First of its kind hip hop theatre school Academy Breakin' Convention welcomes first students next week at Sadler’s Wells East

Academy Breakin’ Convention (ABC), a brand-new school offering the UK’s first free Level 3 Qualification specific to hip hop theatre - officially opens from Monday 8 September at Sadler’s Wells East. The arrival of the first students marks an exciting chapter at the new powerhouse for dance which opened in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in February 2025 and forms part of East Bank, London’s newest cultural and educational district. The course, delivered in partnership with Big Creative training, fills a gap in professional pathways for new artists and entrepreneurs who want to work in creative industries and focus on hip hop culture.

Over the next two years, an initial cohort of up to 20 students aged between 16-19 will be taught 7 different elements of hip hop dance theatre including Popping, Breaking, Emceeing, Social Dance, DJing, Music Production and Graffiti. Each year, an additional 20 students will join for a total of 40 students across the two-year course. Students graduate from the course with a UAL Level 3 Diploma. 

The school is led by Sam Francis as Acting Head of Academy Breakin’ Convention alongside Cyrus Armstrong, Senior Lead for Quality and Delivery, and Jean Saliah and Sarah Taylor, Co-Course Leaders. Students will train intensively in ABC performance elements (Hip Hop Social Dance, Popping, Breaking and Emceeing) with additional production elements (DJing, Graffiti and Music Production) to support the world of performance. All sessions are taught by world-class artists and educators who have decades of experience in the industry.

The specialists include Leroy ‘FX’ Dias Dos Santos (Hip Hop Social Dance Specialist), Shawn ‘Plague’ (Popping Specialist), Lee Crowley ‘Reckless Lee’ (Popping Specialist), Jake ‘Woodzy’ Woods (Emceeing Specialist), Justina Bryce ‘Likkle Jay’ (Music Production Specialist), Brand McDonald ‘Lil BM/BM Baby’ (Music Production Specialist), Raj Jadeja ‘Mr. Gizmo’ (DJ Specialist) and Maxime Thabart (Graffiti Specialist).

Students will develop and apply their foundational knowledge in Year 1 and produce a hip hop theatre production by the end of their first year. In Year 2, students go deeper into their personal artistic journeys, learning the variety of roles where they can apply their broad skillsets as professionals ready for life after ABC. A big part of the course centres around self-development and wellbeing. All final year students will perform at Breakin’ Convention Festival at Sadler’s Wells and produce an ABC Fest at Sadler’s Wells East before graduation.

Academy Breakin’ Convention is the brainchild of Jonzi D, Artistic Director of the acclaimed international hip hop theatre festival Breakin’ Convention, which he leads with Michelle Norton and which has been hosted at Sadler's Wells Theatre in Angel since 2004. Breakin’ Convention also runs highly successful artist development programmes including Open Art Surgery and Back To The Lab, and presents some of the best international hip hop acts outside of the context of the Festival. This October, Breakin’ Convention brings Montreal-based company Tentacle Tribe to Sadler’s Wells East with PRISM (8-11 October), and the company will lead a workshop for the students while they are in the UK. 

Applications are currently open for the next cohort of students to join the Academy in August 2026 with Open Days at Sadler’s Wells East on 8 November 2025 and 17 January 2026. Applications close on 31 January 2026.

Sam Francis, Acting Head of Academy Breakin’ Convention, said “The launch of ABC marks an exciting new milestone. This initiative goes beyond teaching; it is about teaching, empowering young people to discover their voices, share their stories, and be part of hip-hop’s cultural innovators. By fostering both artistic excellence and personal growth, the Academy provides a platform for the next generation to thrive, and I’m honoured to be joining the team.”

Joce Giles, Director of Learning and Engagement at Sadler’s Wells, said: “The opening of ABC is an important moment for arts education, as for the first time young people will have the chance to study hip hop theatre as a part of free, full-time accredited course. ABC has a fantastic leadership and teaching team who will guide and inspire our first cohort of students. We are excited to welcome the ABC students to Sadler’s Wells East and look forward to connecting with even more young people over the coming years.”

Britannia Morton, Executive Director and Co-Chief Executive of Sadler’s Wells, said: “We’re really excited to be welcoming the first students at Academy Breakin’ Convention. 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. We’re looking forward to following the journeys of the students, who will have an opportunity to develop both their performance and practical skills. This is the first Academy of its kind – one that places the emphasis firmly on the extremely rich genre of hip hop dance theatre and will create pathways for young people through education to employment.”