Auditioning for 2024 entry

[Tiredmum1]

Does anyone know much about IAB in Barcelona? DD added to her applications without knowing a huge amount about it .. now she has an offer for the BA In MT. She’s been offered a callback for MV Foundation .. and has round 2 at Italia Conti tomorrow. IAB looks legit and she is doing A level Spanish so likes the idea of sunshine, beach and getting fluent in Spanish. But it’s a financial outlay (tho actually no more expensive than Uk) and do they have decent contacts with agents. Any advice welcomed.. it’s her first year of trying and I am new to all this.
She had recall to Leeds but didn’t get in.. fell at first round for Arts Ed/Emil Dale and GSA.

[Harry2003]

Does anyone know much about IAB in Barcelona? DD added to her applications without knowing a huge amount about it .. now she has an offer for the BA In MT. She’s been offered a callback for MV Foundation .. and has round 2 at Italia Conti tomorrow. IAB looks legit and she is doing A level Spanish so likes the idea of sunshine, beach and getting fluent in Spanish. But it’s a financial outlay (tho actually no more expensive than Uk) and do they have decent contacts with agents. Any advice welcomed.. it’s her first year of trying and I am new to all this.
She had recall to Leeds but didn’t get in.. fell at first round for Arts Ed/Emil Dale and GSA.

Just a few thoughts. The UK has probably some of the best MT training in the world. Your DD has not been to full time training I assume, as she is doing A’levels, the vast majority of students getting into MT degree courses (especially the top schools you mention - GSA, Arts Ed, Mountview) in the first year of trying will have been studying full time at places like Tring, EDA, The Hammond etc. from what you describe your DD has talent (has an offer and an invitation to a top foundation course) but perhaps the schools just don’t feel she is quite ready to be able to cope with the very high demands that the training places on the students. The physical demands are intense, they will want to limit the possibility of students getting injuries and missing out on training, viruses go round like wildfire, this effects their voice training and if they are not quite ready this can really hamper their progress. The training is really only 2 years before they are doing showcases and put in front of agents.

Try not to rush this part of the process, there is no age limit, you want to let your DD have the best chance to make this a career - the training is the next step to that career, hopefully you only train once. Get the very best training possible there are literally thousands searching for jobs, probably about 1,000 student graduating every year. See how Mountview foundation audition goes, see how IC goes but be careful about rushing over to a course because it will be a fun 3 years - what’s next?

[lawn]

Does anyone know much about IAB in Barcelona? DD added to her applications without knowing a huge amount about it .. now she has an offer for the BA In MT. She’s been offered a callback for MV Foundation .. and has round 2 at Italia Conti tomorrow. IAB looks legit and she is doing A level Spanish so likes the idea of sunshine, beach and getting fluent in Spanish. But it’s a financial outlay (tho actually no more expensive than Uk) and do they have decent contacts with agents. Any advice welcomed.. it’s her first year of trying and I am new to all this.
She had recall to Leeds but didn’t get in.. fell at first round for Arts Ed/Emil Dale and GSA.

Hi Yes, DD considered auditioning for their foundation course (she knew someone who did it) and also did a summer school (Acting) there last year.

DD decided against applying to foundation because we were still in covid times and she didn't wish to risk being stuck abroad if there was another lockdown. She did the summer school last year which she enjoyed but she'd already done 2 foundations by then (1 private, 1 funded) so it was more of a 'fun' thing to do.

I believe it was originally set up by staff from another drama school (Lipa??).

If I've read your post correctly then your daughter has been offered degree at IAB? Is she an international student anyway because IAB attracts no student funding as it's located outside of the UK, so whilst the courses might seem the same price, there's no student finance available.

[Hilltop]

Does anyone know much about IAB in Barcelona? DD added to her applications without knowing a huge amount about it .. now she has an offer for the BA In MT. She’s been offered a callback for MV Foundation .. and has round 2 at Italia Conti tomorrow. IAB looks legit and she is doing A level Spanish so likes the idea of sunshine, beach and getting fluent in Spanish. But it’s a financial outlay (tho actually no more expensive than Uk) and do they have decent contacts with agents. Any advice welcomed.. it’s her first year of trying and I am new to all this.
She had recall to Leeds but didn’t get in.. fell at first round for Arts Ed/Emil Dale and GSA.

Yes, my DD is going there in September on the MT degree. She did the summer school there last year and fell in love with it. We know three people there (one doing a foundation) and they all love it. Yes, it doesn’t get student finance unfortunately but the rent and food is a lot cheaper than the UK, especially in the London/South East. We told our DD that she will have to work this summer to cover her food and other expenses if she wants to go, as we will only cover the fees and rent. The college has a real family feel to it and they get casting agents/visiting teachers from around the world as well as West End/London ones. My DD really enjoyed the international aspect to it on the summer school and the stunning location of course! The training seems quite balanced but they do have a dancer track and a singing track.

[Hilltop]

Just to add because I have also been thinking 'am I just paying for my DD to have three years of fun rather than good training', we've spoken to a few of DD's teachers and the general consensus is that there are obviously very very good schools in the UK and the IAB is no better than them, so the fact is, they're ultimately not going out there for better training than the UK, they are going for the lifestyle. But I don't think the IAB training is sub par. The problem is that the students are international and so you are not going to find many in the UK show casts. Also, I wouldn't necessarily go by the social media for alumni news - for example, we went to see a show, emerald storm, which had 2 or 3 Bird graduates in and an IAB graduate and it was all on Bird's social media but not IAB's. I think it ultimately depends on your child, my DD wants a good location where she feels she will thrive, she feels she would get depressed and lost training at one of the large cohort schools in the UK. Her minimum criteria for the school was they had to have 1:1 singing lessons from the start, be a small-mid sized school and be quite equal in all three aspects of training, and IAB fills these for her, plus they have amazing facilities. However, other students would thrive going to one of the top, bigger schools in London.

[K8t]

Well done on all the offers, such a relief.

Meanwhile we’re still waiting on GSA. Italia Conti emailed to say that there would be an outcome (on self tape) soon.

Nothing from RB despite her emailing them to check if they had her application.

Today is a PPA audition, she’s gone in totally flat - it’s very near GSA and she is just so demoralised not having heard from anyone - we live in the northwest so it’s a long drive and overnight stay and I’m thinking why did I bother!

On other news it looks like she has a summer job with at a holiday park down on the south coast. This time last year she had two offers, but decided to go through it all again to try and get what she wanted. At this stage I don’t think she knows herself now, I’m thinking maybe this isn’t the business for her, it’s never going to be easy.

[lawn]

K8t- tell her not to be demoralised. It took mine 3 years to get onto a degree. She did 2 foundations first. Last year despite getting closer than ever before with 3rd/final rounds from very prestigious schools she had no offers. On her very last day of her 2nd foundation when they were doing 2 performances at a theatre (I hadn't even gone to watch as by now she was saying how pointless it was - we live in the North too) at lunchtime she received an email offering her degree where she's at now. Think it came around 1pm as she would have taken the final bow around 10pm, so with 9 hours to go a place was offered. I felt like you do and was going to say one more try and then that's it look to do something else.

In the meantime I'd accept the summer coast job (I assume she can withdraw without penalty if she gets a drama school offer?). Mine worked for a tourist attraction as an actor for 6 months between foundation 1 and foundation 2. It gave valuable experience, not taught in a classroom.

ETA - I have sent you a PM

Re-IAB - I would agree they have a lot of international students. At summer school there was only one other person from the UK there. Their degrees are validated by Liverpool John Moores University which makes me think I'm correct in thinking this was originally set up by staff who had worked at a UK drama school. I *think* there may even be a very old thread on here about it. My daughter loved the location btw.

[Harry2003]

Well done on all the offers, such a relief.

Meanwhile we’re still waiting on GSA. Italia Conti emailed to say that there would be an outcome (on self tape) soon.

Nothing from RB despite her emailing them to check if they had her application.

Today is a PPA audition, she’s gone in totally flat - it’s very near GSA and she is just so demoralised not having heard from anyone - we live in the northwest so it’s a long drive and overnight stay and I’m thinking why did I bother!

On other news it looks like she has a summer job with at a holiday park down on the south coast. This time last year she had two offers, but decided to go through it all again to try and get what she wanted. At this stage I don’t think she knows herself now, I’m thinking maybe this isn’t the business for her, it’s never going to be easy.

GSA are waiting. They have made very few offers, if you’re still waiting it’s because they are giving your child very serious consideration and are waiting to do more auditions before making final offers. They have lots of auditions happening over their Easter break so they will soon be finalising offers I would think. When you think they only want 22 students, it is amazing to still be in the mix.

[Arb0810]

Has anyone heard if there has been any offers from GSA MT reserve list as yet? My DC is waiting and curious to know if there has been any offers / no's yet?

[lawn]

Has anyone heard if there has been any offers from GSA MT reserve list as yet? My DC is waiting and curious to know if there has been any offers / no's yet?

Your question is probably answered in post above yours by Harry2003. I suspect you cross posted and missed.

For reference my DD last year, the huge amount of her in-person auditions took place in the Easter hols which was last week of March/1st week of April last year, but went on as late as May. When she received her only degree offer 2nd week in June, there were still 2 other schools she hadn't heard back from (both were rejections so she did the right thing accepting the offer she had)

IAB - it took a little bit of time to find it, but looks like I was correct in saying it had links to LIPA. Obviously some details will be different now but just thought I'd say this is an established drama school with UK connections

http://www.notapushymum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=22145

[MTDreams]

Hi, to everyone waiting to hear from GSA! My DD is in her last year at GSA MT, and I can 100% agree with what Harry2003 is saying. I know it is the most frustrating time for yourselves and your DC's, but I agree that if you haven't heard its because they are still deciding. With GSA being such a small year group, they will be trying to put together a cohort of students that aren't like each other but can bring something different to the year. They don't want 10 girls who are blonde, and only sing soprano, for example. They might be weighing up your DC against another similar student, and also waiting to see other recalls before making a final decision. Unfortunately, with the year group bing so small its so much harder than ever to get in, and it won't be because your DC isn't talented. Good luck to your DC's and I hope you hear soon. If you are on the reserve list, I think it will be a while before that starts to move. And don't be disheartened if your DC doesn't get in anywhere the first year on a degree. My DD didn't, did a foundation and it was brilliant for her

[Hilltop]

Has anyone heard if there has been any offers from GSA MT reserve list as yet? My DC is waiting and curious to know if there has been any offers / no's yet?

Someone at my DD's college was offered a place last week from the reserve list.

[Sahara]

Has anyone heard if there has been any offers from GSA MT reserve list as yet? My DC is waiting and curious to know if there has been any offers / no's yet?

Someone at my DD's college was offered a place last week from the reserve list.

I wonder how that happens when they haven’t done all their recalls yet?

[Cam12345]

Has anyone heard if there has been any offers from GSA MT reserve list as yet? My DC is waiting and curious to know if there has been any offers / no's yet?

Someone at my DD's college was offered a place last week from the reserve list.

I wonder if our Daughter's are at the same college Hilltop, I was going to say the same! Is it a boy?

[Harry2003]

Has anyone heard if there has been any offers from GSA MT reserve list as yet? My DC is waiting and curious to know if there has been any offers / no's yet?

Someone at my DD's college was offered a place last week from the reserve list.

I wonder how that happens when they haven’t done all their recalls yet?

I imagine once they see someone they know they want they offer them the place. They will know who has been selected for the rest of the recalls - they might not be seeing any more brown haired altos or blond baritones and will select that ‘type’ from those they have already seen. The students in each year group are quite distinct from each other - my DS says they are all different casting types. This is a large factor. My DS is quite distinct and got offered very quickly after his audition a couple of years ago. I would imagine the hardest ‘type’ to get selected is a brown haired female soprano - lots to choose from!