The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, also known simply as Italia Conti, is a

drama school A drama school, stage school, or theatre school is an undergraduate and/or graduate school or Academic department, department at a college or university, or a free-standing institution (such as the drama section at the Juilliard School) that ...

based in Woking, England. It was founded by the English actress Italia Conti in 1911. Italia Conti offers courses in acting, musical theatre, and dance, catering mostly for 16+ and 18+ students through its higher education programmes, and for younger learners (3–18 years) through its Associate Schools and pre-vocational courses. 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) ...

formerly Drama UK, and accredited by the Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre (CDMT). Italia Conti was a member of

National Council for Drama Training The National Council for Drama Training (NCDT) was a partnership of employers in the theatre, broadcast and media industry, employee representatives and training providers from 1976 to 2012. History The National Council for Drama Training (NCDT ...

(NCDT) before the organisation dissolved in 2012. Originally based in London, the institution has occupied various premises throughout its history. In August 2022, Italia Conti consolidated its operations into a new facility in Woking, Surrey, which includes specialised studios for dance, acting, and musical theatre, as well as recording and television production spaces.

History

In 1981, the academy started running Junior and Musical Theatre courses in

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

. The BA (Hons) Acting and CertHe Intro to Acting courses continued to be delivered from the Avondale site in Clapham. In August 2022, all courses moved to Woking for Harry Potter.

Courses

Main Provision

The following courses taught at the academy were validated by the

University of East London University of East London (UEL) is a public university located in the London Borough of Newham, London, England, based at three campuses in Stratford, London, Stratford and London Docklands, Docklands, following the opening of University Squar ...

, and accredited by the

. * BA (Hons) Acting Course, introduced 1994, a three-year full-time professional actor's training for students over the age of 18. * CertHE Intro to Acting Programme, a year-long full-time course that serves as a preparation and foundation training for students aged 18 and above, formerly known as a Foundation Acting Course. * BA (Hons) Musical Theatre Course, introduced 2018, a three-year full-time professional musical theatre training for students above the age of 18. * CertHE Musical Theatre Performance, introduced 2021, a one-year full-time preparation and foundation training for students above the age of 18. * BA (Hons) Professional Arts Practice (Top-up), from 2022, allowing students to progress from a Level 5 or Level 6 non degree qualification, to a BA (Hons).

Theatre Arts School (for Juniors)

The Theatre Arts School, also known as the ''‘Juniors’'', was a co-educational

independent school A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a State school, public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their fina ...

for pupils aged from 10 to 16 years old. The Theatre Arts School was first located in the Avondale building in Clapham, London and 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 private schools in the United Kingdom. The organisation comprises seven independent school associations and promotes the business interests of its ...

and monitored by the

Independent Schools Inspectorate The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) is approved by the Secretary of State for Education – under section 106 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 – to inspect private schools in England. These schools are members of associations, whi ...

. 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 facility in Henry Plaza,

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

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

. 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 that was split between Barbican, London, and Guildford, Surrey sites.

Previous locations

* Great Portland Street, London, 1911-1930. * Church building in

Lamb's Conduit Street Lamb's Conduit Street is a street in Holborn in the West End of London, 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 Cond ...

, 1931-1941. * 12 Archer Street, London, 1945-1972. * Avondale,

Clapham Clapham () is a district in south London, south west London, England, lying mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, but with some areas (including Clapham Common) extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth. History Ea ...

, 1960-2022. * Landor Road,

, London, from 1972 * Italia Conti House, ('the academy'), 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/Clerkenwel ...

, London, 1981-2022. * The Italia Conti Arts Centre in

Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, England, around south-west of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The nam ...

, which housed Musical Theatre and Performing Arts with Dance Teacher Training Courses.

Italia Conti Associates

In 1995, the Italia Conti Associate Schools were founded, which deliver the same style of courses as in the main academy. 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 Chislehurst () is a suburban district of south-east London, England, in the London Borough of Bromley. It lies east of Bromley, south-west of Sidcup and north-west of Orpington, south-east of Charing Cross. Before the creation of Greater ...

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 site is on land between Chislehurst Common and the National Trust ...

, Chislehurst, London * Italia Conti Associates Guildford, Surrey * Italia Conti Associates Newbury at

St Bartholomew's School St. Bartholomew's School (known colloquially as St Bart's) has been a non-selective local comprehensive school since 1975. It is a co-educational state funded academy school whose predecessor schools were founded in 1466 in Newbury, Berkshire ...

, 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 admin ...

, 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 (formerly, until 1909, and still commonly 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 Weald, High Weald, whose sand ...

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

'School for Stars'

CBBC CBBC is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 to 12. Its sister c ...

series entitled ''School for Stars'' followed pupils at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, showcasing the school's activities and featuring events from the students' day-to-day lives. Each series followed a set of students during the school term. The series mainly featured the Theatre Arts School (Juniors) and occasionally featured students from the various 16+ courses. ''School For Stars'' first aired in 2011, and a third series began on 2 September 2013. The show was narrated by

Reggie Yates Reginald Yates (born 31 May 1983) is a British television presenter, actor, 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 wo ...

References

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