Guildhall School Summer Schools 2026: Music, Drama and more in London
Experience high-quality teaching, creative exploration, and an inspiring summer of learning at Guildhall School of Music & Drama — ranked as number one in Arts, Drama & Music by the Complete University Guide 2025 and in the top four in the world for Music and Performing Arts by the QS World University Rankings 2026.
Guildhall’s Summer Schools offer engaging programmes in music, drama, production arts, writing, and more, designed for all ages and experience levels. Whether you’re exploring a creative interest for the first time or building on existing experience, our summer schools offer an a fun and supporting setting for learning in the heart of London.
Led by experienced Guildhall teaching staff and industry‑leading guest tutors, each course offers an insight into Guildhall combining expert teaching with creativity, collaboration, and enjoyment.
Where you'll learn
All in-person courses take place at Guildhall School's campus in the historic City of London, which includes the state-of-the-art venue Milton Court and the iconic Silk Street building — the same spaces used by Guildhall's full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students every day.
Our new residential drama summer school will take place at Freemen’s School in Surrey.
2026 Summer School Programme Highlights
Guildhall's summer programme spans music, drama, production arts, writing, composition, conducting and more. Below are some of the featured 2026 courses:
🎭 Residential Drama Summer School for Ages 13–17
A vibrant two-week residential summer school for young people passionate about acting and theatre-making, held at Freemen's School in Surrey — London's garden. The inspiring environment becomes part of the creative process, encouraging deep focus, creative exploration, and collaborative teamwor.
→ Book the Residential Drama Summer School
→ Find out more about our London acting summer schools
🎨 Summer Arts Course for Young Creatives
An immersive multi-arts experience for young creatives, combining performance and creative practice at Guildhall's London campus. Ideal for participants who want to explore multiple disciplines in one programme.
→ View all Under-18 Summer Schools
🎵 Composition Summer Course for Ages 14-21
This five-day course is a unique opportunity for participants to develop their composition skills and write a piece for a small instrumental ensemble. Participants will work with a composition teacher and performers on their own music and learn about writing for instruments and developing ideas.
🎵 Jazz & Rock Week
This six-day course is ideal for instrumentalists and singers who want to develop their skills in jazz and rock music, feel inspired and have lots of fun.
🎭 Introduction to Directing: First Steps
This three-day course will introduce participants to the role of a director. Through practical exercises and discussions, participants will work with a professional director and two actors to understand the collaborative role and process that is required of this exciting role.
Production Arts Summer Schools
For participants interested in the technical side of performance, we also offer summer schools in production arts — including sewing, video projection mapping, sound design and more.
Participation Bursaries
Participation bursaries are available for selected courses, providing financial support to those living in low-income households. Check eligibility on the Guildhall participation bursaries page.
How to enquire or book
For questions about any course, contact the Guildhall Short Courses team directly:
Booking deadlines apply and popular courses fill quickly. The deadline for Summer Schools is Friday 3 July 2026 at 5pm.
