Academy Breakin’ Convention opens at Sadler’s Wells East on 8 September, welcoming its first students onto the UK’s first free Level 3 qualification in hip hop theatre.
A new pathway for hip hop in the UK begins this month at Sadler’s Wells East, where Academy Breakin’ Convention (ABC) welcomes its first students on Monday 8 September. The school offers the UK’s first free Level 3 qualification specific to hip hop theatre, providing young people with accredited training across performance and production.
Delivered in partnership with Big Creative Training, the course is aimed at 16–19 year olds who want to develop their skills and prepare for careers in the creative industries. Students study the seven recognised elements of hip hop — popping, breaking, emceeing, social dance, DJing, music production and graffiti — and graduate with a UAL Level 3 Diploma.
Training across the elements
The first intake of up to 20 students will begin this September. From 2026, a new cohort will join each year, bringing the total to around 40 across the two-year programme.
Year 1 builds foundational skills and culminates in a student-led hip hop theatre production. Year 2 deepens artistic practice and professional understanding, with students producing their own ABC Fest at Sadler’s Wells East. All final-year students will also perform at Breakin’ Convention Festival at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in Angel.
Sam Francis called the launch “an exciting new milestone,” adding: “This initiative goes beyond teaching; it is about empowering young people to discover their voices, share their stories, and be part of hip hop’s cultural innovators.”
The academy is led by Sam Francis (Acting Head), with Cyrus Armstrong (Senior Lead for Quality and Delivery) and co-course leaders Jean Saliah and Sarah Taylor. Specialist tutors include Leroy “FX” Dias Dos Santos (Hip Hop Social Dance), Shawn “Plague” and Lee “Reckless Lee” Crowley (Popping), Jake “Woodzy” Woods (Emceeing), Justina “Likkle Jay” Bryce and Brand “Lil BM” McDonald (Music Production), Raj “Mr. Gizmo” Jadeja (DJing) and Maxime Thabart (Graffiti).
Sam Francis called the launch “an exciting new milestone,” adding: “This initiative goes beyond teaching; it is about empowering young people to discover their voices, share their stories, and be part of hip hop’s cultural innovators.”
From Breakin’ Convention to ABC
The academy is the brainchild of Jonzi D, Artistic Director of Breakin’ Convention, the international hip hop theatre festival that has run at Sadler’s Wells since 2004. Breakin’ Convention has introduced UK audiences to companies from around the world while also running artist development programmes such as Open Art Surgery and Back To The Lab.
ABC extends that work into education, offering a structured, accredited route for young people who want to progress from training into professional practice.
International links will be built in from the start. In October, Montreal-based company Tentacle Tribe brings its production PRISM to Sadler’s Wells East and will lead a workshop with the new ABC students.
For Joce Giles, Director of Learning and Engagement at Sadler’s Wells, the launch is “an important moment for arts education, as for the first time young people will have the chance to study hip hop theatre as part of a free, full-time accredited course.”
A new powerhouse in Stratford
Sadler’s Wells East opened in February 2025 as part of the East Bank development, joining the organisation’s three other London theatres. Alongside a 550-seat auditorium, the building houses the Rose Choreographic School and Academy Breakin’ Convention, with rehearsal studios and participatory spaces that are open throughout the day.
Britannia Morton, Executive Director and Co-Chief Executive, said: “The opening of the school marks an exciting new chapter at Sadler’s Wells East. It doubles down on our commitment that this building will be a powerhouse for dance: a place for seeing dance but also one for participating in it, where arts and education can go hand-in-hand.”
By situating ABC in Stratford, Sadler’s Wells has placed hip hop education in one of London’s most diverse boroughs, within reach of both local communities and international networks.
Opportunities ahead
For students, the academy offers not only intensive training but also public performance opportunities and exposure to industry practice. From their first year production to their final-year festival, students will present work in Stratford, while their slot at Breakin’ Convention places them on an international stage.
For Joce Giles, Director of Learning and Engagement at Sadler’s Wells, the launch is “an important moment for arts education, as for the first time young people will have the chance to study hip hop theatre as part of a free, full-time accredited course.”
The curriculum also reflects hip hop’s culture of versatility. Alongside performance, students learn production skills in music and graffiti, widening the scope for future careers in creative industries. Wellbeing and self-development are embedded as core parts of the training.
Applications are already open for the next intake in August 2026. Open days are scheduled for 8 November 2025 and 17 January 2026, with applications closing 31 January 2026.
Why it matters
The launch of Academy Breakin’ Convention is obviously more than a new course. By creating a free, accredited Level 3 qualification in hip hop theatre, Sadler’s Wells is recognising the form not only as a cultural force but bolstering its presence as an art form with its own pedagogy, standards and pathways.
For Sadler’s Wells East, it demonstrates the venue’s role as both a stage and a training ground. For students, it offers a rare chance to combine passion and profession without the barrier of fees. And for hip hop in the UK, it signals an institutional commitment to ensure the next generation has the tools and support to carry the culture forward.
As the first students arrive in Stratford this September, ABC begins a journey that is both practical and symbolic: teaching technique and production, while affirming that hip hop theatre belongs at the heart of the national arts landscape.
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So pleased to see Jonzi D’s brainchild ABC, becoming a reality! Great write-up!