Creativity knows no borders — and for two of our Music Production students, it’s about to take them all the way to Europe!
We’re thrilled to announce that Vanessa Sanchez-Cosic and Oline Hopen, two exceptional students from our Bachelor of Music Production course, have been selected to attend International Songwriting Week (ISW) this May at Popakademie in Mannheim, Germany.
After a rigorous selection process and an incredibly high standard of song submissions, the Popakademie panel selected Vanessa and Oline as this year’s scholarship recipients. The pair will now represent Collarts overseas in one of the most exciting collaborative songwriting opportunities in the world.
Held at Popakademie — a renowned higher education institution and creative industries hub in the heart of north-western Baden-Württemberg — International Songwriting Week brings together songwriting students from around the globe. Participants are placed into small, dynamic teams where they’ll write, produce, and record original songs alongside vocalists and instrumentalists from the Popakademie degree programs. These sessions are mentored by esteemed international songwriters, giving students direct access to invaluable industry insights, tools, and connections.
And the best part? The songs developed during the week are pitched to A&R reps from major record labels.
It’s not just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — it’s a launchpad.
For Vanessa and Oline, this is more than just an overseas experience. It’s a chance to build their creative practice, grow their networks, and be mentored in a real-world industry setting — something we value deeply at Collarts.
We also want to shout out every student who submitted a song for consideration. The talent in our community is undeniable, and while only two students could be selected, the level of creativity and professionalism we saw across the board was nothing short of inspiring. If you weren’t selected this time, keep pushing, keep writing, and keep creating — because your work matters.
We’ll be cheering Vanessa and Oline on from Melbourne, and we can’t wait to share more about their journey once they return.