Burnley College student left in shock as Instagram post reveals drama school has gone bust

Burnley College student Chloe Conway secured a place last December at The Scottish Institute of Theatre, Dance, Film, and Television to study acting.

But that disappeared when an Instagram post revealed the drama school had gone bust.

The news left her in “a state of shock”.

"It's been so stressful,” she said.

"The first thing I did was find 15 drama schools and message them asking if I could send a self-tape. Eight came back saying, 'Sorry, we're full'. Two asked me to send a self-tape but I'm at the bottom of the list.”

Unsure what to do, Chloe joined a Whatsapp group with other students in the same boat.

"Everyone was in a state of shock,” she said.

"It costs a lot to travel to auditions. I don't think people realise how stressful it is to go through it all again. Performing arts isn’t an easy industry: it’s extremely hard and demanding. We’re only young to go through all this. It’s a lot to sort this out as well as doing college work.”

Chloe falls under the Student Protection Plan of Bath Spa University, which awards the degrees offered by the Scottish Institute. She contacted Burnley MP Oliver Ryan, and after he wrote to Bath Spa University, it offered her a place to study acting.

But she explained that universities have a different style of teaching to drama schools, which she does not think will suit her. Alternatively, she could study for a Higher National Certificate at Burnley College, which is equivalent to the first year of a university degree.

A spokesperson for Bath Spa University said it “is committed to working with all of those affected by the closure of The Scottish Institute, whether they were students studying for a BSU-accredited degree or those who had firmly accepted an offer to begin study later this year. The closure of TSI has left these young people in a difficult situation and the team at Bath Spa University has worked tirelessly to unpick and resolve what is a very complex and challenging situation.

“Due to a delay in receiving the data and contact details for some of our offer holders, a small number of students found out about the closure of TSI via social media before we were able to communicate with them. This situation is regrettable and was beyond our control, but we are sorry for any inconvenience or upset this may have caused.

“BSU is in regular communication with all students and offer-holders and is providing practical support and guidance so that they can look to continue with their studies with another provider based on course content that is similar to or aligned with their previous study. We have provided a broad range of options of institutions that still have spaces for this October 2025 entry, will accept applications from TSI students and can carry out auditions where required. Our experienced team is available to support those young people to make informed decisions about their next steps.

“We know that this has been a difficult situation for all those affected, and our team is working as quickly as possible, following all necessary procedures, liaising with regulatory bodies and other stakeholders to determine the best course of action for all our students.”