Dance and Drama Awards
Encyclopedia
The Dance and Drama Awards are a scholarship scheme which subsidises professional vocational training at some of the leading performing arts
schools in the United Kingdom
. Established in 1998, the awards are funded and regulated by the British Government through the Learning and Skills Council
and are awarded to selected students at 21 specialist performing arts institutions.
, drama
, musical theatre
or stage management
. The award pays a substantial contribution towards the cost of attending the relevant course and in many cases, also includes a means tested maintenance grant, which can be used towards the student's contribution to the course fees, or the cost of accommodation and other expenses associated with attending full time training.
. Completion of one of these courses gives formal accreditation of the skills, knowledge and understanding that are acquired in training for employment as a professional actor, dancer, performing artist or in production roles supporting performance.
This series of qualifications are not intended to demonstrate academic achievement, but are vocational qualifications designed to prepare the student for a professional career in the performing arts industry, with the learning outcome being to achieve a high level of ability in the relevant skill rather than a high level of knowledge. This is represented by the fact that despite the courses being offered as post-16 further education
, the qualifications are actually rated at graduate level.
Courses which are eligible for funding:
National Qualifications Framework
- Level 5
National Qualifications Framework - Level 6
. They are chosen for their ability to provide the highest standard of training to the most talented students. They are some of the top performing arts training establishments in the UK. Graduate destinations include employment in West End theatre and with some of the most prestigious acting and dance companies world wide.
Schools validated to provide the qualifications are:
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
schools in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Established in 1998, the awards are funded and regulated by the British Government through the Learning and Skills Council
Learning and Skills Council
The Learning and Skills Council was a non-departmental public body jointly sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families in England...
and are awarded to selected students at 21 specialist performing arts institutions.
Overview
Dance and Drama Awards are offered to selected students, who are commencing training at the 21 specialist vocational schools chosen for the scheme. Through a process of auditions, the awarding school will identify the most talented students and allocate awards appropriately. The offer of an award is not based on the student's ability to finance their own training, but on their talent and potential ability in the fields of professional danceDance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
or stage management
Stage management
Stage management is the practice of organizing and coordinating a theatrical production. It encompasses a variety of activities, including organizing the production and coordinating communications between various personnel...
. The award pays a substantial contribution towards the cost of attending the relevant course and in many cases, also includes a means tested maintenance grant, which can be used towards the student's contribution to the course fees, or the cost of accommodation and other expenses associated with attending full time training.
Courses
The courses for which the awards are given are specially devised by Trinity College, London and, upon completion, provide a professional level qualification at either Level 5 or Level 6 on the National Qualifications FrameworkNational Qualifications Framework
The National Qualifications Framework is a credit transfer system developed for qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
. Completion of one of these courses gives formal accreditation of the skills, knowledge and understanding that are acquired in training for employment as a professional actor, dancer, performing artist or in production roles supporting performance.
This series of qualifications are not intended to demonstrate academic achievement, but are vocational qualifications designed to prepare the student for a professional career in the performing arts industry, with the learning outcome being to achieve a high level of ability in the relevant skill rather than a high level of knowledge. This is represented by the fact that despite the courses being offered as post-16 further education
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
, the qualifications are actually rated at graduate level.
Courses which are eligible for funding:
National Qualifications Framework
National Qualifications Framework
The National Qualifications Framework is a credit transfer system developed for qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
- Level 5
- National Certificate in Professional Acting
- National Certificate in Professional Classical Ballet
National Qualifications Framework - Level 6
- National Diploma in Professional Acting
- National Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre
- National Diploma in Professional Dance
- National Diploma in Professional Production Skills
Schools
All the schools which participate in the Dance & Drama Awards scheme are validated by Trinity College and are inspected for educational standards by OFSTEDOfsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
. They are chosen for their ability to provide the highest standard of training to the most talented students. They are some of the top performing arts training establishments in the UK. Graduate destinations include employment in West End theatre and with some of the most prestigious acting and dance companies world wide.
