The terms for purchasing, accessing and using ISTA’s on-demand arts learning platform.
ISTA Encore provides on-demand learning experiences for educators, artists and students around the world. These Terms & Conditions explain how courses and subscriptions are purchased, how access works, and the responsibilities of ISTA and its users.
These terms apply to all individual course purchases and Encore All-Access Passes. By purchasing access to Encore, you agree to these terms, subject to your applicable statutory rights.
ISTA Encore is operated by ISTA Global Arts Learning Ltd, a registered charity in England and Wales.
1Encore Courses and All-Access Passes
1.1 Individual Courses
Individual Encore courses are available for a one-off payment, normally £195 per course, unless a different price is displayed at checkout.
A course purchase provides:
- Access to the selected course for its stated access period.
- The ability to revisit course content at your own pace.
- Access to any downloadable resources included with the course.
- A certificate of completion, where offered.
Standard courses include a minimum five-year access commitment. Time-limited courses, including year-specific assessment resources, have their own stated access periods.
Individual courses do not require ISTA membership and are independent of any All-Access Pass subscription.
1.2 All-Access Passes
All-Access Passes provide access to the entire Encore course library, including new releases, throughout an active annual subscription.
| Pass | Annual price | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|
| Educator Pass | £300 | Everyone |
| Educator Pass | £250 | Ensemble and Company members |
| Class Pass | £375 | Ensemble and Company members |
| Extended Class Pass | £375 base, plus additional seats | Company members only |
- Educator Pass
- Access for one educator.
- Class Pass
- Access for one educator and up to 30 students, including individual student accounts and progress tracking.
- Extended Class Pass
- Includes the Class Pass allocation, with additional educators at £75 per year each and additional students in blocks of ten at £25 per year per block.
All Pass prices are additional to any applicable ISTA membership fee.
ISTA may revise its prices. Changes to existing subscriptions will be communicated before renewal and will not affect the current paid term.
2Purchasing and Payment
2.1 Making a Purchase
An ISTA account is required to purchase and access Encore courses and passes.
Access begins when your order is placed, whether you pay by card or by invoice. Invoices are payable within 30 days, and ISTA may suspend access to a Pass while an invoice is overdue.
All prices are displayed in GBP. Any applicable taxes or additional charges will be shown before payment is completed.
2.2 Membership and Encore
Encore All-Access Passes may be purchased at any time during the year.
Existing ISTA members pay their applicable member price, calculated on a daily prorated basis from the purchase date to their next membership renewal date.
Thereafter, membership and Encore subscriptions renew together annually, on the same date and through one invoice.
New members purchasing membership and Encore together begin both subscriptions on the same date.
Purchasing an Encore Pass does not change an existing membership renewal date.
2.3 Non-Member Purchases
Non-members may purchase individual courses or an Educator Pass at the standard annual rate of £300.
A non-member Educator Pass renews annually from its original purchase date.
If a Pass holder subsequently joins ISTA, the unused value of their existing subscription will be credited towards their new subscription arrangements. Their Encore renewal date will then align with their membership renewal date.
Any applicable member discount depends on the membership tier purchased.
3Subscriptions and Renewals
3.1 Annual Subscriptions
All-Access Passes operate on an annual subscription basis.
Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled before the next renewal, subject to applicable law.
ISTA will make renewal dates and charges available through the user’s account and provide any renewal notices required by law.
3.2 Cancelling a Subscription
Subscribers may cancel future renewal of their All-Access Pass through their ISTA account or by contacting ISTA.
Cancellation prevents the next renewal charge but does not normally end access immediately.
Access continues until the end of the current paid subscription term.
Fees already paid are not normally refunded for voluntary mid-term cancellation, except where required by law or expressly agreed by ISTA.
3.3 Adding Educator and Student Seats
Schools holding an Extended Class Pass may add educator and student seats at any time.
Additional seats are charged at the agreed annual rates, prorated by day to the existing membership renewal date.
Additional seats become available when your order is placed, whether you pay by card or by invoice. Invoices are payable within 30 days, and ISTA may suspend access to the additional seats while an invoice is overdue.
Reductions in seat allocations take effect at the next renewal. No mid-term refunds are normally provided for unused or removed seats, subject to applicable statutory rights.
3.4 Changing Membership
- Upgrading membership
- Where a membership upgrade provides access to a lower Encore price or additional Pass options, the new eligibility applies immediately to new purchases. An Educator Pass moves to the new member price immediately, with its unused time credited.
- Downgrading membership
- If a member moves to a tier that does not qualify for their existing Pass, that Pass remains active until the end of its paid term but will not renew.
- Leaving membership
- An Educator Pass may continue at the standard non-member price of £300 per year from its next renewal date.
Class Passes and Extended Class Passes require eligible ISTA membership. If that membership ends, these Passes remain active until the end of their paid Pass term (which, for ISTA members, aligns with the membership term) and will not renew.
4Individual Course Access and Availability
4.1 Standard Courses
When you purchase a standard individual Encore course, you receive access for a minimum of five years from the date of purchase, and for longer while the course remains available on the ISTA Encore platform.
This commitment allows educators to revisit their learning over several academic years.
4.2 Time-Limited Courses
Some Encore courses and resources are designed for a particular academic year, assessment session or curriculum period.
These include year-specific assessment courses and resources.
Time-limited courses are excluded from the five-year minimum access commitment. Their access period will be clearly stated before purchase.
4.3 Course Updates and Retirement
ISTA may update, withdraw or retire courses that become outdated, redundant or no longer meet our educational or technical standards.
Where reasonably possible, we will provide advance notice and a reasonable opportunity to complete a course before access ends.
If a standard course must be withdrawn within five years of purchase, or a time-limited course before its advertised access period ends, ISTA will provide an appropriate alternative, credit or refund, taking account of the circumstances and applicable consumer rights.
