In this blog we hear from Kenneth Avery-Clark, Co-Founder and Principal of The ICMT: International College of Musical Theatre, about how Trinity College London’s ATCL Performing (Musical Theatre) diploma creates a valuable stepping stone for success for their students.
ICMT (International College of Musical Theatre), is located in Hackney Wick, East London, one of the city's most vibrant and creatively charged neighbourhoods. We offer a comprehensive range of courses spanning both Further and Higher Education, designed to support performers at every stage of their training journey. From our Level 4 ATCL Diploma programme, which provides a strong technical and artistic foundation, through to our intensive, accelerated Degree Course, every programme is built around one goal: producing exceptional, industry-ready performers.
Our delivery is hands-on, professional, and deeply rooted in the realities of today's performing arts industry. Students don't just train, they are immersed in a working professional environment from day one, guided by faculty who are themselves active practitioners in musical theatre, dance, singing, and performance.
Every performer's journey is unique, and we believe everyone deserves the right pathway to reach their full potential. Our Degree Course is an intensive, accelerated two-year programme, brilliant for those who are ready to hit the ground running, but not always the right fit for every talented student who walks through our doors. That's why we introduced the Trinity College London Level 4 ATCL Diploma, a dedicated stepping stone that gives students the time and space to develop the skills, confidence, and artistry they need to thrive on our Degree Course and beyond. The Level 4 ATCL Diploma sits at the heart of our academic pathway, functioning as a natural and purposeful bridge between a student's earlier training and the demands of Degree-level study.
The students who find their way to the Trinity Level 4 Diploma are, in many ways, some of the most interesting and rewarding to teach. They typically arrive with a background in musical theatre or dance. They have trained, they have performed, they have a real feel for the art form but are not yet quite ready to thrive in the high-pressure environment of an accelerated Degree programme. This might be because of technical gaps, areas of their craft that simply need more time and focused attention to develop fully, or confidence, or it may simply be a matter of life experience; younger students, or those returning to training after a break, who benefit enormously from a more measured transition into professional-level study.
What distinguishes them is not where they are going, but the pace and pathway that will get them there most successfully. Many of our Diploma graduates go on to be outstanding Degree students, and ultimately outstanding professionals, precisely because they were given the foundation they needed rather than being pushed before they were ready.
Candidates begin indirectly preparing for their ATCL performance programme at the beginning of their course at ICMT. Through exploring and discovering a range of musical theatre styles and writing, candidates can identify the skills and specific stylistic qualities that are required for that genre. Once these core skills have been explored, they then begin selecting the items they wish to include in their exam performance programme. Candidates have approximately four months to select, build, and refine their performance programme. Students are encouraged to conduct research into the work of composers and playwrights and choose material that is well suited to the theme and performance narrative. They are directed to explore material that is contrasting in style, mood and musicality.
Throughout the rehearsal process, students explore various exercises and practitioner methodologies to add further depth and clarity to their work. Hot seating, improvisation activities, and games are used throughout to encourage imagination and creativity. Students are given time for independent work, tutor guidance, and peer to peer feedback to ensure they are fully prepared and confident in their programmes.
Candidates use a rehearsal log/diary throughout their creative process to make notes, keep track of any discoveries, and reflect and evaluate on their performances and creative choices. This is a valuable tool in preparing for the Reflection section of the Viva Voce, students use their rehearsal logs to refresh their knowledge of their creative processes and identify and evaluate specific aspects of their rehearsal process. The set questions are used by tutors throughout their preparation to ensure the students are well equipped and rehearsed to answer the questions with confidence.
Integrated throughout the term, candidates have various text classes to explore a variety of texts and approaches, to build the skills required for the ‘approaches to performance’ prepared talk section of their Viva Voce. Students are guided through exercises, practices and methodologies from a range of practitioner’s work. Activities are chosen to explore and investigate text through exploration of imagination, characterisation, punctuation, imagery, physicality and improvisation.
The students are often daunted by the diploma exam requirements at first, however by breaking it down into manageable mini-tasks, the students find that their programmes come together more smoothly than they first imagine. Students enjoy making mood boards and storyboards in the infancy of the process, using cut outs of magazines and newspapers to build their ideas into their programme. Similarly, they enjoy the characterisation exercises where they are invited to spend some time as their character to understand them better.
Sometimes students struggle to know where to start and, again, breaking the process down into achievable aims throughout the term often solves this issue. Offering creative and imagination activities can also help to unlock ideas if they appear to be stuck.
The Trinity ATCL diploma allows students to apply their skills and focus to a highly independent process. Organisation, communication, and research skills are imperative components of this process, and this helps the students to grow in confidence. The diploma allows the students to channel their passion and creativity into something that they can be proud of, whilst also gaining so many valuable skills along the way.
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