The City Lit and Covent Garden

The City Lit, London's largest adult education college, has been in Covent Garden since the late 1930's when the main Stukeley Street premises were built. Later, in the 1960's, The City Lit took over Keeley House, a Victorian Board School. In the early days the City Literary Institute, to give its full title, was very much a 'night school' offering part-time education to office employees after work.

Over the years, The City Lit has established a reputation for its range of courses reflecting the culture and vitality of the surrounding area. For example there are courses in drama and music, as well as the visual arts, humanities and languages, attracting aspiring performers and artists, as well as people improving their work or self-presentation skills.

There are 23,000 students who come to the City Lit each year from all over Greater London and beyond and our 2,700 courses are spread across the week, both day and evening. Students and staff find our location attractive, both for the transport routes and for the environment, particularly at the end of the day when the 'buzz' of classroom activity spills out into the street.

The City Lit has plans for a £21m new building on the Keeley Street site and these have now moved closer to fruition. The project involves partnership with a developer to build the new premises and to take over the surplus properties in Stukeley Street and Bolt Court on completion in 2003. Public sector funding to support the costs has been agreed in principle and the final stages of the complex deal will hopefully be agreed this summer with demolition of Keeley House starting in the autumn.

The CGCA has been enormously helpful to us all through the preparatory stages of this project, particularly in their advice and support over the planning applications to Camden. In addition to this, they have also provided us with news, information and the introduction to various networks which has been very useful as we face the future and respond to the needs of adult learners.

Congratulations to the CGCA on 30 years wonderful and stalwart service to people living and working in Covent Garden - long may the CGCA thrive.

Margaret Davey, Principal

Covent Garden Community Association Annual Report 2000-2001

 

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