Principal's Welcome

Central’s position at the forefront of training and research in theatre, film and television is world renowned.

In the reshaping of support for Higher Education in the UK, Central is one of very few specialist colleges, in the university sector, to be awarded ‘Exceptional Funding’. This brings a much enhanced level of contact time, production resource, dedicated studio and performance facilities beyond that which the student fee can sustain. We remain the declared Centre for Excellence in Training for Theatre, awarded by HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England) in competition with all the university departments and specialist drama colleges.

Uniquely placed as a dedicated conservatoire of drama within the widely acclaimed University of London, Central is a small but international community of theatre practitioners, drawn from some fifty countries across the globe. Our alumni are celebrated in all the major awards – the Tonys, Oscars, BAFTAs and Oliviers amongst them (indeed Lord Laurence Olivier was an alumnus himself). It is a community embracing the widest range of skills in theatre and media practice, with the largest postgraduate and research tier in our sector.

London is the undisputed theatre capital of the English speaking world. Central is well placed to access all the major theatres, studios and production centres, and has close working relationships with many of the most eminent companies, and with a great many smaller and more experimental groups. The contacts and experience to be made at Central have
ensured an unrivalled level of professional placement and work for our graduates.

We welcome you to Central.