It was during lockdown in April that we heard the wonderful news that we had been successful in gaining reaccrediation for the prestigious Artsmark Gold Award from the Arts Council England. That inspired us to make sure that International Dance Day didn't go unmarked, and students turned to their phones to compile a performance showreel of their moves! 

The following week, we got the chance to be entertained at home by the awarding winning performance of 'Where do I belong' from the Now Festival in February which went live online. 

Moving into May our Year 12 Drama students decided that lockdown was not going to be a barrier to their collaborative performance, and they took to video conferencing to develop their performance - no mean feat with latency issues that can cripple dramatic timing!

On May 13th we celebrated our Feast Day with a collaborative performance by staff, students, family members, and pets showing us the way to Amarillo! 

In June, students had the benefit of interactive case studies from three professional performers and former pupils: Laura Morgan, Ellie Birchall and Megan Wade, who radiated energy and enthusiasm to our locked down students.

In July, Year 9 student Scarlett won the Headteacher award for most inspiring performance during lockdown, which you can watch here, and we rounded off the school year with students putting their artistry in costume and make to remarkble use by recreating a famous film moment.  

The last word must go to the members of our Year 8 drama club who were challenged to write about life before, during and after lockdown, and were encouraged to think about what they took for granted and are now grateful for. The result of their work was a moving and insightful short film conveying what it feels like to a young person in the time of Covid-19. The video was produced collaboratively and entirely from home, using techniques that even professional production companies were struggling to come to terms with that the time.