Performing Arts Courses & Classes in London and Online
City Lit offers performing arts courses in the heart of Covent Garden in Central London during the evening, daytime and at weekends. Explore our range of subjects including acting, (including accredited acting courses), dance, radio and screen, and voice, speech and communication as well as a full range of music courses, such as piano, singing, strings and wind instruments to jazz and pop, music technology, music theory and history
Our courses are labelled clearly for beginners or those with previous experience and you can speak to a specialist advisor to help you choose the right level. If you would you like some help or advice:
For music courses email music@citylit.ac.uk. You can also view our music auditions and advice page.
For drama, dance and speech courses email drama@citylit.ac.uk
- Pentatonics and beyond: improvising in popular musicCourse start date: Sat 19 Jul 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David HarrisonStudy how to improvise in popular music. These two practical sessions are for players of any instrument. Get to grips with improvisation in this exploration of common scales and approaches to improv in pop, rock, blues, folk and jazz. We’ll look at blues scales, pentatonics, extension notes and more to help you get the most out of your improvisation.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £79.00 - String Summer School
Course start date: Sun 20 Jul 2025Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Robert PuzeyLearn technique, repertoire and ensemble skills for all orchestral strings. Develop your confidence and make new string friends. For players at grade 3 or above.
Sunday 20th July
Friday 25th July
Sunday 27th July. - Classical actingCourse start date: Mon 21 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Laura BaggaleyBroaden your skills and discover the freedom to act with classical text in a safe and fun environment, playing with a range of texts from Ibsen to Oscar Wilde. Gain the confidence to tackle different styles of language and performance through practical exercises and scene work. - Baroque instrumental ensembleCourse start date: Mon 21 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Layil BarrLove early music and want to play it with more awareness of style? Explore how to achieve a more 'authentic' sound, covering interpretation of rhythm and ornaments, tone, embellishment and more.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £69.00 - Classical music: an introductionCourse start date: Mon 21 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pauline GreeneAre you interested in finding out more about classical music but not sure where to start? This taster course will introduce you to the history of music through a careful choice of works. - Sing musical theatre workshop Course start date: Tue 29 Apr 2025 (and 8 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Katherine StrohmaierThis popular course explores musical theatre singing. Grow your knowledge of the repertoire. Suitable for singers and actors wanting to improve their singing and acting through song technique. Be guided through the basics to find the right singing qualities for this repertoire.Full fee £299.00 Senior fee £299.00 Concession £209.00 - Recorder ensemble: study dayCourse start date: Wed 23 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Caoimhe de PaorLearn to play ensemble music for recorders, with repertoire ranging from early to present day. Suitable for recorder players who have been learning for at least a year and can read music. - Sing opera workshopCourse start date: Wed 23 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Trevor AlexanderA lively short workshop class for singers with some solo experience: employ your vocal technique in a more flexible and artistic way and deepen your understanding of critical evaluation of singing. This workshop will have a focus on Operatic repertoire and the techniques required for this demanding genre. - Classical singing workshop: summerCourse start date: Wed 23 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Trevor AlexanderA lively short workshop class for singers with some solo experience: employ your vocal technique in a more flexible and artistic way and deepen your understanding of critical evaluation of singing.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £69.00 - Opera appreciation: an introductionCourse start date: Thu 24 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pauline GreeneWhat is opera? And how do you approach watching and listening to it? Explore the ostentatious, sometimes overwhelming, world of opera through study of two major works and styles.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £69.00 - Flute and clarinet choirCourse start date: Sat 26 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lindsey FillinghamOpen to intermediate/advanced flutes and clarinets to play ensemble pieces in a range of styhles. Great for sight-reading and ensemble skills! Alto flute, piccolo, Eb and bass clarinets welcome. - Mime: workshopCourse start date: Sun 27 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sean CroftThere’s so much more to Mime than the striped jumper, beret and box!
The course will cover basic techniques in Mime towards developing and creating worlds alongside opening your body up to expressionistic styles. Through technique and improvisational based classes we will play and explore some of the most renowned exercises in Mime and build on them. Engaging your imagination and developing your awareness of your body as a tool for theatre craft.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £48.00 - Music theory: score reading and analysis level 6Course start date: Fri 1 Aug 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Learn to navigate the musical scores, analyse basic structures (harmonic, motivic, and contrapuntal), and identify several baroque stylistic characteristics through the study of Bach: Partita no. 6 in E minor, BWV 830.
NB: this course has a scheduled lunch break of 1 hour
Tutor: Dr Cheryl Tan [external website].Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £59.00 Concession £59.00 - Come and sing: Mamma miaCourse start date: Sat 2 Aug 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Siobhan Blake, Richard Hartley-WilsonCome and sing all your favourite ABBA songs from the wildly popular jukebbox musical Mamma Mia at our friendly weekend workshop. There will be oppurtunities for solos over the weekend.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £90.00 - Piano: intermediate to advanced practice clinic Course start date: Mon 4 Aug 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Phillip LeslieExplore the foundations of good practice and how to prepare for performance. These classes offer you the opportunity to address key technical, musical and physical challenges at the keyboard within a musically diverse and supportive group.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £62.00
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