NIPAI tuition fees change from 1 October 2026
Berlin, Germany - August 31, 2026
From 1 October 2026, NIPAI introduces new tuition fees across its programmes. The change is announced in advance so that practitioners currently considering NIPAI can see the new fees and decide on their timing.
An application submitted by 30 September 2026 fixes the current fee.
Programmes tuition fees
18-month Diploma Programmes (Theatre Directing, Movement Directing): €20,000 → €22,950
12-month Theatre Directing Certificate Programme: €12,000 → €15,950
3-month distance programmes: €1,950 → €2,450
The Director and the Play, Ensemble Building, Choreography and Blocking in Performance, The Director and Design, The Director and Stage Lighting in Performance, From Stage to Screen, Digital Presence for Performing Artists.
3-week distance programmes: €250 → €390
The Director's Sketchbook, First Reading, First Cut, The Director's Collage.
International physical theatre workshops: fees also change from 1 October. Each workshop page shows its current fee and whether early booking is still open.
Tuition conditions for current students and applicants
If you are already enrolled, your tuition conditions stay as they are. The new fees are not applied retrospectively.
On the long-form programmes, the fee agreed at enrolment remains fixed for the full duration of study, provided the agreed payment schedule is maintained. A student who enrols in 2026 on an 18-month Diploma pays the 2026 fee until graduation.
An application that reaches us by 30 September 2026 is processed at the current fee. Registration and payment follow afterwards in the usual way.
Background to the revision
The current fees were set for programmes that have since changed.
Over recent intakes the methodology and the assignment structure of each programmes have been reworked, and the teaching team has grown: more practitioners with current international careers - directors, movement directors, choreographers, and teachers - now take part in tutoring, feedback, and mentoring. Individual written feedback on a participant's own material is the most demanding part of this work, and it is the part that has expanded.
The new fees follow that, together with the general rise in the cost of running the programmes. The structure of the work itself is unchanged: assignments applied to your own material, individual feedback, revision, and application in your own practice.
In-class sessions for distance students
Distance study at NIPAI has never been intended to stay entirely on screen.
Where the schedule allows, we look for a way for distance students to take part in an in-class session without an additional participation fee, so that a subject studied remotely can also be seen from inside a working training process. Travel, accommodation, and related costs remain the student's own.
This matters most for students of Ensemble Building, Choreography and Blocking in Performance, The Director and the Play, and From Stage to Screen.
Places depend on the workshop, the dates, and the size of the group, so this is not something we can guarantee in advance. It is something we look for, and it has worked for many of our distance students.
How to choose the study format that fits your practice
A long programme is not the right starting point for every practitioner.
The 3-week programmes work when there is one specific area of directing practice you want to examine, without a long commitment.
The 3-month programmes develop a working method in a single area: play analysis, ensemble building, blocking and stage composition, design, lighting, screen acting, or professional digital presence.
The 12-month Certificate is for practitioners moving into directing who need the whole route from a text to rehearsal decisions.
The 18-month Diplomas are for practitioners who already work and want the time to build a methodology across the full creative process, with mentorship and a graduation project.
The international physical theatre workshops are for those who need the rehearsal room itself: physical practice, work with partners, direct contact with tutors, and a group of practitioners from different countries.
Funding and financial support
NIPAI offers limited competitive financial support, and the Funding page sets out who can apply, what awards may cover, and which external sources - mobility programmes, national scholarship databases, cultural institutes, employer sponsorship - practitioners use to finance their studies. Availability changes during the year and support is not guaranteed.
If cost is the obstacle and the programme is relevant to your professional development, write to us before applying. We will tell you what currently applies in your case.
Applications
The application form and the requirements are on the Admissions Process page. Applications received by 30 September 2026 are processed at the current fees.
Applications are reviewed individually and groups are formed on a competitive basis. If you would like advice on which programme matches your background before you apply, send your CV and a short description of your current work to info@nipai.org.
NIPAI - New International Performing Arts Institute
Berlin, Germany