Student Accommodation near The National Centre For Circus Arts

The National Centre for Circus Arts is an independent specialist circus school founded in 1989, originally established by Jonathan Graham and volunteers in a former timber yard.

The institution moved to the converted Shoreditch Electric Light Station in Hoxton in 1994, which remains its main campus. It is one of the UK's only providers of a university-level circus degree, offering a BA (Hons) in Theatre Practice, Contemporary Circus in association with Central School of Speech and Drama.

The Centre caters to a small, specialist cohort and runs popular public evening and youth circus programmes alongside its degree programme. Its work includes designing training for 87 aerial artists at the Millennium Dome's Millennium Show.

The campus sits in Hoxton, placing students in East London's primary concentration of galleries, independent venues, and creative spaces. The Centre does not provide its own halls of residence, so arrange student accommodation in London independently through PBSA providers or the private rental market.

The National Centre for Circus Arts does not have a traditional students' union, dedicated sports facilities, or a campus social structure. Student life draws from Hoxton and the wider East London area, alongside the Centre's own public performance programme.

Performances and Creative Activity

The Centre runs public performances and youth circus showcases as part of its regular programme, giving students an active role in the local performing arts calendar.

Boxpark Shoreditch, within easy reach of campus, hosts regular events, live music, and a range of food vendors in a format suited to casual social gatherings between training sessions.

Nightlife and Social Scene

Shoreditch High Street and the surrounding streets carry bars, music venues, and late-night spaces across different price points. Hoxton Square has a cluster of established venues within a short walk of the campus. For students who want Central London options, the West End and Soho are accessible in 15 to 20 minutes by tube from Old Street.

Shopping and Markets

Broadway Market runs food stalls, independent shops, and a busy Saturday atmosphere a short journey from campus. Columbia Road Flower Market operates on Sundays and draws consistent crowds from across East London. Supermarkets operate throughout Shoreditch, Hoxton, and Bethnal Green, with discount retailers keeping grocery costs closer to the UK average.

Healthcare

Register with a local NHS GP practice at your term-time address as soon as you arrive. Hoxton, Shoreditch, and Bethnal Green all have practices accepting new patients. Do this in the first week rather than waiting until a medical need arises.

London is the most expensive city in the UK for students. Excluding rent, a realistic weekly spend near Hoxton sits between £140 and £200. The table below breaks down typical costs.

For international students on a Student visa, the UK Home Office minimum funds requirement for London-based study is £1,529 per month (approximately £352 per week) from November 2025. This is a visa maintenance figure, not an average spend figure.

The National Centre for Circus Arts accommodation options cover three main room types in the London PBSA market, each with a different cost, privacy level, and social setup.

Shared Flats (Cluster Flats)

Individual private bedrooms with shared bathroom and kitchen facilities. The most affordable option in London PBSA, starting from around £200 to £250 per week.

Suits students who are comfortable with communal living and want to keep weekly rent as low as possible. The social structure of a cluster flat gives students a built-in group of flatmates from the start.

En-Suite Rooms

A private bedroom and private bathroom within a cluster flat, with a shared communal kitchen and living area. Prices run between £250 and £300 per week in London PBSA near the campus.

Balances bathroom privacy with the social structure of shared flat life. A popular option for students who want their own bathroom without the full cost or isolation of a studio.

Studio Flats

A self-contained unit combining sleeping area, living space, and kitchenette in one open-plan room, with a separate private bathroom. No shared facilities. Prices start from around £290 to £350 or more per week near the campus.

Works for students who need a quiet, undisturbed environment for rest and recovery between intensive training sessions and are comfortable with less social contact in their building.

The properties below are the strongest options for students at The National Centre for Circus Arts, selected for proximity and transit efficiency from the Coronet Street campus.

Chapter Old Street and Flora Building Hoxton are the two closest properties, both under a ten-minute walk from campus. Romano Court at £240 per week stands out in this section as the most affordable option at 1.33 miles, with a 15-minute transit time.

The properties below offer the most competitive pricing available to students at The National Centre for Circus Arts. Several sit further from Hoxton than the options above, but transit times remain within a manageable daily range.

AXO Waterloo at £200 per week is the lowest starting price in this guide. Its 31-minute transit via the Northern line to Old Street is more efficient than several higher-priced properties.

Romano Court appears in both sections because it combines a competitive weekly rent with a 15-minute transit time, one of the better value combinations across the full guide.

The Coronet Street campus in Hoxton sits within easy reach of several overlapping transport networks. The options below cover the main routes for students living across the accommodation zones in this guide.

Walking and Cycling

Hoxton sits on several London Cycle Superhighway routes, making cycling a practical daily option. Dedicated lanes improve safety on the main routes into and around the area. For students at Chapter Old Street and Flora Building Hoxton, walking removes transport costs entirely for the daily commute.

Underground and Overground

Old Street station, on the Northern line (Bank branch), sits close to the campus and connects directly to Kings Cross, Euston, Bank, and Waterloo. Students at AXO Waterloo reach Old Street via this line without interchange in around 31 minutes.

Hoxton Overground station connects north to Dalston and Hackney and south to Canada Water and Clapham Junction, providing a second overlapping network for students living nearby.

Buses

London's bus network covers Hoxton, Shoreditch, and Bethnal Green thoroughly. Multiple routes cross the area, with students at properties closest to campus able to cover the journey in a single stop. Students in Bethnal Green and Islington reach Coronet Street by bus in 10 to 20 minutes.

Intercity Rail and Airport Access

Liverpool Street station is a short walk or tube ride from the campus. The Stansted Express reaches Stansted Airport from Liverpool Street in approximately 50 minutes, the most convenient airport option for most international students.

The Elizabeth line from Liverpool Street connects westbound toward Paddington, Heathrow, and beyond for students who need those connections.