Whether you are a university student looking for an experience abroad to enhance your education, a professor hoping to design a customized course abroad for your students, a professional artist looking for extra inspiration and in-depth industry knowledge, a gap year student yearning to find meaning as you venture out on your own, or a studio director wanting to immerse your students and their families in another society’s stories and means of expression…you’ve found your home here. We pride ourselves in offering the highest quality cross-cultural artistic exchanges in the world, and we ensure that each person’s experience is unique and customized to your identity as an artist.
The dance scene of Barcelona is the city’s heartbeat. Leap right in by interning at a studio and exploring the vibrant culture of Catalonia.
Write, direct, shoot, and edit your own films in the city where cinema was born.
Study music with private instructors and small classes at an arts school in Florence…the birthplace of opera.
Workshop scenes from the hottest West End and Broadway musicals with current cast members in the studios of a famous West End theatre.
Just one unforgettable experience. I made friends for life and I discovered what kind of path I want to make in my career. I also discovered things about myself I didn’t know before. I wish it never ended.
Amanda Trajano“Performing Arts Abroad (PAA) is a wonderful organization that allows you to gain valuable work experience, contribute to a new community, develop lasting relationships, travel and (in my case) learn a new language. PAA creates a comfortable experience abroad with their assistance and support.”
Raine Storey“I really enjoyed the international perspective that I gained from the program. Not only did I feel that I improved in my craft, but I was able to learn valuable lessons from people all over the world!”
Chandler Reeves“Through Performing Arts Abroad, I was able to understand why music matters. From riding an elephant to playing in a jazz band, I don’t think I could ever get an experience like this anywhere else!”
Allison Mora“My experience doing a Performing Arts Abroad dance internship in Barcelona, Spain was unforgettable. Through my internship placement at a local dance studio, I gained valuable teaching experience in a second language, built strong local connections, and took classes from a wide variety of professional instructors. Doing a homestay gave me a deeper immersion into the local culture and language. My Spanish improved immensely, and I even learned some Català! I had a lot of free time to explore the city of Barcelona, as well as make a trip to Morocco. Barcelona is an incredible city, that offers something for everyone. Fascinating museums, gorgeous architecture, vibrant arts and culture, narrow streets that are always alive, an excellent public transportation system that gives you free reign to explore the entire city, and of course, the beach. It is a magical place to be in the summer. I strongly recommend the Performing Arts Abroad program in Barcelona!”
Allyson Yoder“My summer trip to Barcelona, through PAA, was a life-changing experience for me. From the food, to the sites, to the people I met, I consider it to be one of the greatest cities I have ever visited. The PAA program went to great lengths to individualize a music internship for me at a fantastic music school that met both my professional and academic interests. While at my internship, I had the opportunity to work with a great mentor who went out of her way to guide me and make sure I gained a lot of hands-on experience. It was also a pleasure to work with the students and improve my Spanish along the way. I loved working at my internship so much that I am still currently working for them, as I am organizing all their piano music for the upcoming year. I also had the opportunity to live with a warm, caring Spanish family and their two boys, an experience that further enabled me to improve my Spanish speaking and comprehension skills. It also provided the opportunity for a cultural exchange experience. Lastly, I had the opportunity to travel to other parts of Spain including Valencia, Montserrat, and Madrid. The trip to Valencia was an organized excursion, which was very well run. Overall, the PAA program was very organized from my pre-departure to my return to the United States. There were always people available in Barcelona to answer any questions or troubleshoot any problems. Thanks to PAA for this great opportunity!”
Andrew Wang“You work with some of the biggest names in Irish music, sitting across from and learning from people who are international music stars. The living and social situations are supportive, fun, relaxed, and great for building new long lasting friendships.”
Elizabeth Phillips“I loved the RADA short summer course! I know more about acting and theatre than before the program started and I’ve met some amazing people whom I’ve created friendships with! Not only did I get to learn from teachers at one of the most prestigious drama schools in the world, but I also got the chance to explore a city with an incredible history, immerse myself in its culture, and gain a new piece of global perspective. This was a great experience that I’m glad and grateful to have had and wouldn’t trade it for anything. I thoroughly enjoyed myself the whole time. A dream come true and quite inspiring, really.”
Emily Le“During these three weeks, I learned more about music than I had in three years of University. The experience was not just one of great significance and growth, but one that I cannot wait to repeat!”
Fiona LiddellExplore over 60 programs in music, dance, theatre, and film spanning more than a dozen countries on 6 continents, all with full support from our home office in the United States and a team of onsite staff. Don’t see a destination that interests you below? Consider a customized group program, available in over 100 countries.
Run by performing artists with extensive experience living, working, and / or studying abroad. All of our core staff are actively pursuing their artistic disciplines: playing in a band, acting in local productions, designing makeup for Broadway shows, and more. And all have traveled overseas. In fact, many of our programs grew out of personal connections and relationships built by our very own staff members.
Diverse program offerings. Whether you are looking to study opera in Italy, volunteer with a Circus Arts group in Costa Rica, or intern at a dance studio in Barcelona, PAA has a program that is right for you. And the best part? Your experience will be your own. We realize that every artist is unique, and we work hard to customize the details of your program to your artistic vision.
An option to fit every budget and schedule. We realize not everyone can drop over $15,000 to spend a 16-week semester in London. That’s why we’ve designed programs as short as one week with many options under $2,000. Talk to a Program Advisor to find the program that fits your needs.
Abi Nelson participated in PAA’s Music Internship in Ecuador in Fall 2017. She is from Edinburgh and has just begun a job at The Orpheus in Surrey just outside London, an opportunity she says grew directly out of the work she…
Angus Stevens is a high school student from Nova Scotia, Canada, who attended PAA’s High School West End Musical Theatre Training in London over the summer of 2017. The high school program is for PAA Travelers ages 16 and 17.…
…It’s raining, the house is quiet, and I’m miserable – but I mean that in the best possible way. You see normally at this time on a Tuesday, I’d be exploring the streets of Barcelona, getting lost in new back…
Hannah McCarthy is a PAA alumnus who interned at La Caldera dance studio in Barcelona, Spain during the summer of 2017. The video below is the final product of Hannah’s capstone project. During my eight week Dance Internship in Spain,…
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