Institute of the Arts Barcelona
Higher education centre in Sitges, Spain
The Institute of the Arts Barcelona (IAB) is a private performing-arts school in Sitges, a coastal town just outside Barcelona, founded in 2013. It offers BA (Hons) and Foundation programmes in acting, dance and musical theatre; its degrees are validated by Liverpool John Moores University in the UK. All teaching and assessment are in English. The IAB has around 450 students from more than 50 countries and trains on two campuses, the main building and Mas Alba, with a 200-seat theatre.
- BA (Hons) Acting
- BA (Hons) Musical Theatre
- BA (Hons) Contemporary Dance and BA (Hons) Commercial Dance (three years)
- Foundation programmes
- Semester Abroad in acting, dance or musical theatre
Degree programmes start in September, with one intake a year, and admission is by audition. Semester Abroad students join second-year classes from September to December or from January to May; this programme does not carry university credits, and the IAB is not part of Erasmus+. The IAB has no student residences of its own, but its student services help newcomers find shared flats and rooms in Sitges.
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Courses with full details
BA Hons in Acting
The three-year Bachelor of Arts in Acting program provides intense training, empowering students to develop elevated levels of skill in acting, voice, movement and singing. The program also provides students with a theoretical and critical comprehension of their own work and an awareness of the historical and modern-day context.
The institutes training permits the student to use these abilities in a wide array of media including television, film, theatre, radio and digital media. The programme is for ambitious actors with creativity, imagination, passion and a genuine commitment to attaining and sustaining an enduring career in the performing arts.
Based on the work of Konstantin Stanislavski and his followers, this program utilises his work as a basis to explore many styles and texts. The student will also investigate the works of many other specialists and forms of theatre to help them acquire the tools to develop as a creative artist.
BA Hons in Commercial Dance
The three-year Bachelor of Arts in Commercial Dance program is unique in Europe. This program cultivates polished, adaptable and marketable commercial dancers able to gain and maintain employment in entertainment and commercial stage productions. The Commercial Dance program is for ambitious dancers with passion, creativeness, imagination and a real dedication to gaining and sustaining a long-term profession in the commercial performing arts.
The Commercial Dance program is highly applied and gives its students the chance to learn through doing. Students take classes to learn about multiple dance techniques as well as other practical classes each day, usually between three and five.
As the program progresses more time is given to public performance projects in the institute’s theatre or other public locations. Technique classes occur throughout the three years of the degree however, in the third year the program basically operates as a Dance Company with the formation of major commercial dance performance projects.
BA Hons in Dance
The three-year Bachelor of Arts in Dance Program is created for individuals who want to follow an extremely vocational, broad based and arts centred training. This education program will enable students to become professional dancers. The program is designed for aspiring dancers with desire, creativity, vision and a real dedication to gain and sustain a long-term career as dance artists.
The program matures high levels of methodical and creative ability across all the standard dance techniques with a specific focus on contemporary dance.
The programs core studies are: Ballet, Contemporary/Modern Dance, Jazz and Commercial Dance and Fitness and Health. The complementary performance studies are: Singing and Acting Techniques and Choreography.
BA Hons in Musical Theatre
The three-year Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre is a vastly vocational and practical training program in Musical Theatre. It looks to develop imaginative performers capable of a range of dance, acting and musical theatre styles and forms. There are two pathways through the BA Musical Theatre, both providing an all-inclusive training for musical theatre.
The first has a concentration on the ¨Triple Threat¨ – Dance, Acting and Singing. This pathway has a major dance component and would be perfectly suited to those with a strong dance background.
The second also focuses on the three component areas of Musical Theatre – Dance, Acting and Singing but with more of an emphasis on Singing and Acting. This would be better suited to those with a more limited background in dance.
BA Hons in Popular Music Vocal Performance
The three-year Bachelor of Arts in Popular Music Vocal Performance program has a unique concentration on singing, song-writing, music production and the music business. It is created for people who want to aim for a career as a singer song-writer. The program is very practical, with considerable individual training and lots of public performance opportunities.
The Bachelor of Arts in Popular Music Vocal Performance program is very practical and motivated by the desire to produce independent, inspired and creative singers, song-writers and performers. The program gives its students all the essential skills needed for a successful career. The program does not suggest genre of popular music or style but rather lets its students develop as original creative artists.
The artistic practice is related to a solid basis in music business. The program merges the best of mainstream music training with a vibrant modern entrepreneurial concentration on entertainment and commercial singing performances.
Masters in Acting
IAB’s Masters Acting Program is designed for determined and creative actors who wish to further improve their skills through rigorous real-world master’s level study. This Master of Arts will support actors in evolving their repertoire and honing their signature approach as a performer.
