• Where are you located?
  We are proud to have relocated in September 2024 to Emil Dale Academy, Broadway, Letchworth Garden City, SG6 3NX. Visit www.emildale.co.uk/ournewhome
• Why offer a "private sector" fee?
  All colleges and all courses have different fee arrangements depending on what is offered on a course when looked at in detail. Courses and offerings can be significantly different including how their partnerships with universities work financially. 

  
  

  Private sector hours are the additional studio based hours that Emil Dale Academy offers you throughout your course. Private sector hours make up 12-18 hours per week of your course, depending on what course you are on. This enables us to provide you with additional contact hours in private 1:1 weekly singing technique lessons (and repertoire lessons in degree years 2 and 3), ensemble singing, guest masterclass, commercial, contemporary, acting, cardio, acting through song, song and dance and performance class. 

  
  

  These vocational hours and the fee charged are not associated with the University of Bedfordshire or The Knights Templar School. 

  
  

  In comparison to other courses which offer all round musical theatre training with weekly private singing lessons, smaller year group sizes, higher contact hours and solo showcasing opportunities in 3rd year for every student, Emil Dale Academy remains competitive.  

  
  

  Additionally, students at Emil Dale have access to student finance towards fees and living costs. 

  Musical Theatre BA (Hons) course comparison (May 2025): 

  • Arts Ed £17,628 per year. 
    
  • Mountview £16,945 per year. 
    
  • Laines £21,829.50 per year. 
    
  • Emil Dale £12,985 per year. (This is the BA (Hons) with private sector hours). Students have access to £9535 per year towards fees non means tested and £10,544 per year means tested towards living costs. 

  It is not compulsory for anyone to take the private sector hours to achieve the BA CertHE or Level 3 BTEC qualification.
• For the Degree/ Cert-HE do you apply through UCAS or directly with you?
  You can do EITHER. It makes no difference to us. You can apply through UCAS or if you don't wish to use up an option apply directly on our site here www.emildale.co.uk/EDA 

  
  

  You can still access the same funding either way.
• What's unique about Emil Dale?
  1. Private 1 to 1 singing lessons for every student. Weekly for all three terms all three years. 2nd rep lesson fortnightly in 2nd and 3rd year on BA (Hons). 
     
  2. For BA students – Live London Showcase. Every student wears a mic and has a moment to sing solo, dance and act in front of industry in 3rd Year showcase. 
     
  3. For BA students – Private London Agent Panel Day: Every student has a moment to sing, dance and act in front of industry. 
     
  4. High contact hours. We only count hours spent with teachers not study time. We operate 8am-5:30pm. Not Saturdays. Not evenings. 
     
  5. Smaller year group sizes. 
     
  6. Outstanding facilities 
     
  7. Only 30 minutes from London. 
     
  8. 5-minute walk to the train station.
     
• If I don't apply through UCAS, can I still get a student loan?
  Yes, you can! If you are successful, you will be sent a code to use for your student loan application. You must apply as a University of Bedfordshire student, as that is our partner institution.
• If I do the Gap year/ Cert-HE, am I guaranteed a place on the degree?
  No, you must still audition for the degree, there is no guarantee of direct entry from one course to the other.
• Do you automatically get a place on the full-time school if you attend the part-time weekend school?
  The full-time school and part-time school are separate entities. There are no guarantees.
• Do you offer scholarships? How do they work?
  We offer a number of scholarships ranging between £500 to full scholarships off of the private sector fees only (please note, full scholarships are rarely handed out to allow us to distribute the money between more students). These are means tested and/or based on audition scores. If you are successful, we ask that students complete the means testing form as robustly as possible. 

  
  

  Please note, we do not give scholarships for the standard degree / cert-HE cost of £9535 per academic year as this money goes directly to the university and can be covered by student loan. Scholarships only apply to private sector fees.
• What are the entry requirements?
  For the Degree and Cert-HE entry is based on both audition and academic qualifications. The following academic criteria is desirable: 

  
  

  • 80 UCAS points (new tariff) through Level 3 academic qualifications (BTEC, A-Level, Scottish Highers, etc) 
    
  • Level 4 (Grade C) in English Language 

  For the BTEC course, applicants must be aged 16-19 years by the start date of the course. Entry onto the course is based on audition. Whilst we encourage strong academic qualifications, they will not prevent an applicant from being granted a place, although good written and spoken English is a requirement for all of our courses. However, if a student has not gained a 4 or above in Maths or English Language, it will be mandatory that they re-sit these qualifications whilst training at Emil Dale Academy. EDA provides tutoring for both subjects on-site.
• I'm not a great dancer, is it worth even auditioning?
  Whilst Emil Dale does look for all-round performers, at audition stage we are looking for trainability – we are not expecting a ready-made performer. We do not expect everyone to have the same ability, which is why we stream classes in ability to train people at a level that is correct for them. At audition stage, we are looking for a level of competence, but also someone who is passionate, committed and ready to train at the highest level.
• Do you offer audition fee waivers?
  Yes, we do! You can apply for a fee waiver by emailing admissions@emildale.co.uk with 'Audition Fee Waiver Application' as your email subject. Please see information on fee waivers and what to send for your application here: www.emildale.co.uk/eda/policies/Audition-Fee-Waiver-Policy-v05-230724-2.pdf
• Do I need to attend a face to face audition?
  We offer virtual auditions, and face to face auditions. If you submit a virtual audition, this is a first round audition and if you are successful, you will be invited to a face to face audition. It is important to us that you see the premises, and get to experience time at Emil Dale Academy, working with the tutors and in the facilities. This will allow you to make a more informed decision about where you would like to train. 

