Welcome back!

Well - its been a while since a post was added.  There has been a lot happening in PA, and we need to keep you updated of both events that have happened and events which are happening in the next couple of months.

Watch out for reviews on the Year 10 performance of Hamlet on 13th October at The Haymarket in Basingstoke.  We will also be telling you about the sixth form contribution to Afrovibes at South Hill Park this week.

Coming soon are auditions for Bugsy Malone which will take place in March 2015, and details of the Dance Show will be following shortly as tickets will be on sale after Half Term.

LUNCHTIME PERFORMANCES

On Monday and Wednesday lunchtime we had a selection of both singers and dancers performing at the amphitheatre.  Singers included Amber L'estrange, Jack Bennett, Jemima Klesel and Connor Langham.  Dancers included the KS3 Dance Club as well as KS4 and KS5 performers in Performing Arts.  All were enjoyed in the sunshine!

SUMMER FIESTA

The Summer Fiesta has always been an evening of dance, drama and music.  It is an evening where we celebrate the achievements of students, ranging from absolute beginners to developing professionals!  Performers were supported by a huge audience which filled the theatre, feeling every ounce of nerves from students new to the stage as well as appreciating the confidence and excellence provided by more experienced performers.  Highlights of the evening reported by parents were: Connor Drews performance of Hey Jude where the audience joined in by singing the chorus; Amber, Jemima and Katies cover of Billie Jean; Harry Pegler and his unforgettable rendition of Do-Re-Mi encouraging the audience to sing-along... the list was endless!

 

 

ARTSWEEK - Day 2

Tuesday saw the arrival of 2 artists in residence:

Brad arrived with some 'Sassy Street Dance'.  Each hour was filled with energy, fun and laughter, as well as fast paced and challenging dances.  Brad filled the theatre with personality and va va voom as he led a session which kept everyone on their toes!

In the Dance Studio was a different kind of dance led by Thabani from Kulturalfusion.  This dance workshop was based on Brazilian Dance to celebrate the World Cup.  Each move of the dance told the story of goal scoring and celebration.... although for Brazil that sadly ended after their defeat against Germany in the semi finals :-(

 

 

 

 

ARTSWEEK - DAY 1

Monday
We were joined by Mark Hooper and a team from South Hill Park who led workshops on Stomp.  The Drama Studio was ringing with the sound of metal dustbins and cans, as well as some of the more traditional Samba instruments.

We were also joined by Alex Grierson, a musical theatre artist who is a regular performer in the West End working on shows ranging from Oklahoma to Shrek.  She wowed the groups with her singing and dancing by leading workshops on Bugsy Malone.  It has given students the perfect pieces for when they audition for the show next term!

 

 

At lunchtime we had sunshine!  We were entertained by Jack Bennett, Amber L'estrange and Jemima Klesel, as well as the Dance Club performing a number of dances.  As usual the seating at the amphitheatre was full and provided a great audience!

TICKETS.....

Tickets are now available from the PA office for the evening events during Artsweek.

Please make sure you buy them early for events such as Stars in there Eyes as the audience will be lining up and entering the Theatre in number order.

TUESDAY
Summer Fiesta £2

WEDNESDAY
Musical Theatre £2

THURSDAY
Stars in their Eyes £3

Stars in their Eyes RESULTS

We have had a very exciting 3 days auditioning everyone for Stars in their Eyes.  The quality of auditions has been fantastic.  A huge congratulations to everyone who took part - it takes a lot of guts to audition.  I'm not sure out of the staff team who took on the role of Simon Cowell, but we did try to make the experience as painless as possible!!

The results will be up in the PA Foyer on Friday.

Good luck!

TICKETS!!

Tickets will be on sale from Monday 30th June:

Tuesday 9th July              Summer Fiesta - £2
Wednesday 10th July       Musical Theatre - £2
Thursday 11th July          STARS IN THEIR EYES - £3

Available from the PA Office at BREAKS and LUNCHTIMES

We look forward to seeing you there!!

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Thought for the day....

PRESS RELEASE.....

