Students and staff at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts marked a new era of collaboration with the University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a joint concert last week. The venture includes four joint masters programmes with student and staff exchanges. Below right: the academic staff from the two institutions involved in the collaboration Marc Dicciani (director, School of Music, University of the Arts), assistant professor Justin Binek (director, jazz vocal studies, University of the Arts), Lee Higgins (programme leader, integrated MA, Lipa), assistant professor Kim Bears (head of modern dance, University of the Arts) and Giles Auckland-Lewis (director of higher education, Lipa)