As you may have seen, Trinity College London recently launched exciting improvements to our drama syllabus for exams from September this year. Along with the new specifications, which are now available to download, we have some helpful resources on our website that set out the key changes for each of the specifications, as well as a blog post from our Director of Performance, Professor Gregg Whelan discussing why we have made these changes. However, if you are hoping for a brief summary of the changes and how they affect your teaching, then look no further!
Reflection Task
Acting, Speech and Drama, Musical Theatre and Performance Arts specifications.
Key changes: Reflection Task questions, for both face-to-face and digital exams, are now published in the syllabus.
What does this mean? Previously in a face-to-face exam, the examiner would engage the candidate in a spontaneous discussion about their performed pieces (the candidate would not know what the examiner might ask them). In a digital exam, the candidate would be able to pre-select from some published questions, but they were asked not to prepare their answers in advance. In the 2023 syllabus, regardless of which form of exam they are entering for, candidates will be able to see the Reflection Task questions in advance. This provides candidates with the opportunity to reflect on and research their performance work and material throughout the preparation process and more fully supports the candidate and teacher to understand the topics and depth of knowledge required at each level.
How do I teach this? We would encourage teachers to embed the reflection questions into the rehearsal process; use the published questions to facilitate discussion and ensure that your candidate is reflecting on their process throughout. This will mean they are well prepared for this element of the exam.
Acting
Key Changes: Improvisation/Modification tasks have been replaced by prepared Character Development tasks.
What does this mean? Rather than improvise a scene during the exam (based upon a stimulus given to them by the examiner or found on the website for a digital exam) candidates will be able to prepare a piece in advance. This offers them more opportunity to scrutinise their performance material in greater depth as part of the preparation process and to further explore the characters they are performing. For example:
At Grade 3 Task 3 (Solo) where the candidate would previously have performed an improvisation arising from one their prepared pieces based upon a given stimulus, they will now perform an original scene showing their character in a situation that takes place either immediately before or after the events of the performed piece.
This means these tasks are no longer ‘time-bound’, so if you are entering digitally, your performance could be filmed in advance of booking. This also means that your candidate can approach the exam knowing exactly what they will be asked to perform.
How do I teach this? Rather than prepare your candidates for a spontaneous task, you will now use improvisation as means of developing a scene during exam preparation; building important skills in character development. Candidates should be encouraged to think of a range of ideas for this task and explore them through improvisation rather than write a scene and then memorise it. Preparation and repetition will produce greater confidence and fluency to their delivery.
Speech & Drama
Key Changes: Sight Reading and Unseen Text tasks have been replaced by Expressive Reading.
What does this mean? Rather than being given a piece to sight read in the exam room or having to download a piece of text from our website for a digital exam, candidates will now be given a prepared Expressive Reading task. Candidates will work ‘book in hand’ and will be expected to be familiar with the piece, reading from the page without the need for memorisation. Candidates will be asked to select their piece from our approved expressive reading material. This provides candidates with the opportunity to develop the real-world skill of reading aloud, the foundation for development of literacy, and encourages fluency, expression and comprehension.
At Grades 7 and 8, candidates give a prepared talk on their approaches to an expressive reading of a set passage of prose or a poem. This should include a demonstration of a few short extracts from the text to illustrate their points.
This means these tasks are no longer ‘time-bound’, so if you are entering digitally, your performance could be filmed in advance of booking. This also means that and your candidate can approach the exam knowing exactly what they will be asked to perform.
How do I teach this? Practice prepared reading during your exam preparation rehearsals, you could use examples from our approved list for this - encourage the candidate to think about phrasing (where to take a breath), pacing or pause for dramatic effect, and physical relaxation. Teachers can help the candidate to consider emphasis and how to use vocal variety, modulation, and pitch, as well as how to make their own creative choices rather than mimic another interpretation.
