Where tomorrow’s dramatists train today
Content of School Leaflet
The School of Drama has a long history of training many of Hong Kong’s finest dramatists. For nearly 40 years, our graduates have been a dynamic and creative force in Hong Kong's theatre, cinema, and television scenes. As we approach the next 40 years, we remain committed to providing cutting-edge training focusing on three primary pillars: teaching excellence, practical experience, and knowledge accumulation. The School of Drama looks at the entire world for inspiration and is devoted to sourcing the latest training techniques and knowledge from around the globe to ensure our graduates are prepared to succeed in today’s ever-evolving drama industry.
We believe the classroom is a sacred place where teachers and students join together to exchange and acquire knowledge, to instil and embrace the discipline of rigorous training, and to unleash the unique and creative voices of future dramatists. Likewise, we believe practical experience via productions and/or projects is the essential laboratory where training, practice and knowledge is applied via creativity and experimentation, and other interdisciplinary and practical practice projects. Our offerings are wide-ranging, and conservatory-based with primary focus on the training and preparation of actors, directors, playwrights, applied theatre practitioners and dramaturgs to enter the professional world of drama.
Visiting Artists
Hong Kong is one of the world’s great cultural metropolis – a must-go destination for artists around the globe. Every year the School of Drama brings international master teachers from the profession and other leading schools to the Academy to conduct intensive workshops that ensure our students remain up-to-date with the latest techniques and shifting demands of our industry. Here are some of the visiting artists from 2023 to 2025: Speech Specialist, Dwight Bacquie, The Juilliard School (US); Drama Education teacher, Professor George Belliveau, The University of British Columbia (Canada); Acting for Camera teacher, Professor John Benitz, Chapman University (US); Puppetry Specialist, Sebastian Charles (UK); Kendo master, Yusuke Goto (Japan); Acting teacher, Professor Aiko Hirai, Kyoto University of the Arts (Japan); Acting for Camera teacher, Matthew Humphreys, Bristol School of Acting (UK); Director Sebastian Kaiser (Germany); Dramatist Florian Malzacher (Germany); Artistic Director of KURINGA, Ms Barbara Santos (Germany); Musical Theatre teacher, Mr Dayal Gian Singh, LASALLE College of the Arts (Singapore); and Comedy teacher, Zachary Steel, USC School of Dramatic Arts (USA); and Drama in Education teacher, Professor Joe Winston, University of Warwick (UK).
Partnership, Overseas & Greater Bay Area Performance and Visit
We consider travel as a key part of our mission of knowledge accumulation. We believe the more one knows; the more one sees; the more creative one can be. The School of Drama has visited/performed at Guangzhou Opera House, The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre, Five Arts Centre, Shekou Theatre Festival, Mozarteum University Salzburg in Austria, Dongguk University in South Korea, New Era University College and Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA) in Malaysia. We also believe in creating educational partnerships with other leading Drama Schools including The Central Academy of Drama (Mainland China), Shanghai Theatre Academy (Mainland China), Kyoto University of the Arts (Japan), LASALLE College of the Arts (Singapore) and USC School of Dramatic Arts (US).
The School of Drama is committed to providing internship opportunities for students. These include a wide array of entry experiences in theatre, ¬film, television, radio, new media and the greater entertainment business.
As the drama industry expands, opportunities continue to grow for everyone, ranging from writers to performers to directors to dramaturgs and applied theatre artists. Most of our graduates choose to pursue career opportunities in professional theatre, film and television. Others create their own opportunities from producing their own work to creating new theatre and production companies. Others dedicate themselves to educational and community outreach professions.
Our faculty members are extremely active in international conferences, workshops and teaching. In recent years, our teaching staff have participated in various events, including:
(In alphabetical order)
17th Asia-Pacific Bond (APB) Directors’ Conference
ATEC 19th Executive Director’s Meeting & Directors’ Meeting 2024
“Delivering Shakespeare” and “Discovering Presence and Voice” with Patsy Rodenburg
“Directing with Katie Mitchell” and “Playing Shakespeare” at The Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, University of London
Estill Voice Training in Australia
Frantic Assembly International Summer School: CREATE
Healing Arts Scotland
SIBMAS Conference by IATC
Symposium “Between Presence and Meaning Strategies of Teaching Practical Dramaturgy of Contemporary Performance” at The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
The School also co-presented HKAPA MFA Directing Graduate Thesis Project with Chung Ying Theatre Company and Hong Kong Repertory Theatre; and collaborated with Goethe-Institut Hong Kong to co-present "Berliner Theatertreffen in Hong Kong", public lecture and post-screening discussion.
Master of Fine Arts in Drama
Major Study
> Directing
> Playwriting
> Applied Theatre, Drama and Education
> Dramaturgy
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) in Drama
Major Study
> Acting for Drama
> Acting for Musical Theatre
> Applied Theatre
> Directing
> Dramaturgy
Diploma in Drama Foundations
(Feeder Programme to Undergraduate Programme)
Programme Enquiry: (852) 2584 8511 | drama.dr@hkapa.edu