Schools validated to provide the qualifications are:
- Academy of Live and Recorded ArtsAcademy of Live and Recorded ArtsThe Academy of Live and Recorded Arts is a British drama school situated on Wandsworth Common, South West London and in Wigan, Greater Manchester making it the only CDS drama school to offer identical training at two separate institutions across The United Kingdom...
- ArtsEd, London
- The Arts Educational School, Tring ParkThe Arts Educational School, Tring ParkTring Park School for the Performing Arts is an independent co-educational school specialising in dance and performing arts. The school was renamed in January 2009 and was previously known as the Arts Educational School, Tring Park.-Overview:...
- Bird College of Dance, Music & Theatre Performance
- Cambridge Performing Arts at Bodywork
- Drama Studio LondonDrama Studio LondonDrama Studio London is a drama school based in Ealing, London, England, United Kingdom. It is accredited by the National Council for Drama Training, London and is a Member of the Conference of Drama Schools...
- Elmhurst School for DanceElmhurst School for DanceElmhurst School for Dance is one of the foremost classical ballet schools in the United Kingdom and is the official associate school of the Birmingham Royal Ballet. First established in Camberley, Surrey, the school is the oldest established vocational dance school in the United Kingdom and...
- English National Ballet SchoolEnglish National Ballet SchoolEnglish National Ballet School is a specialist classical ballet school based in London in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1988, the school is the official associate school of the English National Ballet, with many graduates becoming dancers with the company...
- GSA Conservatoire
- The Hammond SchoolThe Hammond SchoolThe Hammond School, is a specialist co-educational performing arts school based in Chester in the United Kingdom.-Overview:Irene Hammond founded the Hammond School of Dancing in 1917, when she took over an established dance school in Chester. She expanded the school to include a full programme of...
- Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts
- Laine Theatre ArtsLaine Theatre ArtsLaine Theatre Arts is an independent performing arts college, based in the town of Epsom in Surrey, England. The college was founded in 1974, and developed from an earlier school, the Frecker-Laine School of Dancing...
- Liverpool Theatre School and College
- Millennium Dance 2000
- Mountview Academy of Theatre ArtsMountview Academy of Theatre ArtsMountview Academy of Theatre Arts is an independent drama school situated in the Wood Green area of North London. It was founded in 1945 by Peter Coxhead and Ralph Nossek as 'The Mountview Theatre Club', an amateur repertory company staging a new production for a six-day run every second week...
- Northern Ballet School
- Oxford School of DramaOxford School of DramaThe Oxford School of Drama is one of the most prestigious drama schools in the United Kingdom, and the only professional drama school in Oxfordshire...
- Performers CollegePerformers CollegePerformers College is an independent, co-educational college specialising in performing arts. It is based in Corringham, Essex in the United Kingdom and is recognised as one of the leading performing arts schools in the UK.-Overview:...
- SLP College LeedsSLP College LeedsSLP College is an independent, co-educational performing arts college based in Garforth near Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Overview:In 1974, Sandra A...
- Stella Mann College
- Urdang Academy
Eligibility
There are no prerequisites for receiving a Dance and Drama Award. They are awarded based solely on talent and ability, therefore they are not subject to means testing of the student's financial status. The only restriction on who is eligible to receive an award is that recipients must be aged 16 or over and must have been resident in the United Kingdom or the European Union for a minimum of 3 years prior to the commencement of the course.Notable recipients
- Connie FisherConnie FisherConnie Fisher is a Welsh actress and singer, who won the BBC One talent contest, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?...
, winner of BBC1 talent show How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? was a British television talent series, that was broadcast on Saturday evenings on BBC One between 29 July and 16 September 2006. It documented the search for a new, undiscovered musical theatre performer to play the role of Maria von Trapp in the 2006 Andrew... - Dominic BurgessDominic BurgessDominic James Cooper better known by his stage name Dominic Burgess, is a British actor. He is known for his appearances in several TV adverts, Batman Begins and Doctor Who.-Early life:...
, stage and television actor