Best Schools for Performing Arts, Abu Dhabi, Dubai

GEMS Wellington Academy Dubai Silicon Oasis (incorporating GEMS Music Academy)

Performing Arts at GEMS Wellington Academy, Silicon Oasis is “an innovative, ever growing and expanding department which consistently strives to achieve ‘world class’ in everything it does” according to the school.

“When our students step on stage, you will see them fully immersed in the whole spectrum of performing arts: dance, theatre, performance, music. We nurture energetic creativity and value the Performing and Creative Arts as a critical learning tool that helps develop well-rounded individuals and encourages skills that are vital for success in later life. Something for everybody – from beginners to world championship dancers and performers”.

Performing Arts is taken very seriously at GEMS Wellington Academy DSO. The staff consists of 16 professional teachers, led by a Director of Performing Arts and Secondary and Primary coordinators, who deliver a skills-focused, all-inclusive curriculum in Performing Arts (Music, Dance and Drama) from FS2 to Year 13.

The team is unique in that it works together throughout the school and all staff are specialists in their field.  They provide a whole-Academy (Foundation Stage to Post-16) Performing Arts curriculum, with multiple curriculum pathways (LAMDA, UDO, GCSE, IBDP, IBCC, RSM) and access points (lessons, enrichment, showcases, recitals, developmental and elite performance teams).

There are 4299 students within GEMS Wellington Academy and all students from FS2 to Post 16 are exposed to Performing Arts lessons from 30 minutes through to 6 hours per week. Students are taught through a learning enquiry approach, blending the IB approach to learning into a UK curriculum-based environment through Primary and Secondary School.

The progress of each child is assessed half termly using specially developed Performing Arts assessment rubrics. The rubrics have been created using the skills needed for GCSE/IB and have then been back mapped to begin at FS2. Data is then analysed to inform the teaching and learning as a team and the impact of the curriculum.

The team meets weekly to review and refine the curriculum to ensure students are given quality performing arts provision and that all students are achieving their full potential. As a result, students are set individual targets to improve each week. Secondary students are also given the option to explore performance support, which allows them to be exposed to technical theatre, set design and stage management.

Over the past four years, a talent development programme has been put in place to challenge students further. Students are offered further provision of Performing Arts within the school day, enrichment and afterschool activities. Students from year 3 are identified for teams during lesson time and through an audition process at the start of each year in order to further develop real world experiences in the Industry of Performing Arts.

Time is invested to develop student’s skills further in Acting (Illuminate and Ignite teams), Singing (Resonance), Dancing (Adrenaline), Musical Theatre (Dazzle) and Musicians (GEMS Wellington Academy Band and Spotlight). The school also has dedicated Acting (Illuminate) and Singing (Resonance) tutor groups, which allow students more time to rehearse.  The school offers a Scholarship programme, where students are given the opportunity to gain additional qualifications in LAMDA, ABRSM and UDO (the latter exclusive to GEMS Wellington Academy).

A range of Peripatetic lessons are offered – Piano, violin, drums, guitar (classical, acoustic and electric), cello, clarinet, flute, saxophone, music theory, recorder, trumpet and voice. The number of students taking Music lessons within school is 133 (outside of school 310). This provision is linked to the GEMS Music Academy.

Facilities include a 750 seater auditorium, Media Suite; including ICT Suite, Editing Rooms, Radio Station, Recording Studio & Mac Suites, plus full Music, Drama and Dance facilities.

GEMS Wellington Academy DSO students regularly compete across Dubai, the Middle East, USA and the UK. Since the introduction of the Performing Arts programme, the following awards/events have shown the success of the programme:

Dance – KS3 and 4 – 7 awards at Desert Dance, Bolly Rock, UDO Dubai Schools Street Dance and UDO World Street Dance Championships, Short and Sweet Gala Dance Competition.

Drama – Theatresports Middle East Winner 2015 – 2016; KS3 Theatresports Middle East Winner 2016 – 2017. Students from the school also cooperated with Dubai Opera House Partnership – CATs Workshops and Media visit in 2017.

Music – Choirfest Finalists 2017; Choirfest ‘Most Dynamic Choir’ Award 2015 – 2016; Emirates Jazz Festival vocal performance 2016 ‘Boglarka Kurucz’; GEMs Young Musician of the Year 2015 and 2016 ‘Boglarka Kurucz’

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