Performing Arts
Finding Your Stage
The Performing Arts Faculty at Bede’s is the heartbeat of the school’s creative energy, encompassing Music, Drama and Theatre, and BTEC Dance. From Year 9 through to the Sixth Form, the faculty focuses on developing technical prowess alongside the "soft skills" of performance - resilience, collaboration and public confidence.
Bede’s is unique in its "no house style" approach, encouraging pupils to explore everything from classical techniques to contemporary devised work.
- BTEC Dance & Legat Academy: Bede’s is home to the prestigious Legat Dance Academy, where pupils can choose to align professional-level vocational training (in ballet, tap, and contemporary) with their academic BTEC studies.
- Drama & Theatre: Whether studying GCSE Drama or A Level Theatre Studies, pupils engage with a mix of classical texts and physical theatre. The focus is vocational as well as academic, often involving technical theatre, set design, and directing.
- Music: The department offers a wide range of pathways from GCSE to BTEC Music Performance. Pupils are taught by industry professionals, covering genres from orchestral and jazz to pop and music technology.
A Stage for Every Talent
The performance calendar at Bede’s is legendary, providing a professional-standard platform for all pupils:
Cabaret:
The flagship bi-annual "blue-chip" event, transforming the school into a professional dinner-theatre venue where the orchestra, choirs, and dancers perform for a sell-out audience.
The Edinburgh Fringe:
Bede’s regularly takes pupil productions to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, giving dramatists authentic experience in the world’s largest arts festival.
Major Productions:
From large-scale musicals at local professional theatres (like the Devonshire Park Theatre) to intimate "Shakespeare on the Lawn" picnics and Junior School plays.
Music Ensembles:
A dizzying array of groups including the Jazz Band, Chamber Choir, BTEC Band, and the Bede’s Singers, ensuring every musician finds their niche.
At Bede's, the Performing Arts are not just a department; they are a community. Whether a pupil is a Grade 8 pianist, a budding lighting technician, or a first-time dancer, they are given the spotlight to shine.