HKAPA

Professor Han Sheng is the President of and a professor at Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA).  He is also the Vice Chairman of the China Stage Art Association, the Vice Chairman of the Research Association of Modern Drama in China, the Deputy Director of the Committee of Experts for Shanghai Creation Industry Association, the Chairman of the Shanghai Scenography Association, the Deputy Director of the Advisory Board of the Shanghai Creative Industry Association and a member of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

Professor Han began his studies at STA’s Stage Design Department in 1981, obtaining his master’s degree in 1988.  He started his teaching career for his alma mater in the same year. Among the key posts he has held are Deputy Director and Director of STA’s Stage Department.  Professor Han became the Vice President of STA in December 2004 and undertook the administrative responsibilities of Vice President in April 2006.  Since September 2009, he has been President of STA.  Under the leadership of Professor Han, Shanghai Theatre Academy has been maintaining close working relationships with The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.  Collaboration included the Shanghai International Experimental Theatre Festival, projects of the UNESCO International Theatre Institute’s Asia Pacific Bureau, and exchange activities on performing, teaching and learning.

Professor Han has extensive experience in stage design for dramas, television and films, and in arts creation for new media and tertiary teaching.  Among his best known designs are those for modern drama Great Bridge, Shaoxing opera Family and The Butterfly Dream, and Jiangxi opera Peony Pavilion.  He also provided the arts direction for the film Warrior Lanling and large scale scenic opera Aida, and was invited to work as stage designer on the modern drama Jesus, Confucius and Lennon in Toronto, Canada in 1988.  Apart from stage production, Professor Han is very enthusiastic about absorbing new ideas to hone his aesthetic skills. Professor Han is an alumnus of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. During his studies from September 1993 to July 1994 at the Academy, Professor Han hosted the well-received Hong Kong Impression, a painting exhibition organised by the Academy to display his work.  In addition, Professor Han plays an active part in the arts and design industry around the world. He was invited to take part as a designer in the Singaporean drama Soul in 1997 and 1999. He was also the general designer for the APEC theatrical performances in 2001 and a designer for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. In 1985, 1999 and 2015, his work was featured in Prague Quadrennial.

Keen on experimental performances, Professor Han is the Director of the Shanghai Virtual Performing Art Lab, Director of the Ministry of Culture’s Key Laboratory of Digital Integrated Innovation for Performing Arts, and the manager of the national project Digital Drama Museum. He is also the author of a number of publications such as Creation and Expression of Stage Design, Digital Art and Performance Creation, and Art Creation and Experiments of Digital Performances.  In 2012, he found and embarked on the editorship of E Performances, a journal about theatre and entertainments arts.

In his journey in the arts industry, Professor Han has won numerous accolades including the 2nd and 4th Wenhua Stage Design Prizes, the Gold Lion Prize for Modern Drama Stage Design, the Excellent Design Prize in the 2nd China Stage Arts Exhibition, the Bao Steel Art Prize, the Bao Steel Prize for Excellent Teachers, the National Second Prize for Teaching Achievements, the Shanghai First Prize for Teaching Achievements, and the Excellent Work Prize for the 2008 Beijing Olympics Games. He is also recognised as Excellent Expert of the Ministry of Culture, Excellent Drama Practitioner of China, Shanghai Dawn Scholar and Shanghai Leading Talent.  Along with these titles, he receives a special allowance for experts from the State Council in recognition of his remarkable achievements in his field.