'South Hill Park are delighted to support Easthampstead Park's Arts week. Tutors from SHP will be coming to work with students on a range of activities including musical theatre, stage combat and stomp!' - Mark Hooper (Creative Learning/Freelance Director)

 

 

We too are looking forward to joining the 11-18 Afrovibes Festival in October Half Term - more details to follow!

 

 

 

 

LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE.....

 

Who performed as PJ and Duncan in last years Stars in their Eyes?

 

FIRST PERSON TO MRS K WITH THE ANSWER GETS A PRIZE.....

 

AUDITIONS THIS WEEK

Stars in their Eyes Winner 2013: Ashleigh Payne singing Titanium

 

 

This years winner...... could be you!

 

Girls auditions - Monday Lunchtime

Boys auditions - Tuesday Lunchtime

Vocal Groups - Wednesday Lunchtime

Instrumental Groups - Wednesday 3.10

 

Summer Fiesta - Year 10 BTEC

Rehearsals are well under way for the Summer Fiesta.  The Summer Fiesta is a celebration of students work in Music, Dance and Drama.  Below are some of the Year 10 BTEC students rehearsing their performance pieces, with a little sneak preview of Hall of Fame!

Reminder...... SUMMER FIESTA Tuesday 8th July - Tickets £2 available from the PA Office.

 

 

 

6th FORM REHEARSALS

Rehearsals for Musical Theatre Evening

 

 

The sixth form are currently writing a piece of Musical Theatre for their BTEC course.  Set in an American High School it maps out the trials and tribulations of friends and relationships, including a dance off in true American style.  Below are some of the students at work in the studio, scriptwriting and choreographing for the show.



 



REVISION SHEETS

Year 7, 8 and 9 exams are next week!  All students have been issued Revision Sheets for Dance, Drama and Music bu if you have lost yours follow the link below to the school website where we have uploaded them.

Revision techniques:

- Highlight key words and phrases
- Make cue cards
- Look, cover, check
- Revise with a friend
- Ask someone at home to test you
- Create a mindmap

http://www.epschool.org/content/pa-key-stage-3

Good luck everyone!

AUDITIONS COMING SOON.....

 

YEAR 7 PROJECT

Last term we set Year 7 students the challenge to create a new 'junk' instrument for homework.  We had some really creative ideas from students which involved recycling boxes, packaging and all sorts of different objects lying around both inside and outside the house.  The instruments were displayed on Diversity Evening in March and are currently on display in the PA foyer, but just in case you haven't seen them yet we thought we would share some of them with you:

 

 

CHANGING THE NAME

For a long time we have referred to our theatre as the PA Theatre, which has never seemed the most exciting or original name.  When we changed the school uniform last September taking the Downshire Crest as our logo I suggested to Mrs Cook that it would be a great opportunity to re-name the theatre in keeping with the school changes.  Over Half Term Mr Fernandez worked hard to put up our new sign in the foyer naming the old 'PA Theatre' as The Downshire Theatre.  Take a look next time you're in the department!

ARTSWEEK ACTIVITIES

 

Lunchtime Performances

Monday - Dance Demonstration
Tuesday - A surprise act.... more details to follow!
Wednesday - Dance Demonstration
Thursday - Street Fight Silence
Friday - Winners from Stars in their Eyes

 

All performances will take place outside in front of the seating in the KS3 playground.

 

 

Workshops include:

 

Musical Theatre workshops based on Bugsy Malone

Sword Fighting, Singing, Dance, Samba and Stomp

 

 

 

ARTSWEEK EVENING EVENTS

Artsweek

7th - 11th July

 

Summer Fiesta - Tues 8th July 7pm

Tickets £2

Night at the Musicals - Weds 9th July 7pm

Tickets £2

Stars in their Eyes - Thurs 10th July 7pm

Tickets £3

Tickets available from PA Office

Performances will take place in The Downshire Theatre

 

Welcome to the Performing Arts Blog.

 

Our aim is to keep the site up to date with news and events in the Performing Arts Department.  It will provide information about auditions, opportunities and performances both in school and the local community.  Hopefully you will follow us and enjoy seeing what's on!