Teachers can prepare candidates for the prepared talk at Grades 7 and 8 by looking at new work during lessons, encouraging candidates to talk about their response to the language or form, and to recognise a writer’s choices and literary or poetic style. You could also support candidates to explore the technical challenges such as alliteration, complex sentences, long phrases, punctuation, and unfamiliar words. The talk should have structure, but maintain a relaxed informality directed to the examiner/camera, as though in dialogue rather than lecturing.
Musical Theatre
Key Changes: At Grades 6-8 Modification tasks have been replaced by Connection to the Lyrics
What does this mean? Previously candidates would perform one of their songs from Task 1-3 again but reimagine the scenario, the character, or the characters intentions. At Grade 8 this would be based upon a stimulus either provided by the examiner or found on the website. In the 2023 syllabus, candidates are asked to perform the lyrics from one of their songs as a monologue, setting it in a different context. This offers candidate more opportunity to scrutinise their performance material as part of the preparation process, and to further explore their exam material.
This means these tasks are no longer ‘time-bound’, so if you are entering digitally, your performance could be filmed in advance of booking. This also means that your candidate can approach the exam knowing exactly what they will be asked to perform.
How do I teach this? During rehearsals you can support your candidate to explore changing the original choreography, movement, characterisation, and plot/themes. You can also encourage them to make their own choices of pace, emphasis, and interpretation rather than relying on those dictated by the music.
Diplomas
ATCL Performing (Musical Theatre, Speech and Drama, Performance Arts) ATCL Communication Skills (Public Speaking)
Key Changes: The Viva Voce section now consists of set questions, where candidates demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of their performance material and processes, and a prepared talk on how candidates would approach a performance of a set text taken from a choice provided by Trinity.
What does this mean? Previously candidates in a face-to-face exam would perform several tasks including working with the examiner on a piece of unseen text and a discussion with the examiner about the pieces presented, while digital candidates would respond to set questions published in the syllabus. Now, regardless of method of entry, candidates will perform a prepared talk and will be familiar with the questions they are responding to. This provides candidates with the opportunity to reflect on and research their performance work and material throughout the preparation process and more fully supports the candidate and teacher to understand the topics and depth of knowledge required at this level.
How do I teach this? Candidates should use the set questions as prompts for reflection throughout the rehearsal process. The objective of the reflection task is to explore candidates’ knowledge about the pieces they have performed, and performance and rehearsal processes. Candidates are assessed on their knowledge and understanding of their performance material including style, content, context, interpretation; appropriate performance related processes; technical skills; health and safety; and their ability to reflect on the quality of their own performances.
ATCL Performing (Speech and Drama)
Key changes: A prepared talk on a topic selected by the candidate from a list provided by Trinity in the syllabus replaces the Impromptu Talk.
What does this mean? Previously candidates were given a subject by the examiner, or downloaded a stimulus from the website, and were asked to give an impromptu speech on this subject. In the 2023 specification, candidates are asked to select a topic from a list published in the specifications and give a prepared talk on this. This provides candidates with the opportunity to research their performance work and material throughout the preparation process and more fully supports the candidate and teacher in the topics and depth of knowledge required at this level.
As this is now a prepared piece these tasks are no longer ‘time-bound’ if you are entering digitally, and so exams could be filmed in advance of booking and that your candidate can approach the exam knowing exactly what they will be asked to perform.
How do I teach this? Teachers can prepare their students for this task by ensuring the candidate explores the themes, styles, genres, and the necessary techniques required to perform their chosen pieces. Regularly asking them to recap what they have learned at the end of lessons or rehearsals will give the candidate confidence when talking about their work. Reviewing how the candidate has overcome any challenges, identifying how rehearsal processes relate to the theories of theatre practitioners and considering how staging and interpretive choices were arrived at will help the candidate to pinpoint their journey of learning and exploration.
For a more in depth look at our new specifications join us for an ‘Introduction to Drama 2023 specifications’ webinar on Thursday 8 June at 4pm. Register here.
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