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Program Overview

Spend six weeks or longer interning with a theatre or other theatrical organization in the heart of Barcelona, hand-picked for you based on your application and an interview conducted by our Internship Placement Coordinators. We arrange your housing in a centrally located apartment or homestay with other program participants, or you can arrange your own housing if you’re a confident and experienced traveler. You will join fellow interns for excursions and activities such as Catalan cooking classes, salsa classes, attendance at performances, a visit to the Dali museum, and more, all included in the cost of the program. There will be plenty of time for independent travel on weekends, which we are happy to help you arrange.

We work with a wide variety of theatre organizations, and handpick each specific placement based on your interests as captured in your application through your resume, cover letter, and a Skype interview with our on-site internship placement team. Performing Arts Abroad offers an internship capstone where we will fund you up to $100 to pursue a final project of your design.

For more specific information about our placements and a typical day on this program, please see the “A Day in the Life” tab.

 

“I loved the time I spent in Spain through Performing Arts Abroad. I lived and worked with fantastic people, and I learned a lot about the administrative and educational side of the theatre world. My placement at a small, recently opened theatre school gave me a bunch of really unique opportunities–my favorite (although also the most high pressure!) was getting to design and operate the lights for the school dance show and the musical theatre revue. They were incredibly willing to give me big responsibilities, and gave me room to do things that I was interested in.”

Performing Arts Points of Interest

Sala Beckett

Named after the famous playwright, Sala Beckett is a space for the theatre-related creation, training and experimentation, devoted especially to promoting contemporary playwriting and to disseminating Catalan theatrical authorship. Sala Beckett hosts intense activity in show production and programming, courses and labs, lectures, meet-ups and all kinds of activities involving exchange, thinking and debate on playwriting and the contemporary world.

Teatre Lliure

Teatre Lliure is considered one of the most prestigious in Catalonia. In 1989 the theatre was one of the founding members of the Union of the Theatres of Europe. Performances range from Shakespearian to local plays.

Mercat De Les Flors

Mercat De Les Flors, established in 1983, features experimental and contemporary dance productions by both Catalan and international companies. Each show offers something new or provocative, including contact improvisations, creative projections, concerts played with unusual instruments such as kitchen utensils and hair driers, and much more. El Mercat de les Flors opened in 1983 and occupies a spectacular and unusual building constructed for Barcelona s International Exposition in 1929. For many decades it hosted a flower market (“mercat de les flors,” in Catalan).

PAA Home Base

Our office is located in the heart of the city​,​ near Plaça Catalunya​, and our team includes Spaniards, Catalans and international staff who are all passionate and knowledgeable about international education and life in Barcelona.​ Our office is a place you can come to talk with staff, hang out in the student and intern lounge, or print any needed documents. We are available to you at the office during work hours (9:00am-6:00pm M-Th, and 9:00am-5:00pm on Fridays), and via emergency phone 24 hours per day.

About the Location

One of Europe’s most cosmopolitan and historically cultural cities, Barcelona boasts a diverse offering of theater performances and groups. You will never be short on inspiration in this beautiful city, with unique Spanish architecture, sidewalk cafes, and delicious paella. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, which has its own culture and language, making the city vibrant and exciting. Classical music groups are well-renowned, especially symphonic, choral, and opera performances. You can see lively international and local plays full of bright colors and interesting characters, and Barcelona’s theater scene offers everything from classic ballet to Flamenco. Art museums abound throughout the city, paying tribute to Picasso’s legacy as well as showcasing contemporary stars. Just outside Barcelona, you’ll find beaches and mountain ranges that make the region worth exploring. Beyond that, the city is only hours by plane to destinations such as Paris, Rome, and Berlin.

Housing

Choose between living in an apartment and a home stay. All rooms are shared with other participants on the program.

In an apartment, participants will live with other interns and young professionals from Spain, the United States, and other countries. Participants who choose this option will experience multiple cultures while living in Spain, build relationships with other participants and young professionals, and have independence when it comes to meals and laundry. Meals are not included and full kitchen and laundry facilities are available for interns to use. For this option we cannot guarantee the age, profession, or gender of other residents sharing the apartment. You will be able to request your housing preferences and are highly likely to get your requested selection. In addition, if an intern knows another program participant in Barcelona, participants can request to be placed in the same apartment.

