Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Programs and prices, tuition fees in Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Bachelor
- Age — from 18 years old,
- The duration of study is from 3 years.
Specialty:
- "Music",
- "The Art of Production",
- "Live Performance Video Design"
- Digital Design & Production,
- "Acting".
Master
- Age — from 18 years old,
- The duration of study is from 2 years.
Specialty:
- "Fine Arts",
- "Orchestral Mastery"
- "Artist-Master of Performance",
- "Music Therapy"
- Theatrical Production and Design.
Short-term courses and summer schools
- Age — from 18 years old,
- The duration of the training is 6 weeks (January-March, evening classes).
Specialty:
- "Acting Through Song"
- "Creativity for a live performance",
- "Musical Composition for Films (for Beginners)",
- "Improvisation"
- Introduction to Directing: Preparing for Rehearsals
- "Monologues: Connection with the Text"
- "Singing for Beginners".
Description of Guildhall School of Music & Drama
- Location: City of London, England,
- Age of students: from 4 to 18 years old,
- Type of study: mixed,
- Language of instruction: English.
The Guildhall School of Music & Drama is a vibrant international community of musicians, actors and production designers in the heart of the City of London. Founded in 1880, the school was the first public college of music in the UK. Today, more than 1000 students study at the London campus.
As a world leader in creative and professional practice, the school encourages innovation, experimentation and research, and is one of the UK's leading providers of continuing education in the performing arts. The Guildhall School of Music & Drama offers inspiring education for children, youth, adults, creative and business professionals.
Scientific achievements
At Guildhall School, special attention is paid to the research activities of students and teachers. At the heart of scientific advances are fundamental questions about creativity that span a wide range of musical and dramatic disciplines.
The Guildhall School's significant investment in research has yielded substantial returns in the form of increased activities and clear results. 56% of the school's research activities are recognized as leading in the world by national assessment, including 100% of its research impact.
In 2020, Guildhall opened the Institute for Social Impact Research in the Performing Arts, a hub designed to bring together like-minded colleagues working on projects that have the potential to make a positive contribution to the community.
Things to know about
The Guildhall School of Music first opened its doors on September 27, 1880, housed in an abandoned warehouse in the city.
Now, the Guildhall School of Music & Drama has been ranked first in Arts, Drama, and Music by the Complete University Guide 2024, one of the world's top ten institutions for the performing arts by the QS World University Rankings 2023, and ranked first in the music league by the Guardian University Guide.
The Guildhall Symphony Orchestra and Choir perform regularly at the Barbican Hall (with a capacity of up to 1943 seats), and chamber musicians give recitals there as part of the renowned LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists series.
The Milton Court Concert Hall is the largest concert hall of the Conservatory in London, equipped with modern technical equipment and acoustics.
Accommodation, meals, prices
Sundial Court School Building, located on Chiswell Street, is home to the school's residence and offers a diverse range of accommodation options for students. The building comprises a total of 176 bedrooms distributed among 39 apartments, providing flexibility to cater to different preferences and needs. These apartments come in configurations of 3, 4, 5, or 6 bedrooms and feature shared kitchen facilities equipped with a dining area. Each apartment also includes a shower room and a separate toilet. Additionally, all rooms are furnished with internet access to meet students' connectivity requirements.
For music students, there is a provision to study in their bedrooms during specified hours. The residence enjoys convenient proximity to various local amenities, including supermarkets, bars, restaurants, and sports facilities. Furthermore, the presence of two nearby metro stations makes it easy for students to explore the city.
The ground floor of the building is home to several useful facilities aimed at enhancing the students' experience. These include a school bar, a launderette, rehearsal rooms, and a communal TV room, providing students with both leisure and practical resources.
When assigning rooms at Sundial Court, priority is given to students with disabilities or medical conditions that have a substantial and ongoing impact on their daily activities. For students with specific needs, an apartment has been specially designed to cater to wheelchair users, featuring an equipped kitchen and bathroom, as well as an announcement system to assist students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
The residence is under the round-the-clock supervision of the Registration Service, ensuring the safety and security of both residents and the building.
For students who prefer alternative accommodation arrangements beyond Sundial Court, the Student Life Officer is available to offer guidance and support in finding suitable housing options within the city. This may involve providing resources such as lists of available rooms from private landlords, contact information for students seeking potential housemates, recommendations on various accommodation types, and insights into the cost of living in London.
Activities Guildhall School of Music & Drama
The Guildhall School of Music & Drama is located in the heart of the City of London, students live next to the world-famous Barbican Centre, within walking distance of the River Thames at London Bridge. In close proximity to the Sundial Court residence are the vibrant financial district of the Bank, the fashionable districts of Shoreditch and Spitalfields, the historic St Paul's Cathedral and the Clerkenwell Design Centre.
The Sundial Court building houses a team of Residential Assistants who provide support to each student. A key part of their role is to encourage a sense of community among the residents of the residence, and throughout the year they organize a variety of social events, from trips to the market to visits to museums, movie nights and sports clubs.
All new international students are invited to join the Student Experience team for a special orientation event before the start of the new academic year. This orientation event will provide an opportunity to get to know staff and other students, learn about the services and support available. Topics covered in the introductions include: international student life, money matters, health and welfare, study skills, cultural awareness, and safety.
Guildhall students are entitled to discounts on almost all tickets to leisure activities, discounts in shops, restaurants and public transport. For students from abroad, guided tours are offered, which will help you navigate the city in the future. Other major European cities are easily accessible by train or plane.
