Guildhall School of Music & Drama announces short courses for spring 2023

Acting Practice

Online and in-person evening courses for spring 2023 include acting, singing, creative writing for performance, music production, film music composition and jazz history.

Brand-new courses include: 

  • Introduction to Ableton Live, which will teach the fundamental concepts of music production software Ableton Live, including MIDI sequencing, recording, drum programming, audio sampling, FX and automation. 
  • Acting through Song, which will delve into the world of musical theatre, pop and folk singing and combine contemporary acting and singing techniques.

Returning courses include:

Priority booking is open from today, to the Short Courses & Summer Schools mailing list. The courses will go on sale to the general public at 11am Friday 28 October. The deadline for courses is 5pm Friday 20 January, 2023. 

There are 6 in-person and 5 online courses altogether, across music, drama and creative writing. Courses are for ages 18+ and will run for a duration of six and eight-weeks, at various times in the week from 6.30pm. 

Sign up to the Short Courses & Summer Schools mailing list to get priority booking for future new short courses.

In-Person Courses

The following courses will take place at Guildhall School of Music & Drama: 

Drama

Acting through Song
Tuesday evenings on 24 January–28 February, 7pm–9pm

This six-week in-person evening course will explore singing and acting through song. 
This practical course, which will see you delve into the world of musical theatre, pop and folk singing, will combine contemporary acting and singing techniques. 

Participants will be invited to workshop a song of their choice during the course, focusing on the singing or acting component introduced in the session. 

Further details can be found on the course page.

 

Introduction to Acting Practice, Level 1 
Tuesday evenings on 24 January–28 February, 7pm–9pm

This six-week in-person evening course for beginners, will explore what "good acting" might be and how actors can achieve it. During the six sessions, you will work with the course tutor to develop truthfulness and connection to text.

Further details can be found on the course page. 

 

Introduction to Acting Pratice, Level 2 
Wednesday evenings on 25 January–01 March, 7pm–9pm

This six-week in-person course will help you to further develop your work and grow as an actor. You will focus on building your confidence through regular scene rehearsals and group sharing, and will develop new ways to approach characters and connect to text, all within a small and supportive ensemble.

Further details can be found on the course page. 

 

Shakespeare: an Experiential Workshop, Level 2 
Wednesday evenings on 25 January–01 March, 7pm–9pm

This six-week evening course will take your classical acting to the next level in a series of fun sessions, that will equip you with tools to perfect your Shakespeare. Refresh your knowledge of the basics and dive into what it is that makes the sophisticated classical actor. The course will be divided between practical work, group discussion and lectures.

Further details can be found on the course page. 

 

Stanislavsky: A Practical Introduction
Wednesday evenings on 25 January–01 March, 7pm–9pm

This six-week evening course will equip you with acting techniques set out by Konstantin Stanislavsky, considered the father of modern acting. The course, which will encourage you to build and develop character through exercises created by Stanislavsky, is designed to take the fear out of what can sometimes come across as a daunting system.

You will be encouraged to have fun through play and imagination and will leave at the end of the six-weeks with a new-found confidence for how to approach a character from scratch.

Further details can be found on the course page. 

 

Creative Writing for Live Performance
Wednesday evenings on 25 January–01 March, 7pm–9pm

This six-week in-person course will develop your creative writing skills and provide you with inspiration to bring an idea for theatre to life. The course will focus on sparking ideas and creating theatre through text, with an active approach to creative writing that will bring writers away from their desks.

Further details can be found on the course page. 

 

Online Courses

The following courses will take place online via Zoom: 

Drama 

Reading Theatre: A Play a Week 
Wednesday evenings on 25 January–01 March, 7.15pm–8.45pm

This six-week online evening course will see you form your very own theatre book club. You will read a different play text each week, in your own time, and each session will give you the opportunity to discuss and explore it with your group, course tutor and industry professionals, including actors and directors. The plays will cover a range of playwrights, genres, styles and subjects.

Further details can be found on the course page. 

 

Music 

Music Production in Logic Pro: Beginner Course
Wednesday evenings on 25 January–01 March, 6.30pm–8pm

This six-week online course will cover the key techniques of digital music production, from audio and MIDI editing to recording, sound synthesis, and audio FX.

Further details can be found on the course page. 

 

Film Music Composition: Intermediate
Tuesday evenings on 24 January–28 February, 6.30pm–8pm

This six-week online course will develop your skills in writing music for a wide range of film genres. You can expect to learn how to write music for commercials, horror films, animation and fashion films. By the end of the course, you will have composed the music for several film clips. 

Further details can be found on the course page. 

 

Introduction to Ableton Live 
Tuesday evenings on 24 January–14 March, 6.30pm–8.30pm

This eight-week online course will teach you the fundamental concepts of music production software Ableton Live. With the support and guidance of electronic music producer Mel Uye-Parker, you will cover a variety of topics including MIDI sequencing, recording, drum programming, audio sampling, FX, automation and more. By the end of the course you will know how to compose and perform your very own track in Ableton Live.

Further details can be found on the course page. 

 

Jazz History: from 1959 to 1964 
Tuesday evenings on 24 January–28 February, 6.45pm–8.15pm

This online six-week evening course will give you an understanding of the development of musical ideas within jazz from 1959 to 1964. Through guided listening and analysis of solos and compositions, you will explore the various new styles during this period as well as some of the significant recordings that foreshadowed what was to come.

Further details can be found on the course page. 

 

Bookings 

Further details and fees can be found on the individual course pages.