The Arts
Unleashing Creativity
Music
At The Queen’s School, we believe that music is for all – full of exciting opportunities, musical experiences and breathtaking performances.
Our pupils are spoilt for choice with the array of co-curricular activities on offer such as Junior Orchestra, Jazz Band, Senior Orchestra, Pupil-led Ukulele Group, String Ensemble, Rock and Pop, Junior Choir, Senior Choir, Pop Choir, Musical Theatre Choir, Composition Club run by our experienced A-level musicians.
At the end of Year 9 we invite pupils to audition for a place in our stunning Chamber choir who take part in many performances and competitions, including performing in Chester Cathedral for our annual Christmas Service and Commemoration Service.
Exciting events across the academic year range from the annual Queen’s Festival of Music, House Choir Competition, Cabaret and a Summer Soiree.
The Music and Drama Departments work collaboratively to put on fantastic musical productions. Many girls in Years 7-13 take part in these exciting productions.
Instrumental, vocal and music theory lessons are taught by a well-qualified and experienced visiting team of peripatetic music staff and the school hosts Associated Board music examinations each term.
Drama
At Queen’s we highly value all the arts and drama is an extremely popular subject at GCSE and A-level.
Private Speech and Drama classes are also available to pupils from Year 7 and above. Girls can be entered for examinations in Acting or the speaking of Verse and Prose held by ‘The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art’ (LAMDA).
Drama is taught in a Drama Studio with a computerised lighting system.
The school show is one of the main highlights of the school calendar. We produce both plays and musicals and offer opportunities for pupils to act, sing, dance or become part of the production team backstage. The music and drama departments have come together to produce some outstanding musical productions. In 2023, our production was the award-winning musical ‘We will rock you’ by Ben Elton.
Previous musical productions include: ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘Matilda’, Sister Act’, ‘High School Musical’, ‘Bugsy Malone’, ‘Hairspray’ and ‘West Side Story’. In conjunction with the music department, we also hold annual cabaret evenings to showcase the breadth of talent in music, drama and dance.
Our drama productions, which we put on every other year, offer opportunities for our acting students to explore exciting and challenging plays. The cast of our 2023 performance of Amanda Whittington’s ‘Be My Baby’ cast handled the complexities of this storyline, with emotional precision. ‘This was a truly exceptional production. I was blown away by the impressive comedic timing, and the mix of emotions portrayed meant that laughter and tears were never too far apart! The quality of our school productions never ceases to amaze me!’
Previous productions include ‘The Raft’, our devised piece based on the refugee crisis, ‘Our Country’s Good’, ‘These Shining Lives’ and ‘Macbeth’.
There are also regular theatre trips, workshops with professional theatre companies such as The Paper Birds and Frantic Assembly and we offer a range of co-curricular clubs for students to enjoy during lunchtime.
Art
Queen’s is committed to offering a stimulating environment for a wide range of art practices, in the belief that creativity is a vital part of education. There are facilities for painting, drawing, sculpture, and specialist facilities for printmaking. Observational and practical skills are taught in structured lessons to small groups, and there are many opportunities to experiment with innovative ideas while learning from the study of old and modern masters.
The art department prides itself on providing students with a wide range of opportunities in a highly creative environment with outstanding facilities. Skill development, creative thinking and independent learning are integral, and pupils explore their artwork and ideas using a wide range of media, processes, and methods.
While traditional skills are taught, the emphasis is firmly on the individual and fostering artistic and experimental growth. Pupils are encouraged to find their own voice in an atmosphere of excellence and high expectations.
The art department is an environment that allows the gifted and passionate to excel. We have outstanding results and each year several Sixth Form pupils go on to study related subjects at art school or university.
Art clubs operate weekly for girls at KS4 and termly for those in KS3. Increasingly, senior girls are also sharing their own expertise with younger pupils by running their own clubs. Girls are actively encouraged to participate at the highest level in the Arts including support to enter national art competitions. We have had pupils win prizes at the Open Art Competition, The Royal Society of Wood Engravers, and the Sunday Times Watercolour Competition to name but a few.
Over the past 18 years we have established a vast network of incredibly supportive alumni, from whom we regularly draw assistance, working in many different fields of art and design including architecture, art history, graphic design, animation, illustration, fine art, photography, fashion and film.
