City Academy Reviews 

I discovered CA back in 2021. I randomly found them on Google, did a weekend acting course but enjoyed the class so much that I kept coming back, and back, and back, and have so far completed multiple courses in Acting, Singing & Dancing.

So, what makes City Academy special?
1. I have found that the classes are clearly planned out and taught by people with real experience who genuinely care about your goals and want to help. Students are nurtured to find the best version of themselves. You are encouraged to ask questions if you don't understand. I've also found that the teachers will encourage you to email them if you have any extra questions even after the course has ended, which is so helpful!

2. Being inside Herbal Hill, walking the corridors past actors learning lines, hearing someone belting a musical song, glancing through a window and seeing a group of dancers rehearsing - I cannot describe it in words, but this environment is special.

3. When I was in secondary school, the head teachers sometimes seemed unapproachable. This could not be further from the truth at CA - every member of staff, regardless of hierarchy in the company, have been absolutely lovely. I had great conversations with a member of staff multiple times before I realised he was the owner of the entire company - which I hope highlights how down to earth the staff here are!

Let's be realistic - not everything is perfect. But I think what elevates City Academy higher is that they will go the extra mile to help fix any problems you might (rarely) have. They'll replace faulty tech when you're having issues. They'll help you find a new method to remember lines if you're struggling. They will try to cheer you up if you're feeling down. And importantly, they'll ask for your feedback and make changes to the courses if needed. Which is pretty much as perfect as you can get, in my eyes.

I'm proud to call myself a student of City Academy, and I'm so excited to take more classes and meet more awesome people. Thank you for creating such a beautiful space and culture!

I have completed a few dance courses with City Academy (beginner Jazz, beginner Ballet, Tap Improvers 1, Tap improvers 2), and I had a great experience every time. All the tutors are extremely knowledgable and experienced but also kind, supportive and making dance a fun environment. Classes were a great workout without feeling like it as being distracted with the dances the hours flew by. I’d really recommend for anyone looking for a fun way to improve their dance in London.

I attended the beginners screen acting course last summer and it was TERRIBLE! All they got us to do was improv a scene and then read a monologue (without learning it to the camera) we were only offered one very very small piece of advice. Absolute waste of money, highly don’t recommend. Since then I’ve attended professional courses elsewhere and have realised the difference I learnt way more in one hour at a different course (whose teacher was much more experienced) then I did at city academy and the course was a week long.

They provide good courses for Classic Ballet and other posture enhancing training, such as the Alexander Technique. I am also quite impressed with their customer service and willingness to help to make sure the students have a great experience and are happy with the courses they book. Nice new venue too in Clerkenwell: they’re just starting off there, and have refurbished and furnished it nicely

My second course fitted in around work.
Our tutor Ben was a natural coach, he built confidence in a great environment but always challenged us to try new stuff. Had such a fun time, learnt loads, and lucky that my fellow students were a great bunch.

Plan to sign up for another course soon.

If you are thinking about a course, just do it.

The Les Mis workshop was so much fun! At first, some of the warmups were a bit awkward as you had to interact with colleagues and act silly, but everyone was in the same boat and the tutors were so encouraging, we all relaxed after that. People had varying experience with singing levels so it wasn't too intimidating to put yourself forward because we were all amateurs. The acting was fun too. We laughed as we tried to coordinate the singing and dancing but in the end, it came together and we were pretty good!
The tutors Sarah and Alana were really approachable and didn't make anyone do anything that they didn't want to do.
Overall, it took me out of my comfort zone, I had fun and I felt really energized afterwards. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed my 'Storytelling for Business' course with City Academy. The day went very quickly but I found it incredibly useful and inspiring. Our trainer was very knowledgeable and adapted the training to fit the group's objectives and needs. This course got me out of my comfort zone, but that was exactly what was needed!

I had a one to one workshop with Kate on presence and impact. Kate was a kind and knowledgeable teacher and instantly put me at ease. She is intuitive and quickly identified the areas I needed to focus on, however she was equally quick to show me what I was already doing right. I feel like I learned a lot that day, especially in terms of posture and vocal presence. Being one to one meant that it was tailored to my requirements. I would recommend this course.

Very professional and very friendly. I would highly recommend the Accent Softening class, in particular for professionals like me for whom English is a second language.

We arranged a Halloween themed dance off for the team in our office! Firstly i have to say how fantastically well organised this was from start to finish! Andrea at City Academy arranged everything from the tutor, certificates and trophies. Oluwatsosin our tutor was absolutely fantastic, so professional and an AMAZING dancer! Oluwatosin taught us the Michael Jackson Thriller dance, and we all had an amazing time. This was definitely a wonderful team building event.

I attended the in-person Presentation Skills workshop at City Academy, I was so so happy to get back in a classroom after such a long time! The training was very impactful and made me realise how I can achieve great results even with small changes and habits. Would definitely recommend to introverts and extroverts both, it's an amazing opportunity to explore one's communication style and potential!

I had an online salsa lesson for beginners for an event at work, and we really enjoyed it! Our tutor was Lowri

Super day with Kate.
I attended an Advanced Presentation Skills course in October 2021. I had a super day and covered a lot of ground with Kate. I left with a number of learnings that I should be able to apply in my sales role. At the start of the day, Kate asked what I wanted to achieve. I feel pretty much every box was ticked by the evening.

This was a very informative class, with lots of resources and topics covered in a day. It was a small group so lots of opportunities to partake and speak up. Our tutor was eloquent and knowledgable. I feel like I took a lot of helpful tips from today.