Assessment Type 1: Group Production (40%)

Students undertake one group production task. 

Process and performance  

For the group production, students are led by the teacher to work collaboratively through the framework of the Company and Production 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 production 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. The scale of the production may range from an in-class performance for peers, through to a full-scale production in a theatre or the equivalent for a screen production. 

Students complete a group production, developed, and presented in one of the following ways: 

• a production and live performance of a published play or plays (or self-devised works in either text form or conceptual form), involving all or most of the class members in a single theatre company  
• two or more live productions and performances of published plays or self-devised works by smaller groups from within the class as theatre companies 
• the production, shooting, editing, and screening of a short film (or films), or pilot episode for a teleseries, 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 a dramatic practitioner 
  • designing costumes in collaboration with an external dramatic organisation, such as a community theatre company 
  • creating and presenting several film trailers for a range of original, hypothetical films, in collaboration with at least one other student or a dramatic practitioner. 

Presentation of evidence 

Each individual student selects and presents evidence of their understanding, creativity, analysis, evaluation, application, and development in the form of a recorded presentation of up to 15 minutes (or equivalent, see below). 

For actors, within the 15 minutes of evidence, approximately 5 minutes should comprise a selection of recorded evidence of the student’s performance in their role(s) to an audience. 

For off-stage and off-screen presenters, the time allocation for recorded evidence is up to a maximum of 15 minutes. 

The selection of evidence from the process and performance should be an authentic representation of the range of the student’s learning and application. Evidence may be selected from various parts of the process and performance, and may be edited. 

The presentation of evidence is provided by the student in an accepted video (or video and written) format.  

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

• a video-recorded oral presentation  
• a mini-documentary in the style of a ‘the making of …’ documentary, to creatively demonstrate learning and intentions 
• a video essay  
• an annotated multimedia presentation  
• a vlog with analysis and evaluation of learning and development 
• a video of excerpts of rehearsal and performance accompanied by a written commentary 
• a video diary. 

The aim of the presentation of individual evidence is to demonstrate each student’s analysis and evaluation of their learning and application throughout the group production process and performance. 

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

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

• discussion of dramatic, aesthetic, creative, conceptual, developmental, analytical and evaluative learning  
• articulation of how the intentions of the group production support the artistic vision or mission of the company 
• analysis of significant moments and features of the performance with regard to students deepening their learning of roles, both individually and collaboratively 
• evaluation of skills development over the course of the production process and the performance or presentation, through analysis of well-chosen examples  
• analysis of the relationship with the audience, including engagement and connection 
• 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. 

The video recording of the presentation of evidence may be up to 15 minutes for multimodal or oral presentations. Where the presentation of evidence includes a written component, it must be accompanied by a video of excerpts. The written component should not exceed 1250 words. (Please note: 6 minutes is equivalent to 1000 words.) 

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

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