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
- Charleston: general levelCourse start date: Sat 10 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rosaria SativaGain more confidence in solo dancing as we focus on improving your basic body movements, transitioning fluidly between moves and improvising. This course is suitable for beginners and improvers with some previous dance experience.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £45.00 - Contemporary African danceCourse start date: Sat 10 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Francis AngolA dynamic and vibrant class that combines West African dance and music with some Contemporary dance influences. The movements, energy and music will leave you energised and rejuvenated.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £58.00 - Introduction to actingCourse start date: Sat 1 Jul 2023 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Gemma KerrA fun one day intensive encounter with the acting process. Increase your confidence and discover your potential in a safe and supportive environment.Full fee £69.00 - Saxophone tasterCourse start date: Sat 15 Jul 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarha MooreDiscover how a saxophone class works, and learn about embouchure, breathing, and fingering. Bring your tenor or alto saxophone to this session.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £29.00 Concession £29.00 - Drama therapy: intermediateCourse start date: Sat 15 Jul 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Dan SkiliInvestigate the role and function of drama therapy as a working model on this 2 day intensive course. Looking at a range of drama tools that can be used in therapeutic settings, you will explore aspects of Playback Theatre and Forum Theatre as well as a classic Dramatherapy Story Enactment where we will include the Jungian Archetypes.as methods for engaging with others. Fun, insightful and packed with tools you can use, for applying the theatrical processes to therapy.Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £139.00 Concession £0.00 - Jazz repertoireCourse start date: Sat 15 Jul 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Cerys HoggEnjoy playing and improvising on familiar and new jazz repertoire in a mixed ensemble. For players with substantial experience of jazz playing, ear training techniques and harmony study. Tunes will be announced in advance of the course. Rhythm section places are limited, guitar places are now filled, so please check vacancies with the music department.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £69.00 - Combining voice and PilatesCourse start date: Sat 15 Jul 2023
Location on this date: Kean Street Wellbeing Centre
Tutors: Kate MontagueThis innovative and one-off workshop shows you how to integrate modified Pilates movements with voice training as a holistic approach to voice, starting at breath release and progressing into phonation and resonance. Through this combination you may begin to find a link between body and voice through the core muscles of support. A fun but intensive Saturday workshop in the college.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £45.00 - Pentatonics and beyond: improvising in popular musicCourse start date: Sat 15 Jul 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David HarrisonStudy how to improvise in popular music. These practical sessions are for competent 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, extensions and more to help you get the most out of your improvisation.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £69.00 - Sing jazzCourse start date: Sat 15 Jul 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Laura ZakianLearn essential tools to sing jazz, including what to listen for in the piano accompaniment and the importance of pulse, groove and vocal technique. This day is for singers with musical experience who are new to the jazz idiom.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £62.00 - Jazz piano tasterCourse start date: Sat 22 Jul 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Della RhodesMeet the jazz idiom as you explore time feels and harmonic progressions of some jazz standards. For pianists at grade 5 and above, with some knowledge of chord structures (triads and 7ths) and facility to play scales.Full fee £29.00 - Owning your song (for singers)Course start date: Sat 22 Jul 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Clare FosterLearn how to personalise the song you choose to sing. The singer’s job is to be the messenger of the song and be able to engage and move their audience.
This 2 day workshop is for novice to intermediate level singers.Full fee £109.00 Senior fee £109.00 Concession £76.00 - Charleston intensive: improversCourse start date: Sat 22 Jul 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rosaria SativaTest your limits and gain more confidence in solo dancing as we focus on improving your basic body movements, transitioning fluidly between moves, and improvising. This is suitable for those that have a good knowledge of Charleston dance or have completed our beginners courses.Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £49.00 Concession £34.00 - Afrocentric drummingCourse start date: Sat 29 Jul 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Paul ChiversExplore your enthusiasm for drumming with African rhythms and their variations. Enjoy improving your individual and group playing skills and learn how to apply a variety of percussive instruments in any musical style or setting.Full fee £49.00 - Come and sing: Les MiserablesCourse start date: Sat 12 Aug 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Siobhan Blake, Richard Hartley WilsonLes Miserables - one of the worlds most popular musicals by Boubil, Kretzmer and Schönberg based on the Victor Hugo novel of the same name contains some of the most memorable repertoire from the 20th century musical theatre catalogue. Come and explore the highlights in several variations (solos, duets and ensemble numbers) at our friendly weekend workshop. "At the end of the day", "I dreamed a dream", "Empty chairs at empty tables", "Bring him home", "Master of the house" and "On my own" and "One day more" are just some of the classic songs covered. Please contact music@citylit.ac.uk if you would like to sing solo.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £69.00 - Foundation in Drama (Certificate Level 2)Course start date: Sat 6 Jan 2024 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Laura Baggaley, 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 one full day each week, provides classes in the core disciplines of acting, voice and movement, and culminates in a showing of contemporary scenework to an invited audience. Successful candidates achieve the Level 2 Certificate in Performing Arts awarded by OCN London.Full fee £1,249.00
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