The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts

• Location: Woking, Surrey, England,
• Year of foundation: 1911,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type of education: mixed.

The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts (Italia Conti) is a British theatre school offering acting, dance, and musical theatre programs for students over the age of 16.

Italia Conti Academy has been engaged in academic activities for over 110 years, giving it a strong influence on the art scene in the UK, a century of experience in nurturing rising talents — and a prominent place among the leading institutions in its field. A distinctive feature of Italia Conti is the small number of students: each year, a truly rigorous selection process chooses the best applicants in order to provide ambitious, talented and diligent students with the best conditions for developing their abilities. Among the teachers are experienced masters with their own achievements, each of whom pays individual attention to students both during classes and outside of school hours.

Italia Conti, named after the English actress and founder, is a member of the Federation of Drama Schools and has all the necessary accreditations to teach higher education programs at the bachelor's and master's levels.

Numerous hours of the educational process for each specialty are devoted to practical studying: students hone key skills in rehearsal studios, on the stages of the campus theater, and at external venues. Teachers are ready to dedicate time to developing their abilities outside the academic schedule, helping them find additional opportunities to reveal their talent.

Italia Conti Academy teaches Bachelor's and Master's programs in the following performing arts specializations:

• Acting,
• Dance,
• Musical Theatre.

Short-term certification programs and seasonal courses for school-age students are available.

Italia Conti Academy does not provide accommodation.

All their free time, Italia Conti students spend either in extra rehearsals or outside the campus: visiting public theaters and galleries, sightseeing, walking around Woking, which provides easy access to iconic locations in London and other regions. Throughout the academic year, students participate in numerous productions, concerts, and performances, which they often organize themselves; admission to these events is open to the public, giving students the opportunity to showcase their talent to a wide range of audiences and professionals.

• Member of the Federation of Drama Schools,
• Accreditation of the Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre (CDMT),
• Campus with modern practice facilities,
• Dozens of branches throughout the UK, including London, Guildford, Brighton.

The campus, which currently houses Italia Conti, opened in 2022 and is a purpose-built, two-story building of 48,000 sq. ft. located in central Woking, including 24 rehearsal studios for dance, music, acting, recording studios, and self-study classrooms. The practice rooms are equipped with sprung floors, double ballet bars, lighting and sound equipment, and a variety of props, as well as Kawai pianos. Group training and performances take place in an 80-seat black box theatre and outdoor venues: the Rhoda McGaw Theatre and the Buzz Theatre.

For relaxation on campus, the Student Center is open, offering separate areas for privacy and a kitchen with appliances for making drinks and snacks. There is also a gym in the main building where training takes place on aerial equipment, canvases, with hoops and other inventory.

Italia Conti Academy operates almost year-round, excluding weekends, national and international holidays. Main programs are taught on a semester basis:

• Autumn: September-December,
• Spring: January-April,
• Summer: April-July.

The list of additional expenses will include:

• Registration and administrative fees,
• Listening fee,
• Personal educational materials, including uniform,
• External exams,
• Some additional opportunities, such as performances at external venues,
• Medical insurance,
• Personal expenses.

The procedure for admission to the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts consists of several stages:

• Submitting an application with the required documents,
• Payment of the registration fee,
• Passing an audition according to your specialization: dance, monologue, short performance, musical performance, or other,
• Receiving a response from the admissions committee and preparing for the start of your studies.

Focusing on small group learning and individual support for each student, the school admits a very limited number of applicants.

Students of Italia Conti receive skills of the highest order, allowing them to successfully continue their education in other specialized institutions, easily begin careers on the stages of the West End and Broadway, on radio stations, in Netflix, BBC, Disney and other world-renowned film productions.

Depending on the chosen program, the requirements for applicants will vary, but the general criteria for admission of foreign applicants will be:

• Personal documents: international passport, health insurance, visa or residence permit,
• Academic transcripts from the previous place of study, diploma or certificate, national exam results,
• Language test results confirming English proficiency level B2 or higher.

Admission of candidates is based on the results of the assessment.

Italia Conti offers scholarships, which are considered for particularly outstanding applicants — they are selected from those who made a strong impression at the audition. The scholarship will cover part of the program cost for the first year of study.

Students also have access to external funding options: federal loans, deferrals, and scholarships from partner organizations.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision