Last week I was delighted to visit the Institute of the Arts Barcelona. We had been aware of its existence for some time but hadn’t really engaged with it as a sensible option for British students looking to go abroad, primarily because education in acting, musical theatre and dance is such a specialised field and job prospects are traditionally seen to be closely tied to proximity to London. After visiting, we can now see the advantages of gaining a high quality British performing arts education, backed with a British university degree, in a different country. While IAB does have a strong claim to being unique at this time, it is also part of a clearly developing trend: using British standards in higher education to offer something that could even be considered better than what is on offer at home.

IAB is not a British performing arts school located randomly on the Catalunyan coast. With students from over 40 countries and teachers from a variety of international backgrounds, it is preparing its students for the new normal in the creative industries. Talent and training, coupled with an international perspective, offers students the best chance of a successful, rewarding career in the 21^st century.

All degrees at IAB are entirely vocational and focussed on learning dance, theatre, acting and popular music (voice only). There is no academic requirement on any of their degrees (validated by Liverpool John Moores University); students are entirely educated in their chosen discipline. In many ways, the IAB could be described as bubble in which students immerse themselves in their chosen field. As such, its location in Sitges is not the most important consideration but it is nonetheless a very pleasant place to live with excellent weather most of the year round. All IAB first-year students are offered accommodation in a hostel just minutes from the university.

We are sure you would be welcome to visit at any time if you are interested in learning more but you might also consider taking part in their summer school (8^th to 12^th July) to get a sense for what IAB has to offer.

Key reasons for considering IAB:

• Small scale, personal environment where students can immerse themselves totally in their chosen discipline of acting, dance or musical theatre and to develop their skills under the supervision of highly experienced industry professionals.
• A British education not only in terms of the qualification received but based on the generally perceived excellence of UK-educated talent in recent years.
• An international environment allowing students to develop cross cultural communication skills that will not only be important in life but also in an increasingly international performing arts profession. While performing arts education is clearly different from more research and academic focussed study paths, this is clearly one area where the benefits of international education are identical.
• Safe environment in a highly desirable Spanish town within comfortable reach of Barcelona.