual written document with accompanying visual evidence. 

Examples of forms for the presentation of evidence may include, but are not limited to: 

• a live oral presentation in the form of an arts-show panel, analysing and justifying their creative choices (students should ensure that each individual company member is provided equivalent speaking time in this option) 
• a video essay  
• an annotated multimedia presentation to analyse and justify dramatic choices 
• a vlog with analysis and evaluation of learning and development 
• a written analysis clearly linking still and/or video images from rehearsal and performance to the student’s written text 
• a video of excerpts from rehearsal and performance accompanied by a written commentary 
• a video diary. 

The aim of the presentation of evidence is to demonstrate each student’s analysis and evaluation of their learning and skills development throughout the process and performance. 

Students may choose to begin their presentation of evidence with a question to be answered or an artist’s statement of intent to establish the context of their dramatic intention and learning throughout the process and performance. 

Features of the presentation may include, but are not limited to: 

• discussion of creative, conceptual, developmental, analytical, and evaluative learning  
• articulation of how the intentions of the performance support the artistic intent of the company 
• analysis of well-chosen moments and features of the process and performance with regard to students deepening their learning of roles, both individually and collaboratively 
• reflection on collaboration and collaborative learning in drama, relevant to the production 
• analysis of and reflection on page-to-stage or page-to-screen choices  
• analysis of and reflection on the artistic merit of individual and collaborative choices 
• analysis of creativity skills and development 
• analysis of real and potential audience development for the production. 

For a task, the presentation of evidence in oral or multimodal form should provide each student with up to a maximum of 6 minutes presentation time (or equivalent). The presentation of evidence in written form may be up to 1000 words per student plus optional images. 

For this assessment type, students provide evidence of their learning primarily in relation to the following assessment design criteria: 

• understanding and exploration 
• critical and creative thinking 
• creative application.