Short Courses FAQs

Guildhall School is located in the very heart of one of the most exciting cities in the world.

Our in-person short courses take place across the School’s campus, including our state-of-the-art venue Milton Court and our iconic Silk Street building. Local off-site spaces may occasionally be used. The School is situated a stone’s throw away from a number of central London attractions such as the Barbican Centre, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Museum of London, among others.

Silk Street Building
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Silk Street
Barbican
London
EC2Y 8DT

Milton Court Building
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Milton Court
1 Milton Street
London
EC2Y 9BH

Our online short courses are accessible to participants from all over the world. They use platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Moodle to host live sessions and resources. Further details are specified on individual course pages and 'how to' guides are sent in advance of the courses. 

Yes, participants who attend at least 80% of the classes will receive a digital certificate of attendance at the end of the course, featuring the Guildhall School’s logo, stating the course and the period when they attended. But please note that our short courses are not accredited, there is no formal assessment and no qualification issued at the end of the courses.

Our evening course Introduction to Arts Evaluation is CPD accredited.

For more information on our cancellation and refund policy, please refer to the refund and cancellation policy within the Short Courses Terms and Conditions.

Please send an email to shortcourses@gsmd.ac.uk ahead of time to inform us if you are going to be late or absent.

You should do this as early as possible so we can assure our team have updated the registers and made the tutor aware.

Meals are not provided as part of the courses unless specified in the course description. There are many options of shops and cafes available locally.

Many of our short courses are open to people of all experience levels, and you only need to complete the online booking form and payment to confirm your place. 

Some more advanced level courses require you to apply by answering a few questions about your relevant experience or to submit an audio or video recording to demonstrate your ability. 

To learn more about the entry requirements for each course, please visit the dedicated course page.

Generally, if you have no experience, or have been away from your study for a number of years – we would encourage you to look at courses with Beginner, Level 1 or Introduction in the title.

Please see the individual course page to check the age range of a short course.

Our short courses open to adults do not have a maximum age limit. Our courses attract a diverse mix of participants, from young adults in their late teens and twenties to learners in their sixties and beyond. Our tutors are skilled at fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone. While we can’t guarantee the age range of any specific group, we can assure you that it’s always the perfect time to start learning something new. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to ask more questions about the age range of participants on a specific course. 

Most courses do not require preparation in advance, but where preparation is required we will send out details before the start of your course.

Any materials or equipment needed for a course will be listed on the individual course page under 'Do I need anything for the course?'.

We aim to schedule our courses during common school holiday periods wherever possible, as we want to make them accessible to as many students as we can. However, this isn’t always feasible due to room availability and other operational constraints.

You do not need to apply for a short course, you can book directly online from the individual course pages by clicking on the Book Now link.

Some courses may require an application before you can book. Details and application links can be found on the individual course pages.

Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. A course will close if maximum capacity has been reached. Places are limited on courses, so early booking is advised.

For the majority of courses, bookings will close one week before a course is due to start or as soon as the courses reaches full capacity. Courses with a longer application process (such as Composition Summer Course) will close earlier. 

If spaces are available, you will be able to book the course via our website. Once the course has reached maximum capacity, this will be noted on the website course page and a waiting list will be available for you to join.

To book on a short course, you must click on the Book Now link on the course webpage and complete the booking form as well as make the payment via our online payment service. Once you have successfully paid and booked on a short course, you should receive an automated email to confirm that you have been successful in booking your course. This may get filtered to your junk mail or spam – so please remember to check. 

You will receive your course information one to two weeks ahead of the course start date. This includes all the information you will need to attend the course including details of advance preparation if this is required.

Our participants’ safety is our priority. By giving us emergency contact information, you can ensure that should anything happen to you/your child during our courses – we will be able to contact someone to make them aware.

Our booking form accommodates a wide range of courses and age ranges. We ask for your age to ensure that you are in the correct age group for the course you have booked.

Yes, you can purchase a place on a course as a gift to somebody else. Please fill in the booking form with the details of the person attending the course rather than the person booking it. You can then proceed through to the payment section and make the payment yourself.

If you would like to keep the gift a secret in the first instance, please use your email address on the booking form as you will receive a confirmation email when the place is booked. You will then need to provide the attendee's email address in advance of the course to us so that the necessary information can be sent out. Please contact us to update the contact details to those of the attendee.

All short courses participants will be asked to register with our information desks on the first day of their course. Participants under the age of 18 can be accompanied by their parent/guardian who can stay during the registration process. We will then escort the participants to their classrooms/welcome briefing for the start of their course where they will be joined by the other participants and the course tutors(s).

