- /
- About
Our History
Since 1911, Italia Conti has played a defining role in the development of professional performing arts training in the UK. Founded by actress and educator Italia Emily Stella Conti, the institution has continuously evolved to meet the changing needs of the industry while remaining rooted in a belief in rigorous, multi-disciplinary training.
Origins and Founder
1911–1918
Italia Conti was founded by the actress Italia Emily Stella Conti following her success in providing the first recorded formal training for a group of children cast in the West End production of Where the Rainbow Ends, produced at the Savoy Theatre in 1911 by Charles Hawtrey.
Recognising the need for structured training for young performers, Italia Conti gave up her acting career to devote herself fully to teaching children to dance, sing, and act. The school’s earliest home was a basement studio in Great Portland Street, London.
In 1918, Italia Conti was invited by the Minister for Education to sit on an advisory committee regarding regulations affecting children on stage. Her influence was pivotal in changing the 1903 Employment of Children Act, leading to the licensing of child performers being transferred from local magistrates to the individual child’s Local Education Authority, which remains in place today.
Early Growth
1918–1939
As the school’s reputation grew, so did its scope. What began as a stage school for young actors expanded to offer training across multiple disciplines and age groups. Italia Conti became distinctive within the sector for embracing secondary, further, and eventually higher education alongside vocational training.
In 1930, Italia Conti spoke of her ambition to create an academy where academic education and stagecraft coexisted side by side. This vision shaped the ethos of the school, emphasising well-rounded training that continues to influence the curriculum today.
In 1931, Italia Conti’s niece, Ruth Conti, herself a gifted singer, joined the school. Together they oversaw rehearsals, tours and teaching, by this time based in Lambs Conduit Street, London.
War and Resilience
1939–1945
Despite the outbreak of war in 1939, the school continued to produce performers for the British theatre and film industries. Ruth Conti joined the ATS and was placed in charge of troupe entertainment.
On 10 May 1941, the school’s building was destroyed during German bombing. Fortunately, the cast and children were away on tour at the time. Training continued uninterrupted, with the school relocating temporarily to Bournemouth before returning to London as conditions allowed.
Rebuilding and Reform
1945–1959
Following the war, Ruth Conti secured new premises at 12 Archer Street in the heart of London’s theatre district. The building required extensive fundraising, planning permission, and reconstruction.
The reopening of the school marked a significant shift. General education was formally integrated into the curriculum for up to four hours per day, and annual assessments were introduced. Students were required to demonstrate readiness before progressing, a model that later became standard practice across performing arts institutions.
In 1959, Where the Rainbow Ends was performed for the final time after a forty-eight-year run, during which it raised funds for numerous charitable organisations through the Rainbow League.
Defining a Training Ethos
1960–1968
Under new management, following Ruth Conti’s decision to pass responsibility to Eve and Don Sheward in 1968, Italia Conti gained recognition from the Department of Education and Science. This milestone enabled access to Local Education Authority discretionary awards, opening training opportunities to students from a wide range of social backgrounds.
During this period, Italia Conti’s commitment to all-round, triple-threat training came under threat. Proposals that students train separately in each discipline ran counter to the school’s ethos. Eve Sheward successfully challenged these proposals, resulting in formal recognition of multi-skilled performing arts training and securing accreditation that would shape the sector for years to come.
Expansion and Recognition
1968–2000s
The school moved to Avondale in Clapham in 1960. Expanding in 1994 to the Barbican Building for the Junior School and Musical Theatre courses. In 1994, the BA Hons Acting programme was established and later accredited by the NCDT. The curriculum was expanded to include more performance opportunities, contextual studies, and the innovative Personal and Professional Development provision, now widely adopted across the sector. The introduction of Dance and Drama Awards enabled access to means-tested funding.
In 1994, the BA Hons Acting programme was established and later accredited by the NCDT. The curriculum was expanded to include more performance opportunities, contextual studies, and the innovative Personal and Professional Development provision, now widely adopted across the sector. The introduction of Dance and Drama Awards enabled access to means-tested funding.
The school also expanded its part-time provision, founding the Italia Conti Associate Schools in 1995 and establishing a Charitable Trust to support scholarships for gifted students. A successful television documentary centre around the School’s Centenary, School for Stars, further raised the school’s profile.
Italia Conti Today
2004–Present
Leadership and Legacy
Throughout its history, Italia Conti has been shaped by visionary leaders who have remained committed to the founder’s core values while adapting to the evolving demands of the performing arts industry. From Italia Conti herself to Ruth Conti, Eve and Don Sheward, and now Samantha Newton and Hayley Newton Jarvis, each generation of leadership has built upon the school’s legacy of excellence.
Today, Italia Conti continues to honour its founder’s legacy by providing world-class training that combines traditional techniques with contemporary innovation. The institution remains dedicated to discovering and nurturing the next generation of performers, maintaining the standards of excellence that have defined it for over a century.
