The three mandatory units focus on: ● research – critical analysis and extended writing skills that aim to support students’ progress to higher education. As possible performing arts practitioners, students will gain a good understanding of the work of influential practitioners to inform their own work and practice (Unit – Investigating Practitioners’ Work) ● an induction into the performing arts – where students will develop the appropriate skills and techniques in various performance disciplines such as acting, dance, musical theatre and physical theatre (Unit – Developing Skills and Techniques for Live Performance) ● group performance – students will develop the essential psychomotor and affective skills essential for the performing arts. They will develop physical techniques, as well as wider transferable skills such as being able to work collaboratively, personal management and organisation (rehearsals, time management), being able to give and take direction, confidence in front of an audience, problem solving (refining the process) and team work (essential when dancing as a group). (Unit – Group Performance Workshop). Students will understand different audiences in different environments and will learn to adapt a performance to engage the target audience. Students select one optional unit to support choices in progression to performing arts and other courses in HE, and also cover acting, dance and musical theatre topics. Examples of the optional units include: classical ballet technique, street dance technique, acting styles, developing the voice for performance, and variety performance.