The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts is a performing arts

conservatoire A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger ins ...

based in

Woking, England Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in northwest Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'' and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement o ...

. It was founded in 1911 by Italia Conti, an actress. The first production at Italia Conti Academy was the play ''

Where the Rainbow Ends ''Where the Rainbow Ends'' is a children's play, originally written for Christmas 1911 by Clifford Mills and John Ramsey. The incidental music was composed by Roger Quilter. ''Where the Rainbow Ends'' is a fantasy story which follows the journe ...

''. For that play, Italia Conti was asked to take over the job of training the cast. The academy then moved to a church building in

Lamb's Conduit Street Lamb's Conduit Street is a street in Holborn in the West End of London. The street takes its name from ''Lambs Conduit'', originally known as the ''Holborn Conduit'', a dam across a tributary of the River Fleet. Lamb's Conduit Lamb's Conduit w ...

. However, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the academy was bombed, destroying all early records. In 1972, the academy relocated to a building in Landor Road,

Clapham Clapham () is a suburb in south west London, England, lying mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, but with some areas (most notably Clapham Common) extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth. History Early history ...

. It was the home to all full-time Italia Conti pupils for nine years. In 1981, the academy started running Junior and Musical Theatre courses in Islington. The BA (Hons) Acting and CertHe Intro to Acting courses continued to be delivered from the Avondale site in Clapham, until all courses moved to Woking in August 2022. Italia Conti is a member of the

Federation of Drama Schools The Federation of Drama Schools functions to facilitate vocational drama training in the UK. It was formed in June 2017. History A formal organisation for drama training in the UK was first established with the Conference of Drama Schools (CDS) i ...

and accredited by the Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre.

Courses

BA (Hons) Acting

The BA (Hons) Acting Course, validated by the

University of East London , mottoeng = Knowledge and the fulfilment of vows , established = 1898 – West Ham Technical Institute1952 – West Ham College of Technology1970 – North East London Polytechnic1989 – Polytechnic of East London ...

and accredited by the

, is a three-year full-time professional actor's training for students over the age of 18. It is based in the newly build Italia Conti building in Woking, Surrey. The course is run by Bradley Leech (Head of School of Acting), with staff and directors including Kate Williams, Paulette Randall,

Karen Henthorn Karen Henthorn (born 1963) is a British character actress who portrayed the role of Teresa Bryant in the long-running British soap opera ''Coronation Street''. She appeared in the role briefly in 2007 and became a regular character in 2008. Her ...

, Dugald Bruce-Lockhart, Lawrence Evans, John Gillett and

Anna Jordan Anna Jordan (born 28 September 1979) is an English playwright, director, screenwriter and acting tutor. Her work has been presented at The Royal Court, Royal Exchange (Manchester) and internationally, with several productions of her plays in the ...

. Graduates of this programme include

Karla Crome Karla Patsy Crome (born 22 June 1988) is a British actress and writer, best known for her work on Sky Atlantic's '' Hit & Miss'', playing series regular Jess on E4's ''Misfits'', and appearances in a number of other television series and film ...

, Mark Ebulué, Jess Ellis,

Karen Gillan Karen Sheila Gillan (; born 28 November 1987) is a Scottish actress. She gained recognition for her work in British film and television, particularly for playing Amy Pond, a primary companion to the Eleventh Doctor in the science fiction ser ...

, Aisling Jarrett-Gavin,

Matt Lapinskas Matthew William Lapinskas (born 27 February 1989) is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Anthony Moon in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' from 2011 to 2012. He was a contestant in the eighth series of '' Dancing on Ice'', fini ...

, Carla Langley, Bethany Muir, James Nelson-Joyce, Racheal Ofori, Gemma Salter, Lucie Shorthouse,

Fiona Skinner Fiona is a feminine given name. The name is associated with the Gaelic traditions of Ireland and Scotland (through the poetry of James Macpherson), but has also become popular in England.. It can be considered either a Latinised form of the Gae ...

, Gary Trainor,

Nina Toussaint-White Nina Toussaint-White is an English actress who has acted in '' Casualty,'' ''The Bill, and EastEnders.'' Early life Toussaint-White was raised in Plumstead, south east London, Toussaint-White was educated at Plumstead Manor School and Negus Six ...

and Dwane Walcott.

CertHE Introduction to Acting

The CertHE Intro to Acting Programme, validated by the University of East London, is a one-year full-time preparation and foundation training for students aged 18+ who wish to explore an actor-training, or vocational courses within a performance-related field. The course operates alongside the BA (Hons) Acting Course in Italia Conti's Woking building, and was previously known as the Foundation Acting Course.

