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.
Welcoming the World
Hong Kong is one of the world’s great cities – a must-go destination for artists and Drama Schools around the globe. Every year the School of Drama is dedicated to bringing 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 training techniques and shifting demands of our industry. Below are some of the artists visiting in the Academic Year 2023/24. They include Drama in Education teacher, Professor Joe Winston, University of Warwick (UK); Acting for Camera teacher, Professor John Benitz, Chapman University (US); Kendo master, Yusuke Goto (Japan); Acting for Camera teacher, Matthew Humphreys, Bristol School of Acting (UK); and Speech Specialist, Dwight Bacquie, The Julliard School (US).
Touring the World
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. During the Academic Year, the School of Drama visits/performs at Guangzhou Opera House, Shekou Theatre Festival, Mozarteum University Salzburg, and Dongguk University in South Korea. We also believe in creating educational partnership with other leading Drama Schools including The Central Academy of Drama (China), Shanghai Theater Academy (China), USC School of Dramatic Arts (US) and LASALLE College of the Arts (Singapore).
The School of Drama at HKAPA has a long history of nurturing outstanding and award-winning alumni in theatre, film and television. The following is a representative list of some of our successful alumni:
(In alphabetical order)
- Terrance Lau Chun-him
- Joey