Musical Theatre Academy

The Musical Theatre Academy

Motto	Rigorously Professional
Established	2009
Founder	Annemarie Lewis Thomas
Location	Bernie Grant Arts Centre Townhall Approach Road London N15 4RX United Kingdom
Gender	Mixed
Students	42
Website	Official Website

The Musical Theatre Academy (The MTA) is a drama college based in Islington, London.^[1]

College History

The MTA opened in 2009 by Annemarie Lewis Thomas^[2] running the UK's first accelerated learning programme in triple threat training.^[3] It is also the only UK Musical Theatre college to split its acting focus between stage and screen. In 2012, it was awarded The Stage 100 Award of School of the Year in 2012, who named them "a new force in drama training."^[4]

The academy was originally based at the Drill Hall (now the RADA Studios), before moving to 89 Holloway Road in 2011. In July 2015 the academy relocated to The Bernie Grant Arts Centre in Tottenham. Students receive a guarantee that their fees are spent on training, not on securing a profit, and consequently the academy was granted charitable status in 2012.

The college has been actively campaigning for better Mental Health provision within drama schools, and in 2016 hosted the #time4change conference, focussing on Mental Health within vocational colleges. In July 2016 it launched the #time4change Mental Health charter – which has over 100 companies signed up, including the Theatre Royal Stratford East, Rose Bruford College, Mountview, plus most of the major off West End production companies, along with over 60 major theatrical agencies.

Academic Year

The course runs over 4 terms per year with 40 hours contact time per week, with classes evenly divided between all three disciplines. As a key policy all of its staff are currently working in the industry at a level of the West End (London)No 1 UK touring circuit or the equivalent in their area.^[5] It produces public performances in an established off-West End venue every term – shows to date include the world premieres of Lia's Guide to Winning The Lottery (by Keren David, Paul Herbet and Andy Kaby), In Touch^[6][7] (by Dougal Irvine), Dangerous Daughters, Celebs Anon, The Sunshine Gang, The Ballad of Kitty Jay, Just the Ticket and The Venus Factor (all by Nick Stimson and Annemarie Lewis Thomas), Animus (by Webborn and Finn)

The academy is the only UK college to have a core policy of supporting new writing in the UK and regularly has composers coming in to work with the students on new material, such as Chris Passey, Dougal Irvine, Tim Sutton and Laurence Mark Wythe.^[8] The MTA sees itself as a college for life, providing their graduates with ongoing care, support and help.^[9] To date 100% of students have gained agent representation prior to graduating. ^[10] One of the academy's productions is Something Old, Something New – The Musical Theatre Revue'.^[11]

Performances

The students (as part of their training) are regularly seen in the West End in professional shows/concerts, and to date its students have backed Shoshana Bean, Patina Miller performed with Katherine Jenkins at the London Palladium, and sung on the album Lift by Craig Adams and Ian Watson.^[12] They have also provided the ensemble for the Tommy Gala at the Prince Edward Theatre, the MMD 20th anniversary Gala at the Novello, and Julie Atherton – No Space for Air at the Apollo Theatre.

References

External links

• Official website

Performing arts schools in the United Kingdom
Acting Academy of Live and Recorded Arts Arts Educational Schools, London Birmingham School of Acting Bristol Old Vic Theatre School Central School of Speech and Drama City Academy Drama Centre London Drama Studio London East 15 Acting School Guildford School of Acting Guildhall School of Music & Drama Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art The Manchester Metropolitan School of Theatre Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts Oxford School of Drama Pauline Quirke Academy Rose Bruford College Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama Stella Mann College of Performing Arts Tring Park School for the Performing Arts
Dance Bird College Central School of Ballet City Academy Elmhurst School for Dance English National Ballet School The Hammond School Laine Theatre Arts London Contemporary Dance School London Studio Centre Masters Performing Arts College Northern Ballet School Northern School of Contemporary Dance Pauline Quirke Academy Performers College Royal Ballet School Scottish School of Contemporary Dance Stella Mann College of Performing Arts Tring Park School for the Performing Arts Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance Urdang Academy
Music See: Music Schools in the United Kingdom
Musical theatre Arts Educational Schools, London Bird College Cambridge Performing Arts City Academy Guildford School of Acting The Hammond School Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts Laine Theatre Arts Leicester Performing Arts Liverpool Theatre School and College Masters Performing Arts College Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts Musical Theatre Academy Performers College SLP College Stella Mann College of Performing Arts Tring Park School for the Performing Arts Urdang Academy
Secondary Arts Educational Schools, London BRIT School Dance School of Scotland The Hammond School Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts Sylvia Young Theatre School Tring Park School for the Performing Arts
Former Bush Davies School of Theatre Arts

Coordinates: 51°32′52″N 0°6′23″W / 51.54778°N 0.10639°W / 51.54778; -0.10639