Parents/guardians can stay in the cafés in the Silk Street and Milton Court buildings when they are open or in the reception areas of those buildings. For building security, parents/guardians may be asked to wear a lanyard to be easily identifiable by our security team. Please talk to a member of the Short Courses Team if you have any questions.

Parents/guardians can collect their child/ward from the reception area in Silk Street and the box office area in Milton Court.

Consent forms will be sent to parents/guardians of participants under the age of 18 ahead of the course start so that the level of permission regarding leaving the School’s premises can be informed by the parent/guardian. 

Short courses participants, Guildhall School staff and students. Only those with allocated access are permitted to enter certain areas of the buildings. This includes going beyond certain doors which lead to performance venues and classrooms. This is for the safety of everyone in the building, and we ask that parents/guardians and unauthorised visitors do not attempt to enter these areas. We always have Short Courses staff on hand to allow for young people to gain access to their classroom during sessions. 

To participate in online classes you will need the following:

• An email address
• A reliable internet connection
• A laptop/tablet/desktop computer with a microphone and camera (most have these included)
• Speakers/headphones (the speakers in your laptop/tablet/computer should be sufficient for most courses)
• A fully updated web browser able to use the most up to date version of Zoom, or a fully updated Zoom client

For some courses (e.g. music performance, sound engineering) you may find an external microphone or good quality headphones useful. These will be indicated on the course page.

Additional materials or equipment may be required for some courses, for example, a set text. Details can be found on individual course pages.

Specific platforms are used to deliver these courses such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Moodle. These are detailed on the course webpages and all are free to access.

Courses consist of a variety of content including live online sessions with course tutors, forums to discuss topics with other participants, and access to specifically created resources.

Your username is the email address you used to sign up for the course.

There is a 'Forgot Password' link under the login box on Moodle. This will allow you to reset your password.

Please watch this video to learn how to login on Moodle.

An online information session will be scheduled before the course start so that technical issues related to the use of Moodle can be resolved ahead of the course. Participants will be sent an invitation to join the information session online before the course starts.

Our online classes are designed to be participated in live. It is important that our participants are able to engage with each other and the tutor.

We completely understand that online learning is difficult for some participants. If you suffer from mental health conditions, or a medical condition, you should mention this in your  booking form ahead of the course and/or can email us at shortcourses@gsmd.ac.uk. During the session, you can also message the tutor on Zoom to let them know that you will be sitting with your camera off.

Please ensure you have read through the PDFs you were sent ahead of the course, but if you don't see your issue addressed here, please contact us and a member of our team will respond as soon as possible.

Guildhall Short Courses are open to all - anybody can book them (subject to the entry requirements), whether domestic or international applicants and the course fees are the same for everybody.

Please check the individual courses pages to find out about age range, course fees, dates, course content and more information. 

Classes are taught in English so it is important that you have sufficient English language skills to cope with the course demands. All courses require good speaking and listening skills, and some courses also require good writing and reading skills (for example, those courses working with complex texts such as Shakespeare).

We do not require proof of language qualifications, but we would recommend that all participants should have at least B2 proficiency as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This is roughly equivalent to IELTS level 6 and above.

For courses working with complex texts, we would recommend all participants have at least C1 proficiency, or IELTS level 7 and above.

If you are not sure if your English skills are sufficient, CEFR has a self-assessment table for English that may help you decide.

Please note that translation assistance is not available.

You may need to obtain a visa prior to entry to the UK if you are a visa national or upon entry to the UK if you are a non-visa national. It is each participant’s responsibility to have the right documentation. If you do not have a valid visa, you will not be allowed to study at Guildhall School.

The UK government has a visa checking tool, which recommends the type of visa you will need to apply for and the appropriate documentation you will need for entry into the UK.

Further information on the restrictions and conditions associated with each type of international student visa is available on the UK Council for International Student Affairs website.

If you live outside the UK, you are not entitled to free NHS healthcare. You should take out appropriate personal health or travel insurance before travelling to the UK. Please also check if a reciprocal healthcare agreement exists between the UK and your country.

Further information can be found on these webpages:

• How charges for NHS healthcare apply to overseas visitors (UK Government website)
• Visitors from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) (NHS website)
• Visitors from EU countries, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland (NHS website)
• Please also check if a reciprocal healthcare agreement exists between the UK and your country.

