Coventry University Project Wins Study Abroad and Exchange Award

By Aahana September 22, 2025
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Coventry University’s innovative Telepresence in Theatre project has been named Study Abroad and Exchange Experience of the Year at the prestigious PIEoneer Awards. The recognition celebrates a bilingual collaboration between Coventry University in the UK and L’Escola Superior d’Art Dramàtic de les Illes Balears (ESADIB) in Spain, which explored Shakespeare through digital and live performance.

The project culminated in a unique production of Romeo and Juliet, performed in both English and Catalan in Palma de Mallorca. Using video conferencing software creatively, drama students at Coventry University and ESADIB rehearsed together online, simulating a shared rehearsal space. This approach allowed students to complete preliminary work remotely, saving time and costs associated with international exchanges, while practising pronunciation in their non-native languages.

Tom Gorman, Assistant Professor at Coventry University’s College of the Arts and Society and joint co-ordinator of the project, explained the method’s benefits. “Telepresence allows us to do a lot of preliminary work online. By the time students meet in Palma, they’re already collaborators rather than outsiders,” he said. “It’s deliberately challenging for our actors, but by the end, they form strong bonds and gain immense confidence.”

One student remarked, “I’ve performed Shakespeare in two languages in just three weeks; I feel I can do anything.” Gorman described the award as “the Oscars in education” and highlighted the project’s transformative impact on students over nearly ten years.

Following the success of the 2024 production, the partnership has continued. This year, Coventry University and ESADIB presented a new bilingual performance of As You Like It, reinforcing cross-cultural collaboration and providing further international experience for participating students.

The Telepresence in Theatre initiative demonstrates how UK universities like Coventry are leading the way in combining innovation, cultural exchange, and accessibility in higher education. By enabling students to work across borders virtually and in person, such projects broaden horizons and create opportunities that were previously too costly or logistically challenging.

Source: CONVENTRY UNIVERSITY

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