Home stays offer the chance to experience complete immersion in the culture and languages of Barcelona. Participants who choose this option will receive breakfast and dinner each day and will be able to come and go as they please. Interns will live with a Barcelona family, married couple, or resident who lives alone. Because of meal inclusion the program price for the home stay is higher than if participants choose to live in an apartment. Living in a home stay is a wonderful way to gain perspective of life for a Barcelona citizen and have day-to-day cultural interaction.

Roommates

You will share your apartment or homestay with other interns and study abroad students. Upon acceptance, you will choose between a shared room (shared with one to three other program participants), or a private room. There are rarely more than six flatmates sharing the apartment or homestay.

Interns of all ages and experience levels participate in this program and we have arranged some exciting placements for high-level professionals, but the most common demographics are college students (undergraduate and graduate), and recent college graduates. In the fall and spring, PAA usually has 5-10 interns onsite at one time who join with a dozen or so interns from our partner study abroad companies, while the summer brings over a dozen PAA interns joining over a hundred other interns.

A Day in the Life



The Participant Experience

During your time in Barcelona, you will make professional connections and form bonds with your co-workers at your internship, as well as fellow interns on our program. We also work hard to provide you with multiple opportunities outside the internship to explore the best artistic experiences Barcelona has to offer.

Example internships include:

  • Join an English-speaking improv comedy troupe and helping them organize performances
  • Assist a theatre with all tasks needed: helping with load-ins, managing schedules, sitting in on production meetings, assisting the box office, and more
  • Work with a Barcelona-based theatre group that puts on performances for youth, teens, and adults
  • Perform with an organization that pairs English-speaking actors with opportunities and corporate events
  • Collaborate with a company that puts on performances showcasing Barcelona in creative and artistic ways

On Arrival

You will book a flight landing in Barcelona’s El Prat Airport (BCN) before noon on your arrival day. At the airport, members of our staff greet you and other participants beginning the same day at a coffee shop in the arrivals area. Once everyone has arrived, we will take you to your accommodations to settle in and unpack. Later that afternoon, you will attend an orientation and welcome meal where details about your program and the city of Barcelona will be discussed in depth. During your first two days, you will be invited to neighborhood walking tours to get to know the diverse areas of the city. The first day at your internship is usually your second or third day on the program, and a member of our staff will accompany you to make introductions and be sure you know how to travel to your placement on your own.

A Typical Day

On the first day at your internship, you will finalize your schedule with your placement supervisor, which will be at least 20 hours per week. For the rest of your program, you will travel to your placement independently at the times agreed upon with your supervisor. During the second week of the program, you will begin one-on-one Spanish classes that will be arranged with a private tutor based on your specific internship schedule. For 6-week programs, this will be 5 hours of contact time over one week. For 8, 10, and 12-week programs, this will be 10 hours of contact time over two weeks.

During your time outside the internship placement, you are completely independent to explore the city and surrounding areas and countries at your leisure. We provide free weekly cultural activities and regular excursions that include performances in a range of genres, which we highly recommend you attend! Our staff are available during working hours to help with your independent travel plans or address any issues you may face, and are available 24 hours via an emergency phone for serious emergencies.

Host Group

Directly contribute to the development of a theatre organization and build your knowledge of international arts. Throughout your theatre internship you will be involved in the creative development of the group. Share your own skills and abilities while experiencing cultural collaboration that will help you grow as an artist.

Support Staff

Support Staff

Support Staff

Support Staff

Testimonials

“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!”

“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!”

“My experience as an intern in Barcelona through Performing Arts Abroad has changed me in so many positive ways. I felt my confidence grow every day as I danced with new friends, learned exciting new styles of dance, and improved my Spanish language abilities inside and outside of the studio. I was also able to spend time in the office of the dance school, answering phones and interacting with existing and potential students to answer questions and deliver information. Virtually all aspects of my internship were initially outside of my comfort zone, but in the spirit of living in a new and vibrant culture (and with the help of the incredible PAA team), I was able to embrace each challenge as a dancer, a student, and as a person. I am eager to put the confidence and skills I gained in Barcelona to use in my life here in the United States.”

How it Works

The information on this page provides details for a sample group program. Note that every group is different, and we will work with you to cater the experience to your group. To connect with us and begin organizing a program for your group, please follow the “Get Started’ button below and submit an initial questionnaire. We will then contact you to set up a discovery call where we can go into more detail about your group’s needs and what we can offer.

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