SLP College is an independent, co-educational performing arts college based in

Garforth Garforth () is a town in the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It sits in the Garforth and Swillington ward of Leeds City Council and the Elmet and Rothwell parliamentary constituency. As of 2011, the popula ...

near

Leeds Leeds () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the thi ...

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exis ...

, England.

Overview

In 1974 Sandra A. Reid founded 'Sandra A Reid, School of Ballet and Theatre Dance' It initially offered classes for young children and was held in a small church hall before Reid purchased the first Studio La Pointe premises in around 1983. 'Studios La Pointe', was the predecessor of today's SLP College. Initially, it was a part-time dance school teaching children of pre-vocational age. In 1991, the studios moved to a former chapel closer to the centre of Garforth, and a full-time performing arts course was established, which became known as SLP College. The college is now recognised as one of the leading performing arts schools in the United Kingdom. It is accredited to the Council for Dance Education and Training, and is one of the 21 specialist performing arts schools selected to allocate government funded

Dance and Drama Awards The Dance and Drama Awards are a scholarship scheme which subsidises professional vocational training at some of the leading performing arts schools in the United Kingdom. Established in 1998, the awards are funded and regulated by the British G ...

. The college is based in a converted chapel, which has been extended twice in 2005 and in 2008. After 30 years at the helm, Reid retired as principal of the college in the summer of 2021; head of dance Kirsty Sparks and director of music James McCullagh now share the position as joint principals. Reid remains in post as CEO. In March 2023, Kenneth Avery-Clark took over SLP College as CEO and Principal.

Training

SLP College is one of a limited number of schools authorised to offer the National Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre, a three-year further education qualification devised and validated by

Trinity College, London Trinity College London (TCL) is an examination board based in London, United Kingdom, which offers graded and diploma qualifications (up to postgraduate level) across a range of disciplines in the performing arts and English language learning and ...

. The course is designed to develop practical skill rather than academic learning and so the qualification is rated at Level 6 on the

National Qualifications Framework A national qualifications framework is a formal system describing qualifications. 47 countries participating in the Bologna Process are committed to producing a national qualifications framework. Other countries not part of this process also hav ...

and is equal to some higher education degrees. Key areas of study include

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), its f ...

, tap,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

and

contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...

dance, singing and drama as well as contextual studies such as music appreciation and musical theatre history. Past students include

Verity Rushworth Verity Charlotte Rushworth (born 15 August 1985) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Donna Windsor in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 1998 to 2009, with a guest appearance in 2014. She has played many theatre r ...

References

External links

College Homepage
Education in Leeds Drama schools in the United Kingdom Dance schools in the United Kingdom Schools of the performing arts in the United Kingdom Theatre in Leeds Garforth Educational institutions established in 1974 1974 establishments in England {{Yorkshire-school-stub