The students at Bodywork are on a high having finished performing in the College production of 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' at the local Mumford Theatre. The show, which was rehearsed and produced in the three-week Easter break, was a huge success, with some of the students being offered roles in the national tour. For now though - it's back to classes. The College runs a three-year Performing Arts course offering a National Diploma in Professional Dance and Musical Theatre as well as a one-year foundation course. It also runs a theatre school which caters for any age from three years old to adults

Two students on the three-year Diploma course - Judith Mullally and Sean Hackett, both originally from Ireland - explained their decision to apply to the College. "I come from Waterford, just outside of Cork, so to start my training in a place like Cambridge gave both me and my parents more confidence in my decision to leave home and pursue my dream," Judith told us. "There is a real family environment at Bodywork, which helps you to feel incredibly supported - you have your own tutor and everyone knows your name. I graduate soon and can't wait to go to London and start auditioning for parts but I'm also very glad to have completed my training here rather than at one of the larger schools."

Sean agrees. "It can be very daunting for someone at the age of 16 to leave home, and for their parents too. However, choosing a college like Bodywork can ease this transition. Here we get help with everything from sorting out accommodation through to advice on nutrition and diet."

Another Diploma student, David Birch - currently in his third and final year - also believes that the standard of training outside of the capital can be just as good. "For me, learning the classical arts was fundamental - ballet for dance, Shakespeare for acting and opera for singing. Once you have learned these techniques you have the building blocks for everything else. I have learned these and more in a caring and nurturing environment where the individual is valued and supported by a team of highly professional people. During the production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers we got to work with a top director, musical director and choreographer, so I don't think my training has been compromised in any way by being outside of London."

So if you are starting to think about applying for a course, choosing the right location for you is something to take into consideration. The size of the organisation, the number of students in a class and pastoral care should also form a part of your decision-making. You need to think hard about your own personality and level of confidence as both could make the difference between dropping out or completing the course successfully, and if you are fortunate enough to have had a course-providing organisation recommended to you by someone who has studied there, then even better.

Whilst the capital offers much in the way of both training and future employment, numerous options are available to you in terms of where you train and how enjoyable your training can - and should - be. Use the course database in UKP-Arts to find updated course information throughout the country. Although studying as far from home as possible appeals to many, there is often more than one benefit to exploring course providers nearer to home!