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
- Acting: scenework
Course start date: Thu 22 May 2025 (and 3 other dates)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Laura BaggaleyContinue your development as you explore a range of acting exercises that will illuminate and bring to life a variety of scripts and scenes. Consolidate skills and techniques, and deepen your understanding in a safe and supportive atmosphere. We will focus on ensemble and group scenes this term.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £139.00 - Acting for radio and podcast dramas: improversCourse start date: Wed 11 Jun 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David GoodersonExplore microphone techniques and demands across different areas of acting work in radio and podcast dramas. For those who have completed a beginners’ course or have previous relevant industry experience. This course will be delivered in the media studio.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £174.00 - Composition techniques Course start date: Tue 29 Apr 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Edward HendersonDevelop your skills in composing. Analyse selected techniques and apply them to your own composition project. Good music theory knowledge needed (grade 7 or equivalent).
*break week: 27 May 2025.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £174.00 - English pronunciation: stage 1Course start date: Sat 26 Apr 2025 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David John GwillimAre you a non-native fluent speaker who wants to improve your pronunciation of English and to speak the language more clearly and confidently? Work on clear formation of vowel and consonant sounds including the English neutral vowel and the distinction between voiced and unvoiced sounds. This term the course will be taught in the college.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £181.00 - English pronunciation: stage 2Course start date: Sat 17 Jan 2026 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David John GwillimDesigned for people who have completed ‘English Pronunciation: stage 1’ although new students with sufficient skills can join. Develop confidence and clarity, explore diphthongs and triphthongs, inflection and the rhythms of Standard English. This term the course will be delivered in the college.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £195.00 - Storytelling for business and pleasure 1Course start date: Tue 29 Apr 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ariella EshedAll cultures respect the world of Story. The ability to tell Stories, in a variety of settings, is a skill that has seen a strong resurgence both in the workplace and in contemporary performance. Gain greater confidence in your communication skills and apply this to your wider experience. This course will be delivered in the college.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00 - Acting: Foundation (Certificate Level 2) Course start date: Sat 10 Jan 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Cara Jennings, Vernon Thompson, Martin WimpressDo you want to be an actor but find it hard to fit the training around your other commitments? This intensive and practical accredited course, running every Saturday for 25 weeks including Induction and final tutorials, provides classes in the core disciplines of acting, voice and movement, and culminates in a showing of contemporary scene work to an invited audience. Successful candidates achieve the Level 2 Certificate in Performing Arts awarded by OCN London.
Full fee £1,499.00 Senior fee £1,499.00 Concession £1,499.00 - Music theory: grade 3Course start date: Mon 12 Jan 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Selena KayDevelop your understanding of musical language by learning to read and write rhythm and melody in compound time, phrase structure and anacrusis (upbeat/pickup), transposing between clefs, major and minor keys up to four
sharps/flats. NB: break week 16th Feb 2026.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £174.00 - Radio and podcast presenting: improvers (online)Course start date: Mon 12 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Allis MossExtend and develop your skills for a range of podcasts and radio broadcasts, presenting and putting a live news, current affairs, features and music programme to air, creating the content yourselves. The course is the second of three that allows students to progress from complete beginner to an advanced level with the aim of being able to present and pitch programme ideas professionally. You'll need to have taken the beginners’ course or have previous industry experience. This course will be online and supported by a media technician.
Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £139.00 - The essential history of jazz in 20 cutsCourse start date: Mon 12 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Albi GravenerThrough a selection of 20 iconic albums, we will study the key figures, the innovators and the star soloists of 20th century jazz, as well as some important artists you might be less familiar with. Break week: 16 Feb 2026.Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £188.00 - Michael Tippett: an introduction to his musicCourse start date: Tue 13 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Katy HamiltonMichael Tippett was a British composer like no other, with interests in everything from Purcell and Beethoven to rock music and American spirituals. Come and discover the life and works of this unusual, brilliant, witty and beautiful musician.
Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £104.00 - Exploring opera 2Course start date: Tue 13 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pauline GreeneJoin us to explore the history of opera over three enjoyable terms. In this second term we’ll explore the innovations of Mozart, the impact of the French Revolution and the early Romantics. break week: 17 Feb 2026.Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £188.00 - Listening to the 20th century 2Course start date: Tue 13 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Edward HendersonUsing Alex Ross’s The Rest is Noise as a guide this course investigates art music in the second half of the twentieth century. This module covers the music of the Cold War culture wars, American experimental music, Minimalism and the use of technology. Break week: 17th February 2026.Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £188.00 - Symphonies in productionCourse start date: Wed 14 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pauline GreeneStudy symphonies coming up in the 2026–27 season, we will discuss their composition, context and style, and then hear a selection ofmusical examples. NB Break week: 30 May 2027.Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £188.00 - Beethoven's ViennaCourse start date: Wed 14 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Katy HamiltonLudwig van Beethoven’s music has come to stand for the greatest and best-known aspects of the Western classical tradition. But who was he? And what exactly did he do? Come and discover more about this most famous Viennese composer.
Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £188.00
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