One of Wales’ leading boarding and day independent schools has appointed a new Director of Performing Arts to support the school’s growing drama programme.
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Christ College Brecon has announced Lucy Richards as their new Director of Performing Arts. Mrs Richards, who completed her NQT year at Christ College Brecon, will now lead the drama department fostering pupils’ interest in drama and developing their confidence.
With the new appointment, Christ College Brecon will also introduce a BTEC in Performing Arts in the next academic year. The new qualification will be led by Mrs Richards and takes a more practice-orientated and creative approach, making the course more accessible to pupils.
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As an educational studies and drama graduate with significant professional experience at the London School of Musical Theatre, Mrs Richards has an invaluable understanding of evolving pupils’ creativity and inspiring individual development through drama.
Mrs Richards vision is to further develop the drama department into a centre of excellence for performing arts. Mrs Richards is planning to develop an outstanding programme of drama as an examination subject, which supports pupils in developing high-quality writing skills.
On her new role, Mrs Richards said: “I’m thrilled to continue my work with Christ College Brecon. While completing my NQT, I have come to know all the pupils and boarders and have been fully immersed into the school’s caring and compassionate community.
“As an educator, I believe we have responsibility to create programmes that develop a range of skills sets. Drama as a subject, goes beyond performance – there is a whole team behind any stage production. I hope to emphasise this further and encourage pupils to take the designer route, which supports pupils’ creative development.
“I’m excited to be given this vote of confidence and look forward to offering accessible, enjoyable and inclusive pathways to all pupils.”
One of Mrs Richards main ambitions is to forge links with external providers, so pupils have the chance to closely collaborate with professionals in the drama and musical theatre field. These close professional relationships will motivate and inspire pupils to engage in an enriching curricular activities programme that caters to all pupils, beyond an examination level.
Her established links with well-renowned companies in the theatre world include the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, as well as Estille Voice Training and the National Dance Company Wales and will give pupils a true insight into the world of dance and theatre.
Mrs Richards’ connections also came of benefit at Christ College’s recent school adaptation of Phantom of the Opera with the support of local companies, including C.O.B.R.A, Specialists in Choral, Orchestral and Brass Ensemble Recording.
This link continues to grow as Christ College provides pupils with sound design workshops that are tailored around the GCSE drama specification.
Mr Gareth Pearson, Head of Christ College Brecon, said: “Mrs Richards’ ambition and dedication is infectious and has impressed us all. Every day she encourages pupils to actively engage and partake in her lessons. She has become a well-respected and well-loved member of our community, creating cross-curricular activities for pupils, working with the modern foreign languages and English departments.
“We look forward to the new chapter Mrs Richards will bring to the drama department at Christ College Brecon. Her professional experience at the London School of Musical Theatre and her close-knit relationships with local companies, provide her with a wide calibre of expertise from which our pupils can benefit.”
