ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE In the limelight Key to cultivating confidence and unlocking creativity, performing arts are a vital pillar of holistic education at The Perse School. We find out more with theatre practitioner in residence, David Barrett A ll the world’s a stage for students at The Perse School, as a place where creative expression through the performing arts is actively encouraged all the way through from Pelican School (ages three to seven) to Sixth Form. Although the subject is firmly embedded within the school curriculum, The Perse stands out for its abundance of extracurricular opportunities in the field. As the theatre practitioner in residence, extracurricular drama at the Upper school is primarily overseen by David Barrett, who devises a rich programme of productions and activities on an annual basis. “We really try to give students as many different opportunities in as many different fields as we can so that they can find their niche,” he shares. Beyond curricular The Perse Upper upholds a vibrant theatre programme with five productions across the academic year. This is split between the lower school (years 7 and 8), the middle school (years 9 and 10), the Perse Players (years 9 to 11) and the Sixth Form. In between these shows, there are a host of satellite productions within curricular drama. That includes a modern foreign
given the opportunity to take on leadership roles, such as head of lighting and head of stage management. Setting the stage At the centre of this dynamic programme is the state-of-the-art Peter Hall Performing Arts Centre, an incredible building which has been designed entirely with the students in mind. The venue is equipped with everything from flying bars, so that students can rig the lights themselves, to a gallery, meaning that the more technically minded pupils can operate equipment as much as they can with the utmost safety and security. “We’re unbelievably fortunate with the building we have,” David says. Aside from a great deal of student involvement, supporting this dynamic department is a team of dedicated staff specifically based within the Performing Arts Centre, and a handful of other school members who volunteer their time to help out with productions.
languages production to ensure bountiful opportunities for everyone who wants to get involved. This is best embodied by the Perse Production Company. As the school’s very own theatre enterprise, everyone can find a place – whether they’re looking for the spotlight on the stage, or prefer a role behind the scenes. This ranges from technical duties, like lights and sound, to something more creative like costume design or choreography. “Once students have reached a certain standard in developing these skills, we will encourage them to take over the running of the productions,” shares David. This ranges across every age group, depending of course upon the individual level of interest. At the moment, two year 8 pupils are in charge of running certain elements of sound management for the lower school production. Then, when pupils reach the senior years – from year 11 onwards – they are
TESTING 1, 2, 3 Pupils are given the opportunity to try any role in the production company
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