The Conservatoire for Dance and Drama is a higher education institution in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 2001 to co-ordinate the activities of a number of affiliated schools providing higher-level vocational training in the performing arts. These are:
Within the Conservatoire there is a balance between the art forms of dance and drama, classical and contemporary styles, as well as the only provision for circus arts within higher education.
Each of the Conservatoire schools is a separate and distinct institution that employs its own teaching staff and remains legally autonomous. At the same time, students are registered jointly with the Conservatoire and the individual school.
The Conservatoire operates through a series of committees and working groups to determine policy for the schools as a whole. The schools themselves are involved at every level of deliberation within the Conservatoire, enabling them to share knowledge and expertise for the benefit of staff, students and the wider creative world that they serve.
The Conservatoire was placed fourth in the Guardian's University Guide 2012: Specialist Institutions League Table.
In the 2011 National Student Survey, 90% of respondents said they were satisfied with their course.