London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art

History

The London Academy of Music was established by Henry Wylde in 1861 in St. James's Hall; there were separate sections for men and women. Teaching began on 15 November 1861, at which time the cost per annum was 15guineas, or £15 15s 0d. Students of all ages "with a decided talent, or showing an aptitude for learning" were admitted. It was a performance of Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3.

Providing training for, and examinations in, various musical disciplines was originally the dominant purpose of the institution. However, providing instruction in spoken English quickly became a core area of the academy's work.

In the 1880s, LAMDA began offering speech examinations to the public. Since then, these examinations have been refined and developed into a comprehensive system of performance evaluation. LAMDA Examinations has emerged as the largest Speech and Drama Board in the United Kingdom.

In 1904, the school was amalgamated with two other London music institutions that had sprung up since the academy was founded, namely the London Music School (founded 1865) and the Forest Gate School of Music (founded 1885) renamed in 1906 the Metropolitan Academy of Music. (The Metropolitan Academy of Music severed its links with the London Academy of Music in 1907.) Henry Yorke Trotter, who had been the sole proprietor of the London Music School since 1897, became Principal of the Academy of Music from 1904 until his death 30 years later.

In due course the Hampstead Academy was also amalgamated. The name was changed to the current name in 1935, under the direction of Wilfrid Foulis. In 1939, it was moved from London due to the war; when it reopened in 1945, it no longer provided musical training. However, singing has remained integral to LAMDA's actor training and in 2023 it introduced a new MFA Musical Theatre programme.

LAMDA was previously an associate member of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama, having joined in 2004, and received funding through the Conservatoire from the Office for Students. It left the Conservatoire on 31 July 2019 to become an independent institution, and now receives funding directly from the Office for Students and Research England. LAMDA is a member of Conservatoires UK - an elite group of drama and music schools in the United Kingdom.

In August 2021 it was announced that Sarah Frankcom would step down as Director, and that LAMDA was conducting a search for a successor. In August 2022, LAMDA announced that Professor Mark O'Thomas had been unanimously appointed by the board of trustees as principal and chief executive, with Dr. Philippa Standberg-Long appointed as head of actor training.

Facilities

In 2003, LAMDA decided to move its teaching school and theatre to its current location in Hammersmith in West London. It acquired the old premises of the Royal Ballet School on Talgarth Road.

The move to the Talgarth Road enabled LAMDA to develop a campus with new training facilities designed by Niall McLaughlin Architects. The site was previously home to the Royal Ballet School, which moved to new, purpose-built facilities adjacent to the Royal Opera House.

The LAMDA complex has three theatres and various rehearsal spaces and meeting rooms. The three theatres are the Sainsbury Theatre, the Carne Studio Theatre and the Linbury Studio.

Boards and Honorary Fellows

• Patron: Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy

Board of trustees

• President: Benedict Cumberbatch
• Vice-president: Patricia Hodge
• Chairman: Sir Nigel Carrington
• Vice Chair: Tom Chandos, Dame Shirley Pearce
• Other Board members: Shamez Alibhai, David Roper, Professor Naren Barfield, Georgia Brown, Mohammad Dastbaz, Frances Corner, Nese Guner, Joanne Hirst, Katie Channon, Nathan Richardson, Thomas Laing-Baker, Joanne Hirst, Helen Protheroe, Michelle Daisley, Leah Harvey, Rory Kinnear, Dame Shirley Pearce, Helen Wright
• Staff Trustee: Annabel Mutale Reed

Honorary Fellows

• Norman Ayrton
• Eileen Collins
• Colin Cook
• Zoë Dominic
• Michael Forrest
• Brian Tilston
• Philip Carne

Notable alumni

References

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