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
Filters
- Acting: beginners
Course start date: Wed 1 Oct 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 £299.00 Senior fee £299.00 Concession £209.00 - Introduction to acting Course start date: Wed 29 Oct 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 £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £69.00 - Silver Swans ballet class Course start date: Wed 28 May 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kate ScottOur Silver 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 £109.00 Senior fee £87.00 Concession £76.00 - The art of negotiatingCourse start date: Wed 30 Apr 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Gavin IllsleyNegotiation is a communication skill essential in solving problems and reaching your goals. Learn to prepare well and to feel confident using logical and emotional tools to achieve great outcomes. The course will be taught in the college.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £90.00 - Presenting to camera: introductionCourse start date: Wed 4 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Kathryn WolfeIf you need to present to camera for business, vlogging or broadcasting, this introductory course covers how to present from a home studio, office space or TV studio.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £55.00 - 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 - Singing for absolute beginnersCourse start date: Wed 23 Jul 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Katherine StrohmaierStart your journey as a singer this summer with this short, enjoyable course. Take your first important steps towards a healthy vocal technique and confidence in your singing.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £48.00 - Debating: intensiveCourse start date: Wed 23 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Gavin IllsleyDebating requires the ability to speak English persuasively in public and, crucially, to respond rapidly to other people’s objections to what you say. In this shorter, intensive version of our highly popular course, we will cover the theory and practice of debating, and you will progress quickly in areas of content, strategy and style. A great mental workout. - Piano taster Course start date: Wed 30 Jul 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ana Claudia MagalhaesA fun introduction to the piano: learn the basics about the instrument, names of the notes and where they are, and how to play some simple tunes. Find out whether piano is the instrument for you!Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £29.00 Concession £20.00 - Singing 1Course start date: Wed 30 Apr 2025 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Siobhan BlakeStart singing and explore your voice in this fun, confidence-building course. These classes will introduce you to healthy use of your singing voice and basic musicianship through a selection of songs from a variety of genres. Break weeks: 2 May & 30 May 2023.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £181.00 - Piano/keyboards 1B Course start date: Tue 29 Apr 2025 (and 6 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Cheslav SinghA near-beginners’ course for pianists. If you have completed Piano/keyboards 1A or and have basic keyboard and music reading skills in C position, this course will introduce you to more notes.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00 - Piano/keyboards 1A Course start date: Wed 30 Apr 2025 (and 8 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Jonathan WilsonThis is the beginning of our piano programme, designed for absolute beginners to both piano and music-reading. This classic course is the perfect way to start your piano playing.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £160.00 - Music theory: grades 1 and 2Course start date: Wed 6 May 2026 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Selena KayLearn the basic principles of musical language and notation: rhythmic values, time signatures, pitch on treble and bass clefs, simple major scales, intervals and key signatures, and the most common musical terms and signs. NB: this course has no scheduled break week.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £174.00 - Silver Swans ballet class improvers Course start date: Tue 29 Apr 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Abigail BulfinThis 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 - Reading English literature aloud: early 20th centuryCourse start date: Wed 17 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vernon ThompsonCome and enjoy reading aloud passages from novels by early 20th century writers in our Wednesday reading group. Set texts will be A Handful of Dust- Evelyn Waugh, and The Birds and Other Stories- Daphne du Maurier. This unique course contains vocal warm-ups; discussion of novels, weekly prepared readings and sight reading skills.
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