Guildhall School of Music & Drama announces Spring Evening Courses for 2024

Guildhall School's new Spring Evening programme for ages 18+, consists of 14 evening courses across music, drama and creative writing. 

The programme includes 11 in-person evening courses, which will take place at Guildhall School, and three online music courses in composition and music production, which will take place over Zoom. 

All courses will take place during weekday evenings from January–February 2024, except for Introduction to Acting Practice, Level 2 which will run until March 2024. 

Courses are aimed at a range of levels – from beginners, right up to industry professionals – and will offer participants the chance to learn new skills, develop a passion and meet like-minded people across all ages and backgrounds.

New Evening Courses include:

• The Secrets of Stagecraft, for theatre goers and play lovers who want to understand more about the craft behind making a performance.
• Monologues: Connecting to the Text, for anyone who has a passion for acting and would be interested in applying for Drama School or equivalent programme, as well as actors who are looking to improve their monologue technique or skills.
• Introduction to Directing: Preparing for Rehearsals, for anyone interested in an introduction to directing plays, with emphasis on the preparation required and how to apply this practically within the rehearsal room.
• Acting Funny, for anyone interested in exploring comedy performance, including actors wanting to find the comedy within their performance, comedians who want to improve their stage presence and everyone in between! 

The booking deadline for Spring Evening Courses is 5pm, Friday 19 January 2024, or when the course reaches full capacity. 
 

The following courses will take place at Guildhall School: 

Drama 

Acting Funny
Tuesday evenings, 23 January–27 February 2024, 7–9pm
Ages 18+

This new six-week evening course will explore comedy and humour for performers. Throughout the six-weeks you will learn practical techniques to successfully draw out the comedic elements of your performance.

Further details can be found on the course page. 

Introduction to Directing: Preparing for Rehearsals 
Wednesday evenings, 24 January–28 February 2024, 7–9pm
Ages 18+

Join this new six-week evening course led by Olivier Nominated theatre and film director Amy Hodge, for an introduction into directing for theatre. You will learn key techniques in order to analyse text and understand character objectives, make performance decisions and apply these in the rehearsal room.  

Further details can be found on the course page. 

The Secrets of Stagecraft 
Wednesday evenings, 24 January–28 February 2024, 7–9pm
Ages 18+

This new six-week course will focus on different ways of analysing theatre, and empowering participants to talk about their experience as an audience member. The course will enable you to think like a professional theatre maker, analyse like a reviewer, and gain the tools to be an expert of your own opinion.

Further details can be found on the course page. 

Monologues: Connecting to the Text
Tuesday evenings, 23 January–27 February 2024, 7–9pm
Ages 18+

Walk into that audition room with confidence! This new six-week evening course will empower you to command any audition room and provide you with the tools to unpack even the most challenging script.

Further details can be found on the course page. 

Acting through Song
Tuesday evenings, 23 January–27 February 2024, 7–9pm
Ages 18+

This six-week 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.

Further details can be found on the course page. 

Introduction to Acting Practice, Level 1 
Tuesday evenings, 23 January–27 February 2024, 7–9pm
Ages 18+

This six-week 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 Practice, Level 2 
Wednesday evenings, 24 January–13 March 2024, 7–9pm
Ages 18+

This eight-week evening 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. 

Improvisation, Level 1
Wednesday evenings, 24 January–28 February 2024, 7–9pm
Ages 18+

Join this exciting six-week evening course for fun and enjoyable evenings of comedy and drama improvisation. Meet and learn with like-minded individuals and brighten up your week while enhancing your skills in creative thinking, teamwork and storytelling.

Further details can be found on the course page. 

Writing 

Creative Writing for Live Performance, Level 1
Tuesday evenings, 23 January–27 February 2024, 7–9pm
Ages 18+

This six-week 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. 

Music  

Writing for an Orchestra 
Wednesday evenings, 24 January–28 February 2024, 7–9pm
Ages 18+

This six-week evening course will introduce you to the fundamentals of orchestration and the pivotal role it can play in the communication of musical ideas. You will learn how to write idiomatically for the instruments of the orchestra, as well as how to balance and blend them with one another.

Further details can be found on the course page. 

Music & Drama 

Singing for Beginners 
Wednesday evenings, 24 January–28 February 2024, 7–9pm
Ages 18+

This eight-week evening course for beginners, will introduce you to singing and a number of techniques and exercises that will help to build confidence while improving your voice. Led by vocal coach Esi Acquaah-Harrison, the course will cover breathing, vocal warm-ups, dynamics in singing and explore colour, texture and expression in song.

Further details can be found on the course page.

The following courses will take place via Zoom: 

Music 

Music Production in Logic Pro for Beginners
Wednesday evenings, 24 January–28 February 2024, 6.30pm–8.30pm, GMT (UTC+/-0)
Ages 18+

This six-week online course for beginners 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 for Beginners 
Tuesday evenings, 23 January–27 February 2024, 6.30pm–8.30pm, BST (UTC+/-0)
Ages 18+

This six-week online evening course will equip you with an understanding of how to write music for film. You can expect to analyse scenes from different films and explore how a particular genre of music complements a film visual.

Further details can be found on the course page. 

Introduction to Ableton Live 
Tuesday evenings, 23 January–27 February 2024, 6.30pm–8.30pm, BST (UTC+/-0)
Ages 18+

This six-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.  

Further details can be found on the course page. 

Bookings

Further details and fees can be found on the individual course pages.
Join the short courses mailing list before Thursday 26 October to receive priority booking.
Public booking opens 11am on Monday 30 October.  

Give the Gift of a Guildhall Short Course

Short Courses make a great present for that special someone. To give someone the gift of a Guildhall Short Course, fill in the booking form with the details of the person attending the course.  Make sure to use your email address on the booking form, as you will receive a confirmation email when the place is booked. Contact shortcourses@gsmd.ac.uk in advance of the course, so that the necessary information can be sent out to the recipient.