Court Theatre Training Company

Court Theatre Training Company is a compact specialist drama school in Hoxton, Shoreditch, central London, where it occupies The Courtyard Theatre. June Abbott, who had previously launched the Finborough Arms as a home for new writing, founded it in 1989. In 2007 the school relocated to The Courtyard, a functioning venue with a bar, rehearsal rooms and two theatres. The company describes The Courtyard as the UK's first professional theatre with a resident training company of its own, so students develop their craft within a working venue and side by side with industry professionals.

The school offers one programme only: an accelerated two-year BA (Hons) in Acting, which in 2014 took over from the former three-year honours degree and is validated by Buckinghamshire New University. Training rests on three strands, namely acting, movement and voice, combining classical and modern technique with business and employability skills. Teaching staff are working practitioners. Second-year students work under visiting directors drawn from established theatre companies and stage an industry showcase. The student body is small and closely knit, and the school belongs to the Federation of Drama Schools.

Information for International Students

International students at Court Theatre Training Company are sponsored under the Student visa route. Applicants who accept a place return a CAS request form together with scanned supporting documents. Only after a security deposit has been paid can the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies be issued. Where English is not the first language, IELTS 6.0 overall, or a qualification of equivalent standard, is normally expected, and the minimum entry age is 18.

Selection is by audition and interview. Each candidate prepares two contrasting speeches, neither longer than two minutes: one by Shakespeare or a dramatist of his era, and one from a play dating from 1980 or later. In-person auditions take place at The Courtyard Theatre itself and at outreach venues across the UK, so candidates from abroad should check arrangements with admissions. Applications may be direct or via UCAS, but successful direct applicants must also apply through UCAS. No in-house accommodation, pre-sessional English or foundation provision is advertised. Lacking track record status as a Student sponsor, the school cannot normally secure work rights or Graduate Route access for its visa holders; applicants should check this with admissions.