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
- Keyboard harmony and performance workshopCourse start date: Mon 12 May 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ricardo GosalboA practical workshop integrating keyboard harmony with piano performance skills. Taught in-person on a grand piano, this workshop is aimed at classical pianists with a music theory standard of grade 6+ and good sheet music reading skills. We shall deepen our understanding of musical works by studying the harmonic constructs that underpin them, tackle the technical challenges they present, and explore how harmonic analysis can inform our interpretative choices. NB: Break week 5 & 26 May 2025.Full fee £329.00 Senior fee £263.00 Concession £230.00 - 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 - Piano: advanced workshop Course start date: Wed 30 Apr 2025 (and 7 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Petros MoschosCity Lit's most advanced, regular classes are for advanced pianists, whether performers or specialist teachers. This course is designed to continue to develop your technique, broaden your repertoire and increase your understanding of piano playing to the highest level.
Entry to this course is subject to audition with the Head of piano. If you are interested in joining this class, please apply using the pink button; someone will be in touch with you to arrange an audition.
Break week: 29 May 2024.Full fee £349.00 Senior fee £349.00 Concession £244.00 - Piano: repertoire workshopCourse start date: Wed 17 Sep 2025 (and 8 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Shelagh SutherlandIf you have a minimum playing standard of grade 8, come and explore the wealth of piano repertoire, concentrating on style and period. Broaden your interpretive skills and gain experience in performance practice. Break week 29th October 2025.Full fee £379.00 Senior fee £379.00 Concession £265.00 - Piano: intermediate repertoire workshopCourse start date: Fri 19 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Gary PrestonIf you play piano at around grade 5-6 standard, join one of these workshops to develop your playing by studying a wide range of piano repertoire, with focus on technique, textural awareness, practice and performance skills.Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £258.00 - Exploring classical music 2Course start date: Thu 25 Sep 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Neil LuckDo you want to know more about classical music history? Explore selected topics and key works in Baroque, Classical and early Romantic music on this highly informative 10-week course. Ideal for people with no specialist knowledge. Break week: 30 Oct 2025.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £153.00 - Exploring classical music 4Course start date: Thu 25 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Neil LuckThis course explores key ideas in art music during the twentieth century. Each week’s topic is introduced through study of a seminal musical work. **Break week: 30th Oct 2025.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £153.00 - Exploring classical music 3Course start date: Thu 15 Jan 2026 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Neil LuckDo you want to know more about Western classical music? Explore selected topics and key works in Romantic and modern music on this informative 10-week course. Ideal for people with no specialist knowledge. NB: Break week 19 Feb 2026.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £153.00 - Music history bookclub: Viva Violetta and VerdiCourse start date: Fri 17 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Edward BreenThe music history book club meets towards the end of each term to discuss novels and biographies with musical themes and references relevant to the music history programme.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £19.00 - Music theory: diploma topics 3Course start date: Mon 20 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Simon RigbyConsolidate your knowledge of music theory topics equivalent in standard to the first year of an undergraduate degree. The topics in this module are selected from the Trinity Associate (AMusTCL) syllabus. Prepare for this exam, or just develop your knowledge. This term: Exam technique and preparation. Break weeks: 04 and 25 May 2026. - Music theory: grade 4 Course start date: Wed 30 Apr 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Selena KayStudy more complex musical language including duplets, double-dotted rhythms, alto clef, double sharps/flats, the concept of enharmonic equivalence, and recognising and writing common triads. Learn the technical names for scale degrees, and standard ornaments and instruments. NB: scheduled break week: 28th May 2024.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £160.00 - Keyboard harmony 5CCourse start date: Mon 20 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ricardo GosalboA practical workshop combining keyboard harmony and pianistic technique for classical pianists with a starting standard of grade 6. This advanced 6-module course is taught at the keyboard and takes a historical approach to harmony and technique. We discuss separate eras and their corresponding harmonic developments in each self-contained module, along with main points of evolution in pianistic technique. NB: no classes on bank holiday Mondays (4 & 25 May 2026).Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £188.00 - Exploring opera 3 Course start date: Thu 1 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pauline GreeneJoin us to explore the history of opera over three enjoyable terms. In this third term we’ll explore Verdi, Wagner and the early 20th century. NB Brreak week: 29 May 2025.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £174.00 - Music in the Weimar republicCourse start date: Tue 21 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Katy HomdenDiscover the colourful landscape of music in Germany between the wars. Break week: 26 May 26.Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £188.00 - Speak Shakespeare monologues and scenes: comediesCourse start date: Wed 7 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vernon ThompsonDo you enjoy speaking Shakespeare or would you like to enjoy it? Whether you are preparing a Shakespearean monologue for audition or simply have an interest in their structure, rhythm and poetry, this course enables you to work on and speak monologues from the Comedies with confidence as well as rehearse duologues/ scene work from As You Like It and All's Well That Ends Well specifically. The course is held at the college, and includes a trip to the Box Office Studio in Shoreditch, site of the original Theatre where the Lord Chamberlain's Men performed.
Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £104.00
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