Facilities and equipment at Guildhall School of Music & Drama
The Guildhall School of Music & Drama has 3 buildings located within walking distance of each other:
- Silk Street is part of the unique and architecturally famous Barbican complex in the City of London. The building offers a cozy music hall, a special hall for lectures, a theater, theater workshops and laboratories, electronic music studios, recording and sound studios, more than 40 study and practice rooms.
- Milton Court is a world-class performance and educational facility. It houses a modern concert hall, a lyrical theater, a theater studio and several main rehearsal halls.
- Sundial Court is a residence for living.
In addition, the school has a small building with 44 more rooms for teaching and rehearsals.
The Guildhall School of Music & Drama concerts are held at the Guildhall's five public performance venues, which have excellent acoustic properties and a large audience capacity. These include:
- The Milton Court Theatre is a proscenium arch theatre with a fully automated control system that is unparalleled in theatre schools around the world. Capacity: up to 223 people.
- A theater on Silk Street that supports a wide range of productions. There is a counterweight in the hall, thanks to the large orchestra pit, the main operas and musicals of the Guildhall school are staged here.
- The Milton Court Concert Hall is an impressive concert hall with world-class acoustics that can accommodate up to 608 people. The concert venue consists of a system of automated lifts that allow concerts to be held in a variety of formats - from solo performances to rehearsals with a full symphony orchestra.
Study and leisure facilities include a library, two student lounges, two cafés and a quiet lakeside terrace. Guildhall students have access to one of the UK's leading performing arts libraries, state-of-the-art studio and IT resources.
Admission dates and extra charges
The academic year lasts from September to June and is divided into 3 trimesters:
- Autumn (September – December),
- Spring (January – March),
- Summer (April – June),
- The summer holidays last for two months – July and August.
Additional costs:
- Entrance (registration) fee,
- Non-refundable deposit – 15% of the tuition fee,
- Nutrition
- Transfer
- Leisure and recreation,
- Household expenses.
Enrolment process
The admissions campaign at Guildhall School starts around January, with the application deadline being September.
The application is submitted online: Candidates who have already submitted their application can track the progress of the review, update their contact details, view details about their audition/interview, and access their course information. The application and its fee must be received by the application deadline so that they can be processed. Payment of entry fees must be made at the same time as the application is sent.
When an applicant applies to Guildhall School and meets the criteria for admission, they will be offered an audition, interview, evaluation of their application and portfolio, designed to determine achievement and potential. The Guildhall team will contact the applicant to provide information about the various documents that will need to be provided both to complete enrollment and to obtain the visa that the future may require to come and study.
Enrolment statistics
Of the 1,000 students enrolled in Guildhall School's higher education programmes, 35% come from outside the UK, representing more than 40 countries around the world.
Perspectives
The Guildhall Alumni Association is a huge community in the performing arts industry and a powerful network that supports students on their career paths and beyond. The alumni team helps students further connect with the Guildhall and each other throughout their lives, share experiences, and take advantage of exclusive offers, events, networking, and volunteer opportunities. The Guildhall Alumni Association's social media channels provide weekly updates on career opportunities and upcoming castings.
Entry requirements, how to apply, what is required to enrol
Guildhall School recognises a wide range of international qualifications and curricula. The main requirements for international students are:
- A passing score in high school, and for postgraduate programs, the equivalent of a bachelor's degree.
- Performance ability and creative or technical talents – demonstrated at the time of application. Additionally, an audition or interview may be scheduled.
- The level of English set by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). Non-native English speakers must achieve a minimum overall score of 6.5 on the IELTS Academic Preparation Exam.
Scholarships Guildhall School of Music & Drama
The school offers a wide range of scholarships to students regardless of where they live. These scholarships are supported by a variety of generous donors, including city charities, trusts and grant-making foundations, businesses, and individuals. Awards are given to individual students based on their talent, potential, and personal financial need.
In addition, Guildhall has an Office of Student Affairs that provides wealth management advice and limited financial aid to students who are facing unexpected financial difficulties. Regulated funds such as the Emergency Support Fund and the Emergency Loan Facility are available. Applications for funds must be documented.
Institution on the map
Residence permits, citizenship and other services
- Guardianship services during the studies
- Student supervision
Review about Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Recommendations on when to apply
Language courses, schools and children's language camps | Primary and secondary education - private schools | Preparation programmes for entering universities - higher education | Higher education (after completing accredited programs A-level, IB, High School) - Bachelor, Master, MBA |
- we recommend to apply 6-9 months before the start of the course (some camps and schools offer discounts for early booking or for lengthy study programs) - there are some very popular and high demand children's camps, where the applications need to be submitted 1 year in advance (in particular Switzerland , Great Britain , USA , Canada , Austria) | - we recommend to apply one year before the start of the training program, - some schools have a specific time frame (September-November - please specify an individual school) - some schools require tests in several stages (UKISET, internal tests of the school: English, mathematics, logics, subjects, interview, some require a personal visit) | - we recommend to apply one year before the start of the program, - for Foundation and Pathway programs, IELTS and TOEFL certificates are usually required, respectively | - recommended submission one year before the start of the program, - the deadline normally closes in January, for TOP HEIs and, as a rule, in March in other universities - for a bachelor, a Foundation or Pathway preparatory program a completed A-level, IB, High School + IELTS / TOEFL are required - for Masters you need a graduated higher education, in some cases you need a pre-Masters program - MBA requires completed higher education, work experience preferably at least 2-3 years, etc. |