BA (Hons) Musical Theatre

The BA (Hons) Musical Theatre Course, validated by the University of East London, is a three-year full-time professional musical theatre training for students above the age of 18. The first intake of students for this programme was in 2018.

CertHE Musical Theatre Performance

Following the success of the CertHE Introduction to Acting course, the School for Musical Theatre & Dance validated a similar foundation course for Musical Theatre. The first student enrollment process for this course took place in 2021. It is a one-year full-time preparation and foundation training for students above the age of 18.

Diploma - Professional Musical Theatre

The Professional Musical Theatre Course is a three-year full-time course for students from the age of 16; validated by Trinity College London. It is designed for students who require an all-round training in performing arts. The emphasis is on training in the three main art forms; acting, singing and dancing.

Diploma - Professional Dance

The Professional Dance Course is a three-year full-time course for students from the age of 16; validated by Trinity College London. It is designed to provide students with a comprehensive training in all aspects of dance.

BA (Hons) Professional Arts Practice (Top Up)

Recognising the gap for students who had previous matriculated with a Diploma within the performing arts, but were without a HE degree, Italia Conti developed a course designed to be completed entirely through distance learning that would allow students to 'top up' from a Level 5 or Level 6 non degree qualification to a BA (Hons). The first intake of students for this course was January 2022.

BA (Hons) Dance

Newly validated in 2022.

CertHE Introduction to Dance

Newly validated in 2022.

MA/MFA Teaching & Coaching: The Spoken Word

Newly validated in 2022 and Italia Conti's first post-graduate course.

Previous Courses (no longer running)

Performing Arts with Dance Teacher Training

The Performing Arts with Dance Teacher Training is a three-year full-time course for students from the age of 16 and takes place at the Italia Conti Arts Centre. The course trains students to become performers and dance teachers by providing performing arts training and dance teaching qualifications. With the introduction of the ISTD ( Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing) qualifications in 2006, the academy provided students with the opportunity to take these examinations. The course follows the same path as the Performing Arts Course but also incorporates the teacher training by offering the FDI (Foundation in Dance Instruction) qualifications in

classical ballet Classical ballet is any of the traditional, formal styles of ballet that exclusively employ classical ballet technique. It is known for its aesthetics and rigorous technique (such as pointe work, turnout of the legs, and high extensions), it ...

, tap and

modern Modern may refer to: History * Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Phil ...

dance. This allows students to become qualified dance teachers to teach up to grade 5 in the ISTD syllabus. Aspects of the course include Dance, Acting, Singing, Contextual Studies and Additional Content such as ISTD examinations, PGCE work,

latin dance Latin dance is a general label, and a term in partner dance competition jargon. It refers to types of ballroom dance and folk dance that mainly originated in Latin America. The category of Latin dances in the international dancesport competi ...

, music, performance,

pilates Pilates (; ) is a type of mind-body exercise developed in the early 20th century by German physical trainer Joseph Pilates, after whom it was named. Pilates called his method "Contrology". It is practiced worldwide, especially in countries suc ...

, presentation and professional skills,

stage combat Stage combat, fight craft or fight choreography is a specialised technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet p ...

, video production and theatre in education production.

Theatre Arts School

The Theatre Arts School, also known as the ''‘Juniors’'', was a co-educational independent school for pupils aged from 10 to 16 years old. The Theatre Arts School was located firstly in the Avondale building in Clapham, London and then in then at Goswell House, Barbican, London. The school was accredited by the

Independent Schools Council The Independent Schools Council (ISC) is a non-profit lobby group that represents over 1,300 schools in the United Kingdom's independent education sector. The organisation comprises seven independent school associations and promotes the bus ...

and monitored by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. Pupils would follow an academic curriculum to ensure they graduated with qualifications whilst also studying a range of performance skills. In May 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, it was announced that the Theatre Arts school would close in the summer of 2021 after 109 years.

Buildings and facilities

Woking, Surrey (New Building)

In August 2022 Italia Conti moved to a new bespoke-built facility in Woking, Surrey. This facility brings together the School of Acting, which was previously delivered from the Avondale Building in Clapham North, London, and the School of Musical Theatre & Dance which was split between Barbican, London, and Guildford, Surrey sites.

Previous homes

The Academy

'Italia Conti House', commonly referred to as 'The Academy', was based in a former office block in

Goswell Road Goswell Road, in Central London, is an end part of the A1. The southern part ends with one block, on the east side, in City of London; the rest is in the London Borough of Islington, the north end being Angel. It crosses Old Street/Clerkenwell ...

