Institute of the Arts Barcelona

Hello i´m Charlotte Gardefuhr from sweden i am studying the Ba (Hons) Course and will be starting my third and last year at Iab in September 2016. Before i got into Iab i planned to stay in my hometown called Arvika to work and to teach in a dancestudio in Karlstad Sweden and i thought that i was going to stay there and not continue my passion on a higher level. Suddenly my old teacher from my foundation course Lunnevad folkhögskola that i studied in 2011-2012 posted in a old Facebook group that a school called Iab was going to sweden to do an audition for old and current students at Lunnevad Folkhögskola. I decided two days later to go there and give it a go. I went to the audition with an sprained ankle and did the audition i thought that my foot was going to fall of but i continued anyway because i felt that it could be something good with this.
Two weeks later i got the amazing letter from the Iab that i got in to the school and since then my life has changed completely.
Iab has truly been an rollercoaster in an amazing way so many opportunities and with teachers who supports you and pushes you to the better. I had the opportunity to get to know people from all over the world, people i never would have the chance to meet if it was´nt for Iab. This school is amazing and i have grown as a person and as a dancer/performer. With only two year i have gone through a lot, a serious knee injury the first term in first year and a sudden life tragedy in second year things that could have made me leave and do somethingelse but because of the amazing support from teachers and directors who always belived in me,supported and pushed me, i made it until third year. I am more than grateful for this opportunity and Iab will always be in my heart and i will never forget the support and the love they gave me. I truly recommend Iab from the bottom of my heart. Iab opens doors to the world. Kisses Charlotte

I know it takes a big leap of faith to chose IAB for those who are considering it, as for many us of that includes moving country, often leaving home for the first time and throwing yourself into a new culture and language as well as a relatively new course. However what I experienced and know to be true for all of us at IAB is that this leap of faith makes us stronger people and gives us all a unique bond. This bond means that you're not just joining a university at IAB, you're joining a family.

Sitges is also a beautiful town with so much to offer. Cafe's, restaurants of all kinds, bars, clubs, gyms, shops and more, all with the stunning backdrop of the promenade and the sea. It is also incredibly safe and there is nearly always something going on from the 'Zombie Walk' in October to 'Carnival' in February (just the word carnival doesn't do it justice - thousands of people descend upon Sitges to parade and party, all in fancy dress) and Tapa a Tapa just to name a few. When I leave, I miss the town and it's atmosphere almost as much as my friends and IAB! It is also extremely easy to travel by train or bus to the surrounding towns, Barcelona and the airport - it's great to explore.

The BAMT course is very full on with practical dancing, singing and acting as well as individual singing lessons and our one lecture a week! It can get tough, as we have chosen to train for one of the most difficult professions in the world - in the run up to shows you can expect to be rehearsing late into the evenings and sometimes weekends - but you wouldn't have chosen to train in this profession for it to be easy and we certainly get our money's worth!
The teaching staff are wonderful and incredibly supportive. What is great about IAB is that we are nurtured to be our own individual people and are recognized by our unique talents rather than all being pushed to become the same product when we graduate.

I cannot believe that my first two years at IAB have flown by so quickly and I know that I am going to be devastated to leave IAB and Sitges however I also know that the university will have me fully equipped to be ready to go out into the performing world!