Study the Fine Arts Abroad
Sometimes the best way to expand your horizons is to step out of the practice room and into life and learning thousand of miles away. Extreme? We don’t think so. BU College of Fine Arts students enrich their undergraduate experience with arts-focused semester abroad opportunities in London or Venice. And you won’t be alone. CFA has the highest percentage of undergraduates studying abroad among all BU colleges.
Music Programs
ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC
The School of Music and BU Study Abroad offer an exciting and unique opportunity to study for a semester with the Royal College of Music in London, England. The program blends the resources of one of the world’s leading conservatories with the collaborative resources of Boston University’s International Programs. This opportunity is available to undergraduate students entering their junior year of study.
Theatre Programs
In the second semester of the junior year, the School of Theatre requires students in both BFA performance majors (Acting and Theatre Arts) as well as BFA Stage Management to spend a semester studying abroad through BU Study Abroad. Students in other majors may work with their advisor to study abroad in this semester as well. Students must be in good academic standing to participate.
Students can choose from any of the abroad experiences to challenge their growth and development not only as artists, but as individuals. The School of Theatre has established conservatory-style, studio-specific training semester programs in London, England (with the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art—LAMDA) as well as in Arezzo, Italy (with the Accademia dell’Arte). Please note that capacity limits exist.
However, students should not feel limited to a conservatory-style, studio-specific semester, but instead can also explore the dozens of different programs abroad offered through BU in London, Dublin, Madrid, Paris, Quito, Tel Aviv, Auckland, Sydney, or anywhere in the world they wish to study.
LONDON ACADEMY OF MUSIC AND DRAMATIC ART (LAMDA)
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art is one of the leading drama schools in the English-speaking world. Several drama training schools in the greater London area, some dating back to 1861, joined together to become LAMDA. The academy’s teaching faculty is comprised of both experienced permanent staff and a number of outside specialists and professionals who focus on classical training. LAMDA studio courses focus on Shakespearean and Jacobean tragedy, as well as Restoration comedy.
AREZZO PHYSICAL THEATRE PROGRAM (ACCADEMIA DELL’ARTE)
The Accademia dell’Arte is an internationally recognized institution providing students of theater, music, and dance the opportunity for an intensive semester of study with world-renowned masters of their craft. The first half of the program comprises daily training in movement, extended vocal techniques, and Italian language. Intensive workshops follow and entail studies in Commedia, and an introduction to performance topics including mask-making and clown.
LONDON INTERNSHIP PROGRAM IN THEATRE (LIP)
Junior Theatre Arts, Design, Production, and Stage Management majors may take advantage of the School’s special London Internship Program in the spring semester. Students enrolled in LIP will study the various aspects of the theatre industry through a unique combination of coursework and hands-on experience in a full-time field placement internship.
The professional portion of the LIP allows students to study the theatre industry in one of the most vibrant theatre communities of the classic and modern world. Students are placed in various fields of production, development, administration, casting, or marketing. Placement can be done beforehand through a student’s own research or on site in London through the guidance of the BU London staff. Previous internship placements have included the Globe Theatre, the Royal Court, and the Battersea Arts Centre. The academic portion of the LIP includes two phases of study: a first phase of five weeks, followed by a second phase of eight weeks.
Both LAMDA and LIP are organized through BU Study Abroad and the BU London Centre.
Students may also petition to earn credit from an “external” abroad program if they so choose. Please see the Bulletin for further details. External Abroad Programs do not quality for BU Financial Aid Packages or Scholarships. Check with your financial aid advisor and study abroad officer to see how this will affect you. Further information on External Abroad Options can be viewed on the BU Study Abroad Website. Please note that participation in an External Abroad Program requires review of courses through the Transfer Credit Approval Process.
The School also encourages students in our Theatre Minor program to consider an abroad experience at LAMDA or Arezzo or an abroad Internship Program as coursework that would count towards the completion of the minor.
For more information about Boston University’s many other study abroad opportunities, visit the BU Study Abroad.
Visual Arts Programs
STUDIO ARTS PROGRAM IN VENICE
Visual Art majors and minors can elect to have their study abroad experience in the heart of beautiful Venice, Italy. Boston University’s Studio Arts program offers courses in graphic design, painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, and glassblowing, as well as art history and Italian language courses. The curriculum is designed so that all majors can benefit from the electives offered, broadening students’ educational experiences in one of the most fascinating cities in the world.
The BU space near Santa Margherita, centrally located and an easy walk between the train station and Piazza San Marco, houses painting and drawing studios, a graphic design lab, classrooms, and a reception and reading area for study and downtime. Glassblowing is taught on the island of Murano, which has a thousand year history in the discipline. Boston University painting and graphic design instructors teach on site along with internationally recognized instructors and visiting artists, and School of Visual Arts students work and study alongside Italian and international students.
Drawing on Venice’s rich history, the curriculum is enhanced by visits to local museums, galleries, and landmarks, as well as trips to important cities including Florence and Rome. Students live in furnished apartments that are a 15-minute walk to the school. The program is offered in both the spring and fall, and a summer program is also available.