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
- City Lit wind ensemble: advanced (summer season)Course start date: Tue 14 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pamela Pecko SmithExplore the wonderful repertoire for mixed wind ensemble in an intensive workshop. You need to play an orchestral wind instrument at grade 5 standard or higher.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £59.00 Concession £59.00 - City Lit wind ensemble: intermediate (summer season)Course start date: Tue 14 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pamela Pecko SmithExplore the wonderful repertoire for mixed wind ensemble in an intensive workshop. You need to play an orchestral wind instrument at grade 3 standard or higher.
Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £59.00 Concession £59.00 - Tap intensive (improvers)
Course start date: Tue 14 Jul 2026 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Benjamin BaileyIf you have a strong foundation in tap, come and improve your technique, and increase your understanding of syncopation and your confidence in a variety of rhythms and tempos. Tap shoes are essential.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £62.00 - Ballet intensive Course start date: Tue 14 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Dilek TaptikAn intensive course that will help adult ballet students not only to watch ballet repertoire but to actively take part in it. You will be able to transfer movements from your ballet class directly into ballet choreography.
The choreography will be part of a well known narrative ballet and will have a storyline that you as a dancer can understand. A fun, relaxed yet challenging course which culminates in a small work-in-progress showing on the last day.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £69.00 - Jazz vocal samba and bossa novaCourse start date: Tue 14 Jul 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Clare FosterFor vocalists with a sound technique and experience of singing jazz standards who have an interest in Brazilian music.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £129.00 - Orchestra workshop Course start date: Tue 14 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: George SleightholmeA fun, intensive workshop for players of orchestral instruments of Grade 6 level upwards, with good music reading skills. Please click the 'Start interview' button, follow the login instructions, and the Music Department will contact you.
Repertoire TBC
Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £111.00 Concession £97.00 - Opera appreciation: an introductionCourse start date: Tue 14 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pauline GreeneWhat is opera? And how do you approach watching and listening to it? Explore the ostentatious, sometimes overwhelming, world of opera through study of two major works and styles.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £69.00 - Singing for absolute beginnersCourse start date: Tue 14 Jul 2026 (and 2 other dates)
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 £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £79.00 - Ballet: technique and repertoire Course start date: Wed 15 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alexander SimpkinsThis is a great opportunity to learn sections of repertoire from a well-known classical ballet. These will be group or solo dances, including some mime sequences. As preparation, a condensed ballet class will be offered, focussing on technical aspects that will occur in our repertoire section. You should have attended regular ballet classes for at least 1 year and have good knowledge of classical ballet vocabulary.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £111.00 - Debating: intensiveCourse start date: Wed 15 Jul 2026
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.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £118.00 - Contemporary piano workshopCourse start date: Wed 15 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lewis Kesterton, Maya-Leigh RosenwasserThis four-week Summer School workshop will introduce you to the vibrant world of contemporary piano music (20th Century onwards). From extended techniques and minimalism to graphic scores and prepared piano, this course aims to demystify contemporary repertoire and open up a whole new dimension in your pianism!
Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £125.00 - Flamenco intensive (beginners) Course start date: Wed 15 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Danielle AllanImmerse yourself in the passionate world of Flamenco with this exhilarating intensive. Featuring a live guitarist you will learn basic Flamenco steps and rhythms to the enchanting sound of Flamenco music. No previous dance experience is necessary, making this perfect for anyone looking to experience the vibrant art of Flamenco.
Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £69.00 - Jazz piano: introductionCourse start date: Thu 16 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Della RhodesMeet the jazz idiom as you explore time feels and harmonic progressions at your piano. For pianists at grade 5 and above, with some knowledge of chord structures (triads and 7ths), these sessions in our pianos room will give food for thought and practice.
Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £59.00 Concession £59.00 - Piano: advanced performance workshop Course start date: Thu 16 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alexander BoydThe advanced performance workshop is for pianists playing at Grade 8 standard and above, comprising two three-hour sessions. This insightful class will address issues of interpretation and style as well as dealing with aspects of technique and performance practice.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £99.00 - Voice masterclass: the Patsy Rodenburg method Course start date: Thu 16 Jul 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lloyd WyldeA brief look at the great Patsy Rodenburg's celebrated work in an intensive voice and speech workshop spread over two sessions.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £99.00
Can't see a course you want?
Add this category to your waiting list to set up alerts and we will update you when new courses are released online.
Add me to waiting list