The Master of Arts in Acting is exercise and performance based with considerable opportunity for the student to adapt the program to their requirements and aspirations.
The program looks to develop students who, when they complete the program, will be able to show, at Master’s level, abilities such as: demonstrating a clear understanding of acting and performance, working effectively with theatre makers and performers, collaborating with colleagues to create new theatre work and exhibiting a ‘personal’ style of acting and performance.
Masters in Dance
IAB’s Master of Arts in Dance program is designed for proficient dance artists who wish to move to the next phase of their career. The Master of Arts in dance, via an immersive and concentrated experience, supports its students to develop and explore new areas and to refine their personal informed and inventive attitude to choreography and dance performance. The Master of Arts in Dance looks to create demanding and empowered artistic performers.
The Master of Arts in Dance program is made up of seven modules and consists of 90 ECTS units (180 UK credits). The programme starts in September each year.
Masters in Musical Theatre
The IAB Master in Arts in Musical Theatre program is designed for musical theatre performers, dancers or actors who want to move to the next step in their career, this will be done through a rigorous enriched professional study of musical theatre. The Master in Arts in Musical Theatre program, through an immersive and arduous experience, assists its students to increase and explore new areas and to refine their personal inspired style to musical theatre performance and creation. The Master in Arts in Musical Theatre program aims to design stringent and empowered innovative performers.
The aim of the program is to encourage and advance a new generation of artistic performers and makers who can contribute to the growth of musical theatre.
Professional Diploma Certificate in Contemporary Circus Arts
IAB’s one-year Professional Diploma in Contemporary Circus Arts program is created for proficient dancers or gymnasts who want to enhance and boost their performance range to include aerial arts. When students complete the Diploma, they can seek work opportunities in: Aerial Arts, Physical Theatre and the Performance arts, Contemporary and commercial Dance, Cruise Ships and Entertainment Complexes, Promotion and Commercial Events and Film and TV.
The Professional Diploma in Contemporary Circus Arts is performance lead and provides students with the chance to learn through doing. The program is usually taught for 15 hours per week over one academic year (28 weeks).
Professional Diploma Certificate in Dance
IAB’s one-year Foundation Certificate in Dance gives students the opportunity to improve and grow, technically and inventively as dance performers. This program is created for those who want to study a one-year pre-degree program to boost their skills before applying to complete the degree, or for people who want to spend a study year exploring and evolving their dance potential.
The course is about doing – studying through performance – in a supportive and demanding environment. The Foundation Certificate is hands-on and studio focussed and concludes in a number of performances in the IAB theatre. The program is renowned for the strong support and guidance it gives students so they can pick the right choices when planning their future training or career.
Professional Diploma Certificate in Singing & Musical Theatre
IAB’s one-year Foundation Certificate in Singing & Musical Theatre affords the opportunity for students to grow and improve, technically and imaginatively as performers. The program is geared to those who want to take a one-year pre-degree program to improve their skills prior to applying for a degree program, or for people who wish to spend a year exploring and expanding their singing and musical theatre performance ability.
The Foundation Certificate in Singing & Musical Theatre course is all about doing – learning through performing – in an encouraging yet stimulating environment. The IAB foundation Certificate is realistic and studio based and comes together in a quantity of performances in the IAB theatre. The program is noted for the sturdy faculty support and guidance it gives students so that they learn to make the right choices about their future training or career.
Language requirements
All programmes are taught and assessed in English, and the application and all spoken parts of the audition must be in English. An unconditional offer requires IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) for BA (Hons) programmes and IELTS 5.5 (or equivalent) for Foundation programmes; applicants who pass the audition without the required English certificate may receive a conditional offer.
Fees
Annual tuition fees for entry in September 2026, for students resident in the EU, EEA or UK:
- Foundation (acting, dance or musical theatre): €10,000
- BA (Hons) Contemporary Dance or Commercial Dance: €12,000
- BA (Hons) Acting or Musical Theatre: €12,500
Students not resident in the EU, EEA or UK pay higher fees, from €14,000 a year. Additional annual fees: €500 non-refundable registration fee and €80 IAB Health Clinic membership. Fees for entry in September 2027 are published when applications open in early November.
Housing
The IAB does not have its own student accommodation. After acceptance, students receive a guide with local options and agencies, and student services help them find a place to stay and connect with possible roommates. Most students share apartments in Sitges within walking distance of the campuses; some rent a room in a local home. As a guide, the school gives approximately €400 to €600 per month for shared accommodation (two to three bedrooms).
Accreditation
Liverpool John Moores University
Subjects taught
- Arts, Design and Crafts
- Arts