Top Performing Arts Schools in China

China has a number of thriving performing arts institutions with esteemed alumni working on Broadway, touring theatre, local theatre, TV and film! Below, BroadwayWorld rounds up the top performing arts schools in China. Check out the list below!

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Shanghai Theatre Academy

Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA) is a comprehensive university of performing arts founded in 1945, with the focus on theatre training and studies. Co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of China and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, STA is one of the best art institutions of higher education in China. After over 70 years of development, STA has grown from a single discipline school into an outstanding comprehensive university of performing arts in China.

There are four STA campuses located on Huashan Road, Lianhua Road, Hongqiao Road and Changlin Road, respectively. There are departments on Acting, Directing, Dramatic Literature, and Stage Design, and colleges of Chinese Opera, Dance, Film and Television, and Creative Studies. Besides, there are two key national professional pre-college schools affiliated to STA: the Chinese Opera School and the Dance School. There are also College of Continuing Education, the Training Center, and an affiliated High School of Arts.

The Academy provides 12 undergraduate majors of Acting, Directing, Theatre/TV/Film Design, Art Design, Playwriting and Screenwriting, Broadcasting and TV Hosting, TV & Film Programming and Directing, Choreography, Public Administration, Arts Education, Media Creativity, and Composition and Theories, covering 37 specialties. STA offers master's degrees in Theatre Studies, Broadcasting and TV Studies, Arts Studies, Dance Studies, Cinema Studies, and Fine Arts Studies. STA also hosts doctorate degree program on Theatre Studies and Art Theories, and one post-doctoral research center. Currently STA has about 2000 undergraduate students, 500 master and PhD students, and 1000 students in the two professional pre-college schools. On the campus there are tow professional theatres - the Academy Theatre and the Duanjun Theatre - for all kinds of educational practices and formal performances. The New Space and the two Black Box studios are used for the free experimental performances of modern drama. In addition, there are also two performing studios for comprehensive rehearsing, and two studios for the educational practices of film and TV, which can satisfy all kinds of needs for education, research and students' performance.

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Central Academy of Drama

The Central Academy of Drama is the first theatre higher educational institution of the People's Republic of China and now it is affiliated to China's Ministry of Education. It is ranked as one of the best top-level drama, Film & Television arts institutions in China and has been selected into the country's construction plan of world first-class disciplines. The Central Academy of Drama is the headquarters of China Alliance of Theatre Higher Educational Institutes, Asia Theatre Education Centre (ATEC) and World Theatre Education Alliance (WTEA). It is a world famous higher educational institute of arts.

The history of the Central Academy of Drama dates back to more than 80 years, to April 10th, 1938, when Yan An Lu Xun Art College was established. The Central Academy of Drama opened officially in December, 1949 and held the inaugural conference on 2nd of April, 1950. Chairman Mao Zedong inscribed the official name in calligraphy.

The Central Academy of Drama has two campuses, one is located at Dong Mianhua Hutong No. 39, Dongcheng District, and the other new one is located on Hong Fu Middle Rd No.4, Changping District. Area of these two campuses reach 230, 000㎡, and the construction area is about 180,000㎡.

The Academy's pedagogic programs have been subdivided into Department of Acting, Department of Directing, Department of Stage Design, Department of Dramatic Literature, Department of Musical Theatre, Department of Peking Opera, Department of Western Opera, Department of Dance Drama, Department of Puppetry Theatre, Department of Theatre Pedagogy, Department of Theatre Management, Department of Film and TV Arts, The Department of Theatrology. Majors offered at the undergraduate level include: Acting, Directing, Art Design for Drama, Film & TV, Literature on Drama, Film & TV, Theater Studies, and Broadcast & Anchoring, Art Management. The academy has first-class discipline master's degree and doctor's degree authorization centers in Studies of Drama (Film & TV), and Theory Studies of Art. The Academy also has post-doctoral research station for art studies.

The Academy has the only state-level teaching team in acting, the only state-level characteristic major in directing, the only national innovative experimental zone for talents cultivation in musical acting, and the only state-level demonstration center for experimental teaching in Drama (Film & TV). The Academy also acts as headquarters of many national and international organizations, including China Drama Association, Committee of Directing Arts of China Theater Association, International Stage Arts Network, China Association of Stage Arts, China Centre of OISTAT, China Centre of International Association of Theatre Critics, Education Committee of China Musical Theatre Association, Research Centre on Theatrical Pedagogy of China's Preliminary & Middle Schools and China Collaborative Innovation Center for Theatre Arts Management and The "Belt & Road" International Film Education Alliance.

In the Academy's long-term history, it continues to uphold the principle of realism, and inherits Chinese aesthetic traditions as well as carefully absorbs from other cultures. The Academy constantly consolidates basis and strengthens practice, and pursues the spirit of "genuineness, creation and beauty". The institution commits itself to training drama, film & TV art talents for the country and the world. A majority of graduates have become world-famous artists, scholars, professors and writers, who have made remarkable contributions to the prosperity and development of Chinese drama, film & TV industry.

Facing the future, the Central Academy of Drama will firmly grasp the opportunities to deepen the reform of higher education and accelerate the development of the school system. It strives to increase the quality of education and education management, promotes teaching quality and reform construction, and strengthens discipline and high-level faculty team construction. The Academy also promotes organizational innovations, and carries out multilateral exchanges and cooperation with world's drama education institutions. This ensures the comprehensive strength and overall quality of the Academy. The Central Academy of Drama maintains its strength as one of the top-level art schools in the world with outstanding characteristics.

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