Established | 1911 |
---|---|
Type | Independent school |
Founder | Italia Emily Stella Conti |
Location |
Italia Conti House Goswell Road London EC1M 7AJ United Kingdom |
DfE number | 206/6162 |
DfE URN | 100461 Tables |
Gender | Coeducational |
Ages | 9–21+ |
Website | Official Website |
The Italia Conti Academy is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged from 10 to 19 years, and a theatre arts training school, based in London, England. It was founded in 1911 by the actress Italia Conti.
The academy grew out of the first production of the play Where the Rainbow Ends. Italia Conti, an established actress with a reputation for her success working with young people, was asked to take over the job of training the cast. The play was a triumph and the academy was born in the basement studios in London’s Great Portland Street.
The academy then moved to a church building in Conduit Street, however during World War II, the academy was bombed, destroying all early records. In 1972, the academy relocated to a building in Landor Road, Clapham. It was the home to all full-time Italia Conti pupils for 9 years.
In 1981, the academy grew and developed so much that it had to expand to Goswell Road in the City of London where the Junior and Musical Theatre courses are run. The BA (Hons) Acting course is still based at the site in Clapham.
The Acting course consists of three years of full-time professional training, offered to students from the age of 18. It is based in Italia Conti's Avondale Building in Clapham. The course is run by Chris White, with staff and directors including Kate Williams, Paulette Randall, Karen Henthorn, Dugald Bruce-Lockhart, Lawrence Evans, John Gillett and Anna Jordan. The three-year course is accredited by The University of East London and students graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Acting.
Its graduates populate the performance industries and it is this commercial edge that makes the BA (Hons) Acting programme unique. It is one of the country’s leading vocational actors training courses, with an emphasis on professional development and employability. The academy believes that acting is not just an art form but also a craft, and our students leave the course equipped with the skills necessary to take up meaningful roles within the profession.