We do not have a service for collection or drop off at airports or train stations. Participants are required to make their own arrangements to travel to Guildhall School.

It is each participant’s responsibility to have the right documentation for study in the UK.

If you are from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you do not need a visa to study in the UK for courses up to 6 months if you are studying at an accredited institution.

However, you should check the UK government website to ensure you have the appropriate documentation for entry into the UK. The UK government has a visa checking tool, which will confirm your visa-free status and what documentation you need to bring.

Further information can be found on the UK Government website under Studying in the UK: guidance for EU students.

The Short Courses Team is committed to providing an inclusive and secure environment for all participants.

• Our team undertakes regular safeguarding training and includes qualified first aiders and mental health first aiders.
• Our Short Courses Team is safeguarding-trained and holds enhanced DBS certificates.
• Our Short Courses Team will be present on site throughout the day to supervise participants.
• Members of the Short Courses Team will be stationed on the premises to assist with navigation and general enquiries during the day.
• Short Courses Assistants will be present during breaks on the School premises outside of scheduled course activity.
• Participants who are not permitted to leave the premises unaccompanied must sign in and out each day with a member of the Short Courses Team.
• Participants will be briefed on evacuation and safety procedures during registration.
• More information about supervision for participants under the age of 18 will be sent in advance of the courses.

The wellbeing of all participants and staff is our priority. If a participant is feeling unwell or experiencing symptoms of illness, please notify a member of the Short Courses Team as soon as possible so we can provide appropriate support. To protect the health and safety of the group, we reserve the right to ask any participant who is unwell or whose condition may pose a risk to others not to attend or to leave the course. In such cases, we will discuss options for support and next steps with the participant.

Although there are no restrictions surrounding COVID-19 guidelines now, we do ask that if you test positive that you do not attend class and try to stay at home as a way to prevent the virus spreading to others.

If your child needs to contact you and cannot do so themselves, they should talk to a member of the Short Courses Team. We will use the contact details provided on your booking form.

To update your details, email shortcourses@gsmd.ac.uk with your child’s name and new information.

Accommodation isn't available on our courses.

We are pleased to welcome participants from across the world to our programme. Our course fees do not include accommodation or food, and these should be organised by the participant. Our campus is located in London city centre. 

For participants under 18 years old, we strongly advise travelling with a responsible adult should any emergency situations arise during class. Participants are only monitored by staff during class times.
Please see below a list of alternative accommodation providers near the School, please note that Guildhall School of Music & Drama holds no business affiliations or partnerships with accommodation providers, and therefore cannot take responsibility for participants outside of teaching hours. 

Alternative Accommodation 2026

We are offering one course off-site as a residential course in 2026, which is our Residential Drama Summer School for Ages 13-17, please note that this course (accommodation and course teaching) takes place in Ashtead, Surrey. 

No, we do not have a service for collection or drop-off at airports or train stations. You will be required to make your own arrangements to travel to Guildhall School.

No meals are included. 

Short Courses Assistants are current Guildhall School students or recent graduates. They are fully DBS checked and receive safeguarding training.

Our Short Courses Assistants are present during courses to supervise short courses participants outside of scheduled course activities and during breaks.

We offer a number of Participation Bursaries on selected courses that are available to applicants who meet our eligibility criteria.

If you are not eligible for a participation bursary, you can try searching for funding opportunities on the following websites:

UK STUDENTS

• British Council: study-uk.britishcouncil.org/scholarships
• Unigrants: www.unigrants.co.uk
• Money Saving Expert: www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/grants-education/

US STUDENTS

• Finaid: www.finaid.org
• Fastweb: www.fastweb.com

FOR OTHER NON-EU INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

• UK Council for International Student Affairs: www.ukcisa.org.uk

No, participants cannot record the sessions, participants must not use audio or visual recording equipment during courses. 

The unauthorised use of professional equipment for photographing, filming, recording or transmitting (by digital or other means) any audio, visual or audio-visual material is strictly forbidden.

Photography and recording by attendees at concerts and events is not permitted. This includes the use of mobile phones, cameras, or any other recording devices. We ask all attendees to respect performers and the audience experience by refraining from taking photos or videos during these activities. A non-downloadable recording of selected concerts will be available for all participants and attendees for up to one month after the event. 

Any personal photographs or video recordings taken by participants during their course are strictly for private use and must not, under any circumstances, be posted on the internet or be used publicly in any way. Please ensure you have the explicit consent of all individuals featured, including other participants and tutors, before taking or sharing any images or recordings.