Foundation Year in Performing Arts

Why Choose a Foundation Year in Performing Arts in Italy

Choosing a Foundation Year in Performing Arts in Italy allows international students to develop their creative, technical, and academic preparation before applying to university. For many applicants, it is also an essential pathway to meet the 12-year schooling requirement and gain access to higher education in Italy.

In addition to supporting academic eligibility, the programme offers an immersive introduction to the world of performance through subjects connected to music, cinema, theatre, modern art, and applied performing arts. This makes it especially valuable for students who want to build artistic confidence and prepare for undergraduate study in DAMS or related creative fields.

Who is this Foundation Year for?

This Foundation Year in Performing Arts is designed for international students who want to prepare for university study in performance, theatre, cinema, music, or related artistic disciplines and need a recognised academic pathway before entering university.

It is particularly suitable for students who have completed less than 12 years of schooling, for applicants who want to strengthen their academic and creative preparation before undergraduate study, and for students who wish to improve their proficiency in Italian while developing a broader understanding of the performing arts.

• International students who need an academic pathway before university admission in Italy
• Students with less than 12 years of schooling who need additional preparation
• Applicants interested in DAMS / Performing Arts and related creative degree fields
• Students who want to improve their Italian in an academic and artistic context

A Foundation Year for Performing Arts in Italy

The Foundation Year in Performing Arts offers an immersive introduction to the world of performance, designed for students who aspire to develop their creative, technical, and artistic skills. By fulfilling the 12-year schooling requirement, students complete a recognised pathway that supports progression to undergraduate study in Italy.

Throughout the year, students explore a wide range of artistic and cultural subjects, including Italian language and culture, history of music, history of cinema, history of theatre, Italian literature, modern art, and performing arts disciplines. The programme is designed to combine academic preparation with artistic development in a structured learning environment.

By the end of the Foundation Year, students will have built a stronger creative profile, developed essential technical and interpretative skills, and gained the confidence to progress to university-level study in DAMS / Performing Arts or related creative fields.

Academic and Artistic Preparation

In addition to subject-specific learning, this programme helps students build the academic skills needed for higher education in Italy. The Foundation Year supports the development of critical thinking, interpretation, cultural awareness, communication, and artistic expression, all of which are essential in creative and performance-based degree programmes.

The course also provides a structured environment in which students can improve their confidence in using Italian in an academic context, while engaging with disciplines that are central to the study of performance, visual culture, and theatre studies.

Foundation Year in Performing Arts: Study Plan and Course Modules

This Foundation Year in Performing Arts in Italy offers a structured study plan designed for international students preparing for university. The programme includes language training, humanities-based study, and practical artistic subjects, for a total of 650 hours.

Programme note: the programme is delivered in Italian. Exams are held exclusively in person, while lessons may be delivered in person, via live streaming, or asynchronously.

Progress to a Bachelor’s Degree in DAMS / Performing Arts

After completing this Foundation Year in Performing Arts, students meet the academic preparation requirements to apply for undergraduate study in Italy and strengthen their readiness for progression into creative degree programmes.

At Link University, students who complete the programme can apply for a Bachelor’s Degree in DAMS / Performing Arts. The Foundation Year is designed to support this transition by combining artistic, cultural, and language-based preparation within a structured academic pathway.

Entry Requirements for International Students

• Upper secondary school qualification: applicants must have completed secondary education and may need to bridge the 12-year schooling requirement for university access in Italy.
• Language requirements: English or Italian language requirements should be verified with the admissions office, depending on the applicant’s academic background and the programme’s current entry criteria.
• Suitable for: international students who want to undertake a structured introduction to performing arts before undergraduate study.
• Tuition fee: €5,000, payable in two instalments.