Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance

Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance stands in South East London, formed in 2005 by the merger of Trinity College of Music and Laban Dance Centre. It occupies three campuses in Greenwich, Deptford and New Cross, training students in classical music, jazz, popular music, composition, musical theatre, contemporary dance, dance science, choreography and music education. The conservatoire has 1,250 undergraduate and postgraduate students and runs programmes for young dancers aged 12 to 17 and young musicians aged three to 19. It has academic partnerships with institutions including Beijing Dance Academy and the University of Melbourne, and industry partnerships with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Studio Wayne McGregor. The principal is Professor Anthony Bowne, and A. R. Rahman serves as Honorary President. The conservatoire’s roots go back to 1872, when Henry George Bonavia Hunt founded the Church Choral Society in central London to improve church music teaching. The college moved to Greenwich in 2001, taking up residence in King Charles Court in the Old Royal Naval College, a building designed in part by Sir Christopher Wren. The Laban Dance Centre began in Manchester in 1945 as the Art of Movement Studio, later relocating to Addlestone and then to New Cross in 1976. Dr. Marion North played a key role in its development, serving as Director from 1973. The merger created the first UK higher education institution dedicated to both music and dance. Visitors to Trinity Laban find a lively conservatoire with purpose-built studios, recital rooms and performance spaces across its three campuses. King Charles Court in Greenwich retains masonry from the Tudor palace, while the Deptford and New Cross sites host contemporary dance studios and music rehearsal spaces. The conservatoire’s public events include concerts, dance performances and open days, showcasing work by students and visiting artists. Its location near the Old Royal Naval College and Greenwich Park offers easy access to London’s cultural and historic attractions. The building’s refurbished interiors reveal layers of history, from Tudor brickwork to 19th-century additions.