, Islington, London. It was home to the Musical Theatre BA (Hons), Diploma courses and Dance Diploma Course. The Goswell Road campus also housed the Theatre Arts school until it closed in 2020. The building was set over nine floors and had 18 dance, acting and singing studios, equipped with

sprung floor A sprung floor is a floor that absorbs shocks, giving it a softer feel. Such floors are considered the best kind for dance and indoor sports and physical education, and can enhance performance and greatly reduce injuries. Modern sprung floors are ...

s, full length mirrors,

ballet barre A barre () is a stationary handrail that provides support for people during various types of exercise. Barres are used extensively in ballet training and warm up exercises, where such exercises are commonly referred to as ''barre work''. In a ba ...

s and sound systems. Italia Conti House had lecture rooms, academic school rooms, specialist classrooms, an art room, a video studio and editing suite, an IT suite, a resource library, first aid and treatment room, dressing room, student common room and a canteen.

Avondale

The BA (Hons) Acting and CertHE Intro to Acting courses were based in the 'Avondale' building, in

, London. The impressive Edwardian building was originally the home of all courses before the Theatre Arts School and Musical Theatre courses moved to Goswell Road. The building featured the Avondale Theatre and Sheridan Studio Theatre, six acting and movement studios, a fully equipped recording studio, a sound studio, a TV edit studio, green room, IT facilities, a library, property store rooms, dressing rooms and student social spaces.

Italia Conti Arts Centre

The Italia Conti Arts Centre was based in Guildford and housed the degree and diploma Musical Theatre courses as well as the Performing Arts with Dance Teacher Training Course. The Arts Centre had seven air-conditioned studios with sprung floor and mirrors. Other facilities at the Arts Centre include a dance wear shop, a recording and video studio with editing suite, a class room, lounge and cafeteria area, student common rooms and changing rooms. The building continues to be the base for Italia Conti Associates Guildford.

Italia Conti Associates

The Italia Conti Associate Schools offer a wide range of classes, providing students with the opportunity to receive a full and thorough training and learn a wide range of performance skills. Listed below are the locations of associate school branches which take place around the country and provide courses in part-time performing arts training: * Italia Conti Associates Battersea, London * Italia Conti Associates Bishop's Stortford * Italia Conti Associates Brighton & Hove * Italia Conti Associates Chislehurst at

Coopers School Coopers School is a mixed secondary school with academy status in Chislehurst in the London Borough of Bromley, England. The current Head of School is Claire Bessa. The school shares a site with the community special school Marjorie McClure. ...

, Chislehurst, London * Italia Conti Associates Guildford, Surrey * Italia Conti Associates Newbury at St Bartholomew's School, Newbury, Berkshire * Italia Conti Associates Newcastle * Italia Conti Associates Petersfield * Italia Conti Associates Plymouth at

Lipson Co-operative Academy Lipson Co-operative Academy (formerly Lipson Community College) is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form with academy status, located in the Lipson area of Plymouth in the English county of Devon. Previously a foundation school admini ...

, Plymouth, Devon * Italia Conti Associates Reigate at Reigate School, Reigate, Surrey * Italia Conti Associates Rugby * Italia Conti Associates Ruislip * Italia Conti Associates Tunbridge Wells at the Skinners School,

Royal Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in Kent, England, southeast of central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the High Weald, whose sandstone geology is exemplified by the rock formation High Rocks. ...

, Kent * Italia Conti Associates Woking at Italia Conti's main premises in Woking, Surrey

'School for Stars'

A CBBC series following pupils at The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts as they juggle the glamour and excitement of careers in TV, film and theatre with the highs and lows of school life. GCSE exams, tests, the school

prom A promenade dance, commonly called a prom, is a dance party for high school students. It may be offered in semi-formal black tie or informal suit for boys, and evening gowns for girls. This event is typically held near the end of the school y ...

and End of Year School Performance. Each series followed a set of students during the school term. The series mainly featured the Theatre Arts School (Juniors) as well as occasionally featuring students from the various 16+ courses. ''School For Stars'' first aired in 2011 and a third series began on 2 September 2013. The show is narrated by

Reggie Yates Reginald (Reggie) Yates (born 31 May 1983) is a British writer and director with a career spanning three decades on screen as an actor, television presenter and radio DJ. Yates played Leo Jones in ''Doctor Who'' and has worked at the BBC in ra ...

Alumni

In literature

The Italia Conti Academy was the inspiration for the drama school in '' At Freddie's'', a novel by

Penelope Fitzgerald Penelope Mary Fitzgerald (17 December 1916 – 28 April 2000) was a Booker Prize-winning novelist, poet, essayist and biographer from Lincoln, England. In 2008 ''The Times'' listed her among "the 50 greatest British writers since 1945". ''The Ob ...

, who taught at the academy in the 1960s.

References

{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1911 Schools of the performing arts in the United Kingdom Dance schools in the United Kingdom Drama schools in London 1911 establishments in England