Cambridge OCR · RQF Level 3
Cambridge OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical Foundation Diploma in Performing Arts
You don’t just earn this. You learn to use it, one-to-one, on your own real work.
- LevelRQF Level 3
- Guided learning540 hours
- Units in this qualification33
Awarded by Cambridge OCR · on the Ofqual register
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What you’ll learn
What each unit actually teaches you to do
The Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Performing Arts is designed to provide learners with skills, knowledge and understanding of the performing arts. Learners will explore areas such as commissioning briefs and performance practice. The qualification is relevant for those seeking further study or employment in the performing arts sector.
These are the units Cambridge OCR registers against this qualification. It is a catalogue, not a syllabus. Which of them you take depends on the combination the qualification requires, and that is set by the awarding body rather than by us. Every unit here is regulated, and every one you earn is yours to keep.
Acting techniqueReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand different acting techniques and methodologies
- Apply acting techniques to a range of performance contexts
- Analyse the work of influential actors and acting practitioners
- Develop personal acting skills through practical exercises and rehearsals
- Evaluate personal performance and identify areas for improvement
Arts administrationReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Know the key considerations involved in arts administration within different contexts.
- Know the diverse roles and functions performed by individuals working in arts administration.
- Understand the specific responsibilities associated with arts administration roles and the processes involved.
- Understand how arts administration functions in real-world settings and its impact on arts organisations.
Character design and realisationReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles of character design
- Research and analyse a character for a performance
- Develop a character design concept
- Realise a character through performance techniques
- Evaluate the effectiveness of character design and realisation
Classical theatre performanceReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the historical and cultural context of classical theatre
- Analyse the key characteristics of classical theatre texts and performance styles
- Interpret and perform extracts from classical theatre plays
- Demonstrate an understanding of character development in classical theatre
- Evaluate the effectiveness of a classical theatre performance
Combined artsReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Explore different art forms and their combinations
- Develop skills in multiple art forms
- Create combined arts performance pieces
- Evaluate the effectiveness of combined arts performance
Create music to performReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles of creating music for performance
- Explore different musical styles and genres suitable for performance
- Develop musical ideas and compositions for a specific performance context
- Arrange and adapt musical compositions for performance by different instruments or voices
- Rehearse and refine musical compositions in preparation for performance
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the created music in a performance setting
Current issues in performing artsReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Identify current issues affecting the performing arts industry
- Research the impact of current issues on performing arts organisations
- Analyse potential solutions to current issues in performing arts
- Evaluate the role of the performer in addressing current issues
Dance appreciationReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the historical and cultural context of dance
- Analyse and interpret different dance styles and genres
- Evaluate the artistic merit of dance performances
- Recognise the elements of dance composition and choreography
- Develop a critical appreciation of dance as an art form
Dance choreographyReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles of dance choreography
- Develop original dance sequences and routines
- Apply choreographic techniques to create expressive movement
- Structure and organise dance compositions effectively
- Communicate choreographic ideas to dancers and performers
Dance performanceReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Perform dance routines with confidence and artistry
- Interpret and communicate the choreographer's intention through movement
- Demonstrate stage presence and engage with the audience
- Collaborate effectively with other dancers and performers
- Maintain physical and mental focus during dance performance
Dance techniqueReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Demonstrate proficiency in fundamental dance techniques
- Apply correct posture, alignment, and body awareness in dance
- Execute complex dance sequences with precision and control
- Adapt dance technique to different styles and genres
- Develop physical strength, flexibility, and stamina for dance performance
Deliver dance and movement workshopsReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles of delivering dance and movement workshops
- Plan a dance and movement workshop suitable for a specific group
- Prepare resources required for a dance and movement workshop
- Deliver a dance and movement workshop safely and effectively
- Evaluate the effectiveness of a delivered dance and movement workshop
Health and fitness for performanceReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the importance of health and fitness for performers
- Analyse the physical demands of different performance disciplines
- Develop a personal health and fitness plan for performance
- Apply health and fitness principles to maintain performance readiness
ImprovisationReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles of improvisation in performance
- Develop improvisation skills in a chosen art form
- Apply improvisation techniques to create spontaneous performances
- Evaluate the effectiveness of improvisation in performance
Influential performance practiceReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Analyse influential performance practices within a chosen art form
- Evaluate the impact of influential practitioners on performance
- Apply influential performance techniques to own performance work
- Reflect on the effectiveness of applying influential performance techniques
Instrumental music techniqueReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the fundamental techniques required for instrumental music performance
- Develop proficiency in instrumental music techniques, including posture, breathing, and fingering
- Apply instrumental music techniques to perform a range of musical pieces
- Demonstrate control over tone, intonation, and rhythm in instrumental performance
- Interpret musical scores and instructions accurately
- Evaluate and refine instrumental music technique through practice and feedback
Music performanceReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles of effective music performance
- Develop performance skills, including stage presence, communication, and audience engagement
- Prepare musical pieces for performance, considering interpretation and expression
- Perform musical pieces with accuracy, confidence, and musicality
- Respond to feedback and adapt performance accordingly
- Evaluate personal music performance and identify areas for improvement
MusicianshipReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Demonstrate an understanding of music theory concepts
- Apply aural skills to recognise musical elements
- Demonstrate rhythmic accuracy and control
- Sight-read musical notation accurately
- Analyse musical scores to understand compositional techniques
Original performanceReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Explore a given performance stimulus to generate ideas and concepts for an original performance.