4.4 Independent Access
Individual course purchases are independent of ISTA membership and All-Access Pass subscriptions.
They are unaffected by membership changes, subscription renewals or cancellations.
Course purchases provide access to learning content rather than ownership of the course or its intellectual property.
5Accounts and Permitted Use
5.1 Individual Accounts
Each educator and student accessing Encore must use their own authorised account.
Accounts and login credentials must not be shared with other individuals.
Access is intended for the registered user and may not be transferred, sold or sublicensed, except through permitted reassignment of school-managed seats.
5.2 School-Managed Access
Schools purchasing Class or Extended Class Passes are responsible for managing their allocated educator and student accounts.
Schools may reassign seats when educators leave, students move classes or account allocations change.
Reassignment does not increase the total number of seats permitted under the subscription.
Schools must ensure that account holders use Encore appropriately and comply with these terms.
5.3 Educational Use
You may
Encore content may be used for personal professional learning and educational activities within the access purchased.
Educators may use ideas, approaches and expressly provided teaching resources in their classroom practice.
You must not
Unless ISTA has given permission:
- Share login credentials or provide unauthorised access.
- Download, copy, record, reproduce or redistribute course videos.
- Upload Encore materials to public websites or third-party learning platforms.
- Sell, commercially distribute or publish Encore content.
- Remove copyright notices or ownership information.
Downloadable resources may be used in accordance with any permissions or restrictions accompanying those resources.
All course content and associated intellectual property remain the property of ISTA or the relevant rights holders.
6Student Access and Responsibilities
Class and Extended Class Passes allow schools to provide students with individual access to Encore.
6.1 School Responsibilities
The purchasing school is responsible for:
- Authorising and managing student accounts.
- Ensuring appropriate parental or guardian permissions where required.
- Supervising student use in accordance with its safeguarding policies.
- Ensuring students understand appropriate online conduct.
- Removing or reassigning access when students leave or no longer require it.
Schools remain responsible for their students’ welfare and supervision when using Encore as part of their teaching.
6.2 Student Learning Records
Student accounts and learning progress are managed through the educator’s Encore account.
Student learning records are not independently retained by ISTA outside the associated account.
When an educator’s account is deactivated, the associated student accounts and learning records are deleted from the active learning platform. Schools and educators are responsible for retaining any learning records they require before account deactivation.
Technical backups, security records and any other personal data are handled in accordance with ISTA’s Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law.
7Course Content, Certificates and Platform Availability
7.1 Course Content
ISTA works with artists, educators and specialists to provide high-quality learning experiences.
We may update course materials, learning activities, assessments or resources to maintain educational quality and relevance.
Reasonable updates do not normally affect an existing purchase or subscription entitlement.
7.2 Certificates
Where a course offers a certificate of completion, it will be issued when the stated completion requirements have been met.
Certificates recognise participation in ISTA Encore learning. They do not automatically constitute an accredited qualification, professional licence or formal IB certification unless expressly stated.
7.3 Platform Availability
ISTA aims to provide reliable access to Encore but cannot guarantee uninterrupted availability.
Temporary interruptions may occur due to maintenance, updates, technical problems or circumstances beyond ISTA’s reasonable control.
Where possible, ISTA will communicate planned interruptions in advance.
If a significant interruption prevents access to paid content, ISTA will consider an appropriate extension, alternative access or other remedy, taking account of the circumstances and applicable legal rights.
8Refunds and Consumer Rights
8.1 Individual Course Purchases
Individual course purchases are normally non-refundable once access has begun, except where required by applicable law or expressly agreed by ISTA.
Where a customer has a statutory right to cancel a digital content purchase, ISTA will comply with the applicable requirements, including any necessary consent and acknowledgement before immediate digital access begins.
8.2 All-Access Passes
All-Access Passes are annual subscriptions.
Cancelling a subscription normally prevents future renewal rather than generating a refund for the current paid term.
This does not affect any statutory cancellation, refund or other consumer rights that may apply.
8.3 Problems with Purchased Content
If a purchased course or subscription does not function as described, customers should contact ISTA so the issue can be investigated and resolved.
Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, remedies may include restoring access, correcting the problem, providing alternative content, extending access or issuing an appropriate refund.
Your statutory rights. Nothing in these terms limits or excludes statutory rights that cannot lawfully be restricted.
9Suspension and Termination of Access
ISTA may suspend or restrict access where there is reasonable evidence of:
- Unauthorised account sharing.
- Misuse or redistribution of copyrighted materials.
- Fraudulent activity or payment misuse.
- Serious breaches of these Terms & Conditions.
- Conduct that threatens the security or appropriate use of the platform.
Where appropriate, ISTA will notify the account holder and provide an opportunity to resolve the issue before access is terminated.
ISTA may take immediate action where necessary to protect users, platform security or its legal obligations.
Any suspension or termination will be handled reasonably and in accordance with applicable law.
10Changes to Encore and These Terms
ISTA may develop, improve or modify Encore over time, including introducing new courses, features and learning experiences.
We may also update these Terms & Conditions to reflect changes in our services, operational requirements or legal obligations.
Material changes affecting existing subscribers will be communicated in advance where required.
Changes will not retrospectively remove statutory rights or alter agreed payment obligations for an existing paid term without an appropriate legal basis.
11Contact and Support
Questions about Encore purchases, subscriptions, course access or these Terms & Conditions should be directed to:
ISTA Global Arts Learning LtdEmail: office@istaglobal.org
71–75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden
London WC2H 9JQ
United Kingdom
Registered Charity No. 1050103 · Company No. 03108893
ISTA aims to respond to enquiries within three working days, recognising that staff work remotely across different time zones.