The Stage

Centenary celebrations

Published Monday 9 November 2009 at 16:30

The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, the oldest established multi-skilled performing arts training school in the world, will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2011 - quite an achievement - and the academy would like to contact everyone who has played a part in its rich history.

Actress/producer Italia Conti founded the school in 1911, building on the success of the musical play Where the Rainbow Ends. She was the pioneer of multi-skilled training which is still the academy’s policy today. The school has had its ups and downs during the past century, including surviving two World Wars, countless moves and so many educational initiatives. However, since its founding, it has only had four principals - Italia Conti, Ruth Conti, Eve Sheward and the current principal, Anne Sheward. This, we believe, is a record of sustained vision, stability and continuity.

We intend to hold a series of events during 2011 to celebrate this amazing achievement. If you would like to be kept informed, please send your email address to centenary@italiaconti.co.uk. We would also like to publish a commemorative book as part of the proposed celebrations and would therefore welcome any anecdotal stories or congratulatory wishes from all our former ‘Conti Kids’ (including the descendents of the talented people who are sadly no longer with us). We would also love to hear from former members of staff. Should you have any photographs or memorabilia of Conti school days, we would also love to see these for possible inclusion in the book, so do please have a good search through your archives and old treasures, but do ensure your name and address is printed clearly on the reverse. We will do our very best to return them, but if they are very precious to you, can we suggest you scan them and send via email in the first instance?

We lifers - those of us who have been with the school for years - are truly excited about the centenary and would love to hear from all our former pupils and staff. We hope that you will be able to celebrate with us at some point in 2011. Until then, thank you.

Please send information to:

Bev Thomas

The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts

Italia Conti House

23 Goswell Road

London EC1M 7AJ

centenary@italiaconti.co.uk