  
  

  The cost for a face to face audition is £40, and for a virtual audition is £25. If you are successful from a virtual audition, you will need to pay the additional £15 to complete the full audition.
• I need to change my audition date, how do I do this?
  You can change your audition date by calling 01462 677808 and asking to speak to the admissions department. You will need to pay a £10 administrative fee to change the audition.
• Do you take international students?
  EDA does not hold a Tier 4 Sponsor licence and would be unable to issue the documentation international applicants would require in order to apply for a Tier 4 Visa to come and study in the UK. Therefore, we are not able to accept international students on the Degree and Cert HE unless they have the right to remain in the UK/settled status. 

  
  

  For any student applying for the Two Year Course, they must be settled in the UK for three years or more, or hold a valid British passport or visa. From 1 January 2021, citizens from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are able to visit/study in the UK for a period of up to 6 months, without the need to apply for entry clearance in advance. 

  
  

  Irish citizens are eligible to apply for any of our courses, and do not require a visa to study or work in the UK or pre-settled/settled status.
• Can I defer my place?
  We do not defer places unless in exceptional circumstances. Usually, we will expect someone to reaudition for a space if they are unable to take up their place within the academic year they get offered.
• Can I get feedback from my audition?
  Like most colleges we do not offer feedback for auditions.
• When is the best time to audition?
  We offer places from the first audition of the year in September, through to our final auditions in May. As the year progresses, less spaces are available and therefore the likelihood of being offered a place becomes less. However, you must be prepared and feel confident for your audition, which is why the majority of our audition dates fall between December and April, when you will have had time to prepare your audition material. There is not an ideal date as such, it will depend on your preparedness and when you feel ready to audition.
• Why are you not a member of the CDMT?
  We've made a deliberate decision not to pursue accreditation, primarily due to our partnerships with educational institutions. Emil Dale is a partner to the University of Bedfordshire, and as a Sixth Form to Knights Templar School. Both institutions operate under a governance structure that ensures rigorous oversight and accountability, the BA directly reporting to the Office for Students. The due diligence process to partner with a university is extremely robust. 

  
  

  This arrangement assures our stakeholders that we maintain high standards and robust governance practices. The CDMT was originally started before an institution like us could partner with universities which was why it was necessary at the time.
• Do you do performances and productions?
  All year groups have in-house performances throughout the year. 

  
  

  • The BA students get a full-scale musical, London Showcase and London Agent Panel day for exposure to agents in their third year. 
    
  • The Cert-HE students have an end of year review show. 
    
  • The BTEC students do 2 full-scale musicals in both 1st and 2nd year.
    
• Do you offer accommodation?
  Whilst Emil Dale does not have on-site accommodation, we provide options for students for their accommodation: 

  
  

  1. Host Accommodation Emil Dale Academy acts as a referral guide for a list of local "host accommodation" who are situated in Letchworth, Hitchin, Baldock, Hatfield, Stevenage and surrounding towns/ villages.  

  We give students options of hosts that may suit their needs (however, please note there is usually a level of compromise required from all of a students desired accommodation requirements and what is available). 

  
  

  Please be aware that we cannot guarantee host accommodation within walking distance of the college. We aim to find hosts as close as possible to the college, but students must be prepared to have some travel time and associated costs factored in to their accommodation choices. 

  
  

  This option is recommended for our BTEC students, although many Cert-HE and Degree students also use host accommodation options.  

  
  

  2. Flat/ House Share Flat and House shares are usually arranged by the students with local landlords and estate agents. We will add students to a Facebook page with other students to discuss living arrangements, and will post any housing options that are presented to us. 

  
  

  3. University Accommodation There are options for Degree students to live in University Accommodation. As a University of Bedfordshire student you can apply to the university for halls of residence, but you must be prepared for the travel requirements from Luton or Bedford to Letchworth whether that is by car*, bus or train. Students can also look at accommodation at the University of Hertfordshire (Hatfield) which has better train links to Letchworth. For peace of mind for students and their families, Emil Dale Academy has provisions to support students with a Welfare Officer and Student Experience Officer who support students' welfare and help them navigate life away from home.
• When do auditions start?
  Our first auditions are in September. Please check our website for available dates here: www.emildale.co.uk/eda/#one_form
• What funding is available?
  For eligible Degree and Cert-HE students, Student Finance is available to pay towards fees (£9535 – not means tested) and maintenance (means tested). This is applied for by the student through Student Finance England/ Scotland/ Wales/ Northern Ireland. This money is paid directly to the University for fees (unless you are self-funding), or to the student for maintenance fees. 

  
  

  BTEC students receive standard ESFA funding which is paid directly to Knights Templar. On top of this, there are fees for the Private Sector which are paid directly to EDA. EDA offer some scholarships towards Private Sector Fees which are both means tested and based upon audition scores. There is no guarantee of a scholarship towards the private sector.
• Do I have to pay a deposit to secure my place?
  Yes, students must pay a non-refundable £300 deposit towards the private sector fees to secure their place within 30 days of their acceptance being sent.
• What is an average week like at Emil Dale?
  Every week, students receive a combination of fundamental classes for their training and their qualification. This usually consists of a private 1 to 1 singing lesson every week, 3 ensemble singing lessons, 3 acting lessons, 3 ballet classes, 3 jazz classes, a tap class, song and dance, performance class, acting through song, dance audition technique, voice, physical acting, and guest masterclass. Then each term, year groups will have a combination of Musical Theatre projects, acting projects, contemporary dance, commercial dance and welfare/ wellbeing sessions. Our BTEC year groups work towards a full-scale musical in the summer term, and Degree Year 3 will work towards their full-scale musical, agent day and London showcase throughout the year, with performances usually falling in February/ March/ April. The Cert-HE year group will also have an end of year performance in June.

Still have questions?

Contact us for more information.