Propel Pathway
The Propel Pathway is a pilot project that will offer eligible students in Year 12, who are supported by Guildhall Young Artists or Future Talent, up to 35 hours of support to prepare them for conservatoire audition.
Propel Pathway is supported by Purposeful Ventures.
What is the Propel Pathway?
Propel is designed for eligible students in Year 12 (or equivalent) that are supported by Future Talent or Guildhall Young Artists who intend to apply to study BMus at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Propel provides up to 35 hours of tuition, workshops and mentoring to support participants with applying to classical performance programmes at Guildhall School of Music and Drama for 2028 entry.
Propel Pathway
Applicants must be:
- Supported by Future Talent or Guildhall Young Artists
- Current year 12 pupil (or equivalent stage of education)
- State-educated for the entirety of their education
- Living in a household with an annual income below £39,000
- Intending to apply for the BMus programme in the Strings, WBP, Vocal or Keyboard departments for entry in September 2028
Propel is designed to prepare participants for the competitive conservatoire audition process through a 9-month programme of support:
| 12th Dec 2026 | Propel launch at GSMD |
| January - July 2027 |
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| 15th - 16th Feb 2027 | 2-day GSMD experience |
| April - July 2027 | 3 hours online tuition with GSMD student or alumni |
| July/ Aug 2027 | Mock audition and next steps meeting |
There are 12 places available on Propel. You can apply from anywhere in the UK, travel and accommodation can be provided for participants based outside of London for on-site activity.
Applications can be submitted HERE.
The application form will close at midday on 12th October 2026.
Applications will be assessed for eligibility. Eligible applicants will be invited to submit an audition video via a freely available service (e.g. Youtube or Vimeo), to be assessed by the Music department. The applicant should play/perform two contrasting pieces in their audition video.*
Successful applicants will be invited to join the Propel Pathway towards the end of October.
*For more information about the audition video please refer to the document below.
Propel Audition Guidance.pdf
Participants will apply to Guildhall School via the Supported Application Scheme for 2028 entry.
If we receive more applications than we have places for, the Music department will consider and prioritise the following:
- Potential demonstrated in the audition tape, prioritising those with the promise to improve
- Representation across all participating departments, ensuring at least one per department where possible
- Instruments that are high priority for the School and that may have scholarship support attached
- Applicants that have an IMD Q1 or Q2 postcode or who have flagged they receive Free School Meals.
- The level of tuition and support an applicant has previously received, prioritising those who have experienced less support and who will most benefit from the opportunity
- The written statements in the Propel applications, considering the applicants’ reasons for applying
Further information
Participation in Propel does not guarantee entry to Guildhall School’s degree programmes.
Up to 35 hours of support is available. The participant will be required to manage their time and liaise with relevant staff to ensure their tuition is booked in within the allocated time frame.
Only applicants/prospective applicants to the Strings, Vocal, Keyboard and Wind, Brass and Percussion departments are eligible for the Propel Pathway.
The content of the tuition and support will be at the discretion of the Music department and tailored to the specific needs of the participant.
Participants are expected to adhere to the evaluation requirements of the project.
Should Guildhall School find that a participant is no longer eligible for the support, their place on Propel will cease immediately.
The Propel Pathway is supported by Purposeful Ventures as part of their Music & Arts portfolio. You can find out more about the work of Purposeful Ventures HERE.
