What We Do

The Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre (CDMT) is the go-to body for quality assurance and membership support in the performing arts, and the first point of contact for employers, students and teachers seeking information about quality training, education and assessment in dance, drama, musical theatre, and related performing arts across the UK.

In overview, CDMT’s goal is to:

• Ensure the consistent application of standards across professional schools, conservatoires and awarding organisations, complementing the wide variety of disciplines offered by performing arts providers
• Promote outstanding industry-approved institutions allowing prospective students, candidates and parents better to understand what excellent provision in the performing arts looks like
• Advocate powerfully on behalf of members, increasing their public profile and influence with key industry stakeholders
• Act as an authoritative source of information on high-quality provision across the sector, informing practitioners and government education authorities in their work.

In support of our work, CDMT:

• Undertakes quality assurance inspections and monitoring visits of providers and awarding organisations, as well as desk-based checks for participants of our scheme for pre-vocational settings
• Provides membership services and support to our constituents relevant to their provision and classification
• Produces the UK Guide to Professional Training, Education and Assessment in the Performing Arts, the definitive resource for those seeking information on quality provision in the sector
• Hosts the CDMT Careers Conference and Showcase event for young people who wish to pursue a career in professional dance, drama and musical theatre, the UK’s premier event of this kind
• Acts as the Secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Performing Arts Education and Training
• Operates a free comprehensive information service for students, parents, teachers, artists and employers.