A word from the Principal

Welcome to the Conservatoire’s new website. It was one of my central aims when appointed Principal 18 months ago to take the outstanding creative education we deliver here to the wider community, and this website aims to provide a much more detailed insight than previously into what makes the Conservatoire such a special place. It also gives a flavour of the range of opportunities available to learners, not just in the Conservatoire itself, but increasingly in other settings locally and regionally.

For over 135 years, the Conservatoire has had at its heart a desire to provide inspiring and life-enhancing opportunities for people of all ages to develop their creative potential. We believe that the arts have the power not only to enrich, but to transform lives, and this vision drives everything we do. As this website develops, it will become a virtual hub for creative discussion, sharing ideas, developing good practice, and sharing the work of our learners and Tutors.

We are also working on building a robust system for online booking and payments alongside our software developers, and this will be introduced in 2019. 

We not only believe in breaking down barriers to participation in the arts, but also taking the power of creative expression to everyone who would benefit from it. This is why we work with bumps to centenarians, and why we insist that the quality of our delivery in a community setting is every bit as good as that experienced at the Conservatoire.

Whatever your age, needs or previous experience, we believe that an outstanding creative education is based on:

• A positive, supportive and high expectations environment
• A love of learning and creative expression fostered by outstanding Tutors
• A culture of praise, celebration and collaboration
• An individual approach to each learner which helps you make great progress

I hope you will find plenty of interest in this new website, and gain a fuller appreciation of what we offer. Please do come back regularly to keep up to date and follow our progress as we fulfil our ambition to transform lives through art, music and drama. Whatever stage you are in your creative journey, from babies to retirees, the Conservatoire has a course to challenge, inspire and enhance your life. We look forward to seeing you soon. 

John Keeley

Principal