An Institution in its own right. (Liverpool Institute For Performing Arts (LIPA))

Member Name: FlickeringEmber

Product:	Liverpool Institute For Performing Arts (LIPA)
Date:	20/08/08 (273 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Everything...

Disadvantages: Hard to get into; very over subscribed

LIPA has been dubbed both Paul McCartney's and Liverpool's "fame school" and in a way, this is a valid term but it is also an underestimation of the place. LIPA is built where the old Liverpool Institute was (and where Paul McCartney and George Harrison were pupils) and also occupies the art school where John Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe studied. Some of the original features are still there in the LIPA building; the art school building is pretty much unchanged, other than it now houses dance studios for LIPA's dance students.

There's a range of adult degree and diploma programmes available, such as Sound Technology, Theatre Design and Technology, Singing, Music, Music Theatre And Entertainment Management, Acting, Dance and Performing Arts. Some courses are offered at MA Level. There are also shorter, evening based courses for adults, and a weekend school for children; called 4:19 to represent the age range of students it caters for. There are also some summer classes for these children.

The building has studios for dance and for recording, rehearsal rooms, really well equipped recording studios; the George Martin studio is endorsed by the former Beatles producer as well as being a copy of Abbey Road. There are also lecture theatres and 2 performance spaces where members of the public can buy tickets to see LIPA students perform.

There is a very comprehensive Learning Resources Centre full of books, trade magazines, software, DVDs, CDs for hire to students as well as Wifi and computers.

There is a canteen which serves delicious, varied, healthy food at good prices, as well as vending machines and a bar which tends to open from 3-11pm on weekdays in term time.

The staff are all well known and respected in their fields and sometimes there are visiting lecturers and masterclasses given, eg by Paul McCartney, Cathy Dennis, Ben Elton. So you really are learning from the pros.

The annual graduation ceremony is always special, with a new celebrity becoming a "fellow" of LIPA: this year it was John Hurt, other recent additions have been Dawn French and Robin Gibb. Paul McCartney hands out the diplomas. Degrees are validated with Liverpool John Moores University; a partner of LIPA.

Overall, you make a lot of friends and contacts and I cannot speak highly enough of this wonderful community.

Summary: The best performing arts college in the UK.