- Develop relevant skills and techniques necessary for creating and delivering an original performance.
- Apply developed skills and techniques effectively in the creation and execution of an original performance.
- Evaluate the entire performance process, from initial stimulus to final outcome, identifying strengths and areas for improvement.
Performing repertoireReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Demonstrate techniques for performing repertoire
- Interpret repertoire for performance
- Prepare repertoire for performance
- Evaluate own performance of repertoire
Prepare to work in the performing arts sectorReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the structure of the performing arts sector
- Understand the roles and responsibilities within the performing arts sector
- Understand the skills and qualities required to work in the performing arts sector
- Understand health and safety requirements in the performing arts sector
- Understand how to prepare for work in the performing arts sector
Produce music using technologyReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles of music production using technology
- Use digital audio workstations (DAWs) to record and edit audio
- Apply mixing techniques to create a balanced sound
- Use effects processing to enhance audio
- Master music tracks for distribution
Production and stage management processReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Know the responsibilities of a production manager during production processes
- Know the responsibilities of a stage manager during production processes
- Create appropriate production documentation
- Use appropriate production documentation
- Create appropriate performance documentation
- Use appropriate performance documentation
- Evaluate safe working practices for a production
- Produce a production
- Stage manage a production
Proposal for a commissioning briefReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the purpose of a commissioning brief
- Understand the components of a commissioning brief
- Develop a proposal in response to a commissioning brief
- Present a proposal for a commissioning brief
- Understand how to evaluate a proposal for a commissioning brief
Script writingReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles of script writing for different media
- Develop a script outline, including plot, characters, and setting
- Write dialogue that is appropriate for the characters and the story
- Structure a script to create dramatic tension and engage the audience
- Revise and edit a script based on feedback and self-evaluation
Set design and realisationReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles of set design within a performance context
- Investigate different approaches to set design and realisation
- Develop set design ideas that meet the needs of a specific performance
- Plan the realisation of a set design, considering resources and constraints
- Implement set design plans, using appropriate techniques and materials
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the set design in relation to the overall performance
Singing performanceReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Demonstrate vocal techniques appropriate for a range of musical styles
- Prepare for a singing performance, considering factors such as venue and audience
- Perform a selection of songs to a professional standard
- Evaluate own singing performance, identifying areas for improvement
- Apply safe vocal practices to maintain vocal health
Singing techniqueReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the fundamental techniques required for singing
- Develop vocal techniques, including breathing, posture, and vocal projection
- Apply singing techniques to perform a range of musical pieces
- Demonstrate control over pitch, tone, and rhythm in singing
- Interpret musical scores and lyrics accurately
- Evaluate and refine singing technique through practice and feedback
SongwritingReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the fundamental principles of songwriting
- Develop melodic ideas for songs
- Create lyrical content that effectively communicates ideas and emotions
- Structure songs using common song forms
- Evaluate own songwriting, identifying areas for improvement
Stage lighting design and operationReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles of stage lighting design
- Design a stage lighting plan for a performance
- Prepare stage lighting equipment for a performance
- Operate stage lighting equipment during a performance
- Evaluate the effectiveness of stage lighting design and operation
Stage sound design and operationReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles of stage sound design
- Design a stage sound plan for a performance
- Prepare stage sound equipment for a performance
- Operate stage sound equipment during a performance
- Evaluate the effectiveness of stage sound design and operation
Technical managementReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles of technical management in a performance context
- Plan technical requirements for a performance
- Manage technical equipment and resources effectively
- Supervise technical staff during a performance
- Evaluate the technical aspects of a performance, identifying areas for improvement
Theatre directingReal unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the role and responsibilities of a theatre director
- Analyse different directing styles and approaches
- Apply directing techniques to a theatrical production
- Evaluate the effectiveness of directing choices in a performance
- Understand the collaborative nature of theatre directing
The honest bit
You’ve started things before
Most courses were built for a room full of people who aren’t you. A cohort moves on whether or not your week allowed it, and by the third week the thing you’re behind on becomes the reason you stop opening it.
There’s no cohort here, and no timetable to fall behind. Before anything starts, Zavmo asks when you’re sharpest and how long you can realistically sit down for, then builds the sessions around those answers. A bad fortnight changes your pace. It doesn’t put you behind.
And you only pay once you start learning. Searching and planning are free, and you can cancel any time — so the cost of finding out is an afternoon, not a year.
Your passport
Every credit is a stamp you keep
Level 3 credits are regulated. They don’t vanish when a subscription ends or a website closes. They travel to any employer, and Zavmo keeps the map of what you’ve earned and what’s next.
Each stamp is a real unit registered against this qualification.
Who’d teach you this
The Evidence Evaluator
Assessor
Helps you show what you can actually do, gathering the evidence that proves it as you learn.
Meet all twelve tutorsWhere this connects
Where these credits take you
A qualification is never a dead end here. See the jobs its credits open, the national occupational standards its units map to, and the future skills they quietly build.
- Communicate how you carry out creative and compositional skills appropriate to your target market
- Create scripts
- Identify and select supporting artistes and contributors for productions
- Keep knowledge and skills for production design, art direction or set dressing up to date
- Structure Dance for Engagement of Participants and Groups
Where this can lead
Production Assistant
Your journey starts here, learning the foundations. The events industry is dynamic, challenging, and incredibly rewarding. With dedication and a willingness to learn, you can build a truly exciting career creating unforgettable experiences.
See the whole journey →Showing 6 roles, drawn from 7 job records mapped to this qualification.
Skills it covers
What the job actually needs. These are the standards the units are built against, in the words employers and awarding bodies already use for the work itself.
How you’ll actually learn this
One-to-one, on your own real work
A qualification is usually something done to you: sit the class, sit the exam, hope it sticks. Here it’s the opposite. You learn it one-to-one with a companion, on your own real work, and you keep going until you can use it, not just recall it.
Applied to your work in any of these jobs
This unit provides knowledge of various acting techniques and methodologies. Learners will apply these techniques in performance contexts, analyse influential practitioners' work, develop personal skills, and evaluate their own performances.
- Remember
- Understand
- Apply
- Analyse
- Evaluate
- Create
Built for Cambridge OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical Foundation Diploma in Performing Arts
33 units in this credential, in the order it lists them, awarded by Cambridge OCR.
- Acting technique
- Arts administration
- Character design and realisation
- Classical theatre performance
- Combined arts
- Create music to perform
and 27 more in the full unit list below.
One to one, not one to many
No two people run this the same way
A course is written once and handed to everyone. This is assembled around you, and keeps changing as it learns you. Five things it reads, and what each one changes.
- Your actual work Every unit is taught against a live piece of your own work, not a worked example from a textbook.
- What you already know The first conversation finds your starting point, so you skip what you can already do and spend the time on what you cannot.
- The conditions you learn under Not a learning-styles quiz. The evidence does not support those. The dimensions the research does back, read once and used to shape the plan.
- How far you got last time It picks up mid-thought. The tutor knows what you said, what you struggled with, and what it asked you to try.
- Which tutor suits the moment Twelve of them, each for a different kind of thinking. The one who walks you through a first idea is not the one who stress-tests it.
See how you learn, free. Eight questions, no sign-up. A directional taster; the diagnostic inside Zavmo goes deeper and keeps adapting.
Why it sticks
Most courses stop at remembering
There’s a well-known ladder of how deeply you learn something, called Bloom’s Taxonomy. Most courses get you up the first two rungs: you remember some facts, you pass a test, you forget it. Real skill lives at the top. Judging, deciding, creating. And this isn’t a generic ladder: every rung has a named Zavmo tutor who walks you up it.
- 6CreateThe Creative Catalyst
- 5EvaluateThe Evidence Evaluator
- 4AnalyseThe Analyst
- 3ApplyThe Coach
- 2UnderstandThe Connector
- 1RememberThe Builder
Where most courses leave you Where Zavmo takes you
The value
Why the companion is worth £70 a month
You’re not paying for the units. They’re regulated, and the same wherever you earn them. You’re paying for the one thing that decides whether you actually get there: a companion that makes them stick, on your real work.
That is one-to-one on this qualification, every day, on the work you already do, for £70 a month. Your first module is free, so you can see the teaching before you pay for any of it. Billed monthly, cancel any time and billing stops.
Earned on your own work, taught to the top.
Everything you just read, learned one-to-one on the job you already do. Your first module is free, so you can see the teaching before you pay for any of it.
Build my plan, freeNo card. See how this qualification maps onto your role and meet the tutors who’d teach it, free. The learning begins when you subscribe. It’s £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.