Cross School Project

The Cross School Project opens up the full breadth and diversity of creativity on offer at Guildhall and invites students to embark on a collaborative artistic adventure of their own choosing. 

Key Information:

Art form:

Multidisciplinary

Level of study:

Undergraduate
Mode of study:

In-person

Term:

Spring

About the Cross School Project

Established in 2011, the Cross School Project runs annually in the spring term and sees all undergraduate first-year students explore a subject that is beyond the boundaries of their regular training. 

Throughout February, staff from across the School lead a series of bespoke workshops in their area of expertise. Students sign up to whichever workshop sparks their artistic imagination and move freely across Guildhall’s departments and programmes, meeting like-minded fellow students and learning new skills. From photography to futurology and from sound walks to sewing skills, the Cross School Project invites students to go wherever their creativity curiosity takes them.  

The Cross School Project forges new, interdisciplinary communities of practice – introducing students to each other and sparking collaborative relationships that will long outlast their time at Guildhall. 

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2026 Programme of Workshops

  • Autoscenography: Seeking to spatialise and costume lived experience, led by Dr Susannah Henry
  • Collaboration, Community, and Creative Futures, led by Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh
  • Costume Designing for Dummies (pun intended), led by Katie Higgins
  • Creating Inside the Box: Making the Most of Limitations to Get Started with Electronic Music Composition, Production and Performance, led by Elif Yalvaç
  • Cultural Futures in a Broken World, led by Dr Sophie Hope
  • Experiments in Listening: Processes and practices for creativity in collaboration with environment, people and place, led by Nell Catchpole
  • Exploring Stop Frame Animation, led by Mark Hartley
  • Glee Club: Indulge Your Inner Gleek! led by Aled Pedrick
  • Image and Movement, led by Hansjörg Schmidt
  • Rituals - African Storytelling, led by Dr David Linton
  • Rules, Roles and Revolt, led by Jo Chard and Iona McTaggart
  • Soft Skills for Hard Art: Collaborate Without Losing Yourself, led by Pia Rickman
  • Sound Stories - aka Aural Soft Play, led by Simon Money
  • Steering the Machine: Co-Creating with AI, led by Dan Shorten
  • Survive and Thrive! led by Sean Gregory
  • Writing for Musical Theatre, led by Holly Wray

What previous students have said

Two student participating in a workshop
I got to know / make friends with people from different departments who I wouldn’t usually cross paths with
Previous student
Students participating in a workshop
..there is so much to learn from the other students at Guildhall and a lot to learn about yourself. Before doing the Cross School Project, I felt like I didn’t belong at Guildhall because it’s intimidating to be surrounded by so many talented people you don’t know, but now that I am more familiar with the community, I really feel a sense of home here.
Previous student
Two students participating in a workshop
It is what you make it, so make it amazing.
Previous student
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