Performing Arts Courses for Beginners
Explore your creativity and build confidence with City Lit’s beginner-friendly performing arts courses. Whether you’re interested in acting, dance, voice, movement, or performance-making, our courses offer an inspiring and supportive way to step into the world of performance.
Led by experienced tutors, you’ll gain practical skills through engaging, hands-on sessions. Learn at your own pace in a relaxed environment—no previous experience required. These courses are ideal for anyone curious about the performing arts, looking to try something new, or hoping to reconnect with a creative passion.
From stage presence to self-expression, you’ll discover the joy and energy that performance can bring.
Explore our performing arts courses for beginners and take your first step into the spotlight.
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- Storytelling: tell your personal storyCourse start date: Sun 11 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: John EastmanTell your own personal story to others, and in so doing gain some perspective on how past events have shaped your life and how they will affect your future, while at the same time inspiring and informing others about life choices. The course will take place in a safe environment in the college.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00 - Core energeticsCourse start date: Sun 11 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kate MontagueCore Energetics is a body-mind practice designed to enhance your self-awareness, aliveness, creativity and focus, and a means to opening up physically, helping you to become aware of your energy flow.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £48.00 - Recorders: return to playingCourse start date: Mon 12 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Layil BarrDiscover the joy of this delightful instrument. Learn the basics of fingering and articulation to play melodies both in unison and in ensemble. Please bring your own descant and/or treble. Break week: 26 May 2025.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £125.00 - Ukulele 1
Course start date: Mon 12 May 2025 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Martin WheatleyLearn the essentials of playing the ukulele on this introductory course. You’ll learn complete songs from the first week. Strumming patterns will be taught and applied to various popular songs. By the end of term you should be able to accompany your own singing or play along to recordings.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £104.00 - Using your voice for audio books and talking newspapersCourse start date: Mon 12 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David ThorpeWould you like to narrate audio books? Are you interested in community work such as talking newspapers for the blind? Explore vocal skills and techniques required in these areas and identify what style works for you. This course will be delivered in the college.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £104.00 - Ballet at the barre: online Course start date: Mon 12 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Alexander SimpkinsAn online barre class from the comfort of your own home. The work you do at the ballet barre is the foundation for all the other work you do as a dancer. Improve your strength, balance and coordination. Not suitable for complete beginners.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £83.00 - Acting: beginners Course start date: Sun 11 May 2025 (and 7 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Cara JenningsExplore the fundamentals of acting on this practical course, designed for people with little or no experience of acting. Increase your confidence and discover your potential in a safe and creative environment.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £249.00 Concession £174.00 - Introduction to acting Course start date: Fri 16 May 2025 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Cara JenningsA fun one day intensive encounter with the acting process. Increase your confidence and discover your potential in a safe and supportive environment.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £55.00 - Salsa dance: beginnersCourse start date: Mon 19 May 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Join us for an energetic and intensive introduction to Salsa. Learn the essential steps and technique in this fun and friendly short course. No need to bring a partner, part of the fun is meeting new people but most of all learning a new dance style whilst having a good time.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £90.00 - Jazz dance: beginners Course start date: Mon 19 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Clinton GoldsmithThis class is suitable if you are new to dance or if you want to develop your existing skills and confidence.
You will discover the basics of basic modern jazz dance, learn about posture, co-ordination and essential technique. Learn warm-up exercises, turns, steps and basic kicks. Our main aim is to provide a fun practical environment where you can learn to dance.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £90.00 - Silver Swans ballet class improvers Course start date: Tue 29 Apr 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kate ScottThis improvers course will focus on expanding existing knowledge of ballet technique and vocabulary and is designed to enable you to learn and execute more varied and complex movement sequences. There is an emphasis on delivering ballet technique to facilitate healthy joints, flexibility, movement quality and core strength.
Silver Swans® classes have been specifically designed for the over-55s and the improvers course is suitable for older leaners with at least 1 year of foundation ballet or Silver Swans experience.Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £132.00 - Silver Swans ballet class Course start date: Tue 29 Apr 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kate ScottSilver Swans® classes have been specifically designed for the over-55s. If you are looking for a new way to keep fit and active, Swans ballet classes will put a spring in your step, whether you’ve never danced before or want to reboot your ballet skills. Classes focus on building the core technical principles and learning specially adapted repertoire from the popular ballets.Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £132.00 - Acting for fun Course start date: Fri 30 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Laura BaggaleyAn acting class purely for the joy of it! This course is suitable for complete beginners and those with a little experience. Enjoy acting exercises and scenes, gain confidence, make friends, and develop new skills in a fun environment.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £104.00 - Introduction to music production Course start date: Sat 31 May 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Max La VillaCome and learn the basics of recording and editing so that you can turn your musical ideas into completed songs you can share!Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £179.00 - Mask technique and the physical body (level 1)Course start date: Sun 1 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sean CroftThis playful and creative mask course, suitable for students at any level, introduces you to the mask. You will be carefully guided to explore the principals and techniques required to bring a character to life, to create speech with the body and without the voice. Masks will be provided but why not bring along some different style outfits and a variety of hats with you, then you’ll have more to play with on the day.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £48.00
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