Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance

About Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance

Trinity Laban was created in 2005 when Trinity College of Music merged with the Laban Centre. The resulting institution brings music and contemporary dance into one specialist conservatoire, while also offering musical theatre and interdisciplinary work. It operates as a registered charity and remains active for the 2026–27 academic year. Its official calendar lists Welcome Week beginning on 7 September 2026 and teaching terms extending into July 2027 for some dance cohorts. The student experience differs from that of a large multidisciplinary university. Teaching, rehearsal, performance, research, and student services are distributed among specialist buildings in southeast London. Music activity is centred in Greenwich, dance in the Laban Building in Deptford, and musical-theatre activity in New Cross. Applicants should examine the location and daily timetable for their particular programme because cross-site collaboration may require local travel. The institution’s defining feature is the combination of conservatoire training and higher-education study. Performance and creative practice sit alongside contextual, pedagogical, and research work. Students may encounter collaboration between disciplines through performances, projects, and the annual CoLab period. Trinity Laban awards its taught degrees under its own powers; its MPhil and PhD programme is validated by City St George’s, University of London. That distinction matters for doctoral applicants reviewing the formal awarding arrangement.

Admission is programme-specific and normally tests artistic suitability as well as academic preparation. Applications for many performance programmes are submitted through UCAS Conservatoires, after which applicants may complete an audition, interview, portfolio review, or other selection task. Music and dance use distinct audition procedures, and late music applications are considered only when Admissions confirms that places remain. Applicants should read the current course and audition pages together because repertoire, recorded-material, interview, and supporting-document requirements differ by discipline and level. The official application page displays separate deadlines for music and dance, but candidates must verify that a displayed date applies to their intended entry year and course before submitting. Research applicants apply on a different timetable: the current Research Degree Programme lists 1 October 2026 for January entry and 30 April 2027 for September entry. A suitable proposal and alignment with available supervision are central considerations for research admission. English requirements also vary by level. The published minimum for undergraduate degree-level entry is IELTS 5.5 in each component. Most postgraduate programmes require IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in every component, while the research programme requires 6.5 or above in all four components. Equivalent qualifications may be accepted as specified by Trinity Laban. International applicants requiring a Student visa must also complete the institution’s CAS and immigration-document process after receiving and accepting an eligible offer.

Trinity Laban’s degree-level portfolio spans undergraduate, postgraduate taught, and research study. Current undergraduate examples include the BMus (Hons) Music Performance, BA (Hons) Contemporary Dance, BA (Hons) Musical Theatre, and BA (Hons) Music Performance and Industry. Integrated foundation-year routes are available in selected areas. Postgraduate music provision includes the MMus, MA Music Education, MA Music Education and Performance, and specialist diploma routes; dance and creative-practice options include master’s and MFA study. Applicants should rely on the individual course page for the exact award, duration, mode, curriculum, and 2026–27 fee. Training is practice-led but not limited to performance. Depending on the course, study may incorporate composition, choreography, creative collaboration, pedagogy, contextual studies, research methods, performance science, or professional development. The official research overview identifies activity in performance, choreography, composition, musicology, collaborative arts, transcultural collaboration, music and dance science, and performance education. The Research Degree Programme offers MPhil and PhD pathways in creative practice, dance studies, musicology, collaborative arts studies, dance or music science, and pedagogy. Candidates normally work with two supervisors and receive research-skills training, seminars, and opportunities to present work. Registration may be full-time or part-time, with January and September intakes. Because research degrees are externally validated, prospective candidates should understand both Trinity Laban’s supervision environment and City St George’s role in the final award.

Key Highlights

• Independent specialist conservatoire combining music, dance, and musical theatre
• Formed in 2005 through the merger of Trinity College of Music and the Laban Centre
• Taught degrees are awarded by Trinity Laban; research degrees are validated by City St George’s, University of London
• The 2026–27 calendar begins with Welcome Week on 7 September 2026

Student Life & Environment

Student life is organised around a community of performers, makers, researchers, and teachers rather than a single residential campus. Welcome Week includes registration, a Freshers’ Fair, Students’ Union activities, and opportunities to meet staff and classmates. Performances, rehearsals, collaborative projects, and the annual CoLab period provide much of the institution’s social and creative rhythm. Trinity Laban offers student-services support covering wellbeing, disability, finance, and accommodation. Its counselling service is free to undergraduate and postgraduate students and operates at the principal music and dance sites. Disability support may include reasonable adjustments, accessible assessment arrangements, learning technology, and help during the application and audition process. Applicants who need adjustments should contact the institution early enough for arrangements to be considered. Housing is not automatically supplied to every student. Trinity Laban advises on halls and private rentals but states that students remain responsible for making their own arrangements. For September 2026, rooms at Ironworks House include allocations reserved or prioritised for specified groups, while remaining rooms are assigned according to application timing. Students should budget for deposits, advance rent, transport, and the possibility of private renting. Housing availability and contract terms should be checked directly before committing to a course.

Location & Surroundings

Trinity Laban is based in southeast London across sites in Greenwich, Deptford, and New Cross. Music students are primarily associated with King Charles Court at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, while dance study is centred at the purpose-built Laban Building in Deptford. Musical-theatre teaching is associated with Laurie Grove in New Cross. This distributed arrangement gives students access to distinct specialist environments, but it is important to check where individual classes, rehearsals, and performances take place. The surrounding districts have supermarkets, markets, cafés, pharmacies, bookshops, and local transport connections. Central London’s performance venues and wider cultural sector are accessible, creating opportunities to attend events and develop professional networks. Those advantages come with practical tradeoffs: London housing can require an early search, and regular travel between accommodation and teaching sites adds to living costs. Applicants comparing housing should consider late rehearsals, accessibility needs, journey time, and whether a property offers a workable route to their main faculty building rather than judging distance from central London alone.

Costs & Career Outcomes

Tuition varies substantially by programme, study level, duration, and Home or international fee status. Trinity Laban places the applicable 2026–27 amount on individual course pages and warns that fees for multi-year programmes may rise after the first year. Applicants should therefore build a course-specific budget rather than assume one conservatoire-wide price. Possible additional costs include audition or application charges, instruments or equipment, performance clothing, materials, travel, visa and immigration expenses, and London accommodation. For students entering in 2026, the institution’s payment guidance set 8 June 2026 as the deposit deadline for international students, self-funders, and students on programmes not eligible for student loans. That date has passed as of this profile’s August 2026 research date and should not be reused for a later intake. New applicants should obtain the deadline and refund terms attached to their own offer. Housing costs also require separate verification: Ironworks House requires a deposit and advance rent before move-in, while private landlords may request a guarantor or rent in advance. Career preparation is embedded in a professional performing-arts setting, but outcomes depend heavily on discipline, portfolio, networks, and freelance readiness. The Careers service provides guidance and advertises opportunities, while some programmes include placements or professional-development activity. Prospective students should ask how their course supports auditions, teaching work, portfolio careers, self-employment, and further study. International students must distinguish career support from immigration permission and follow the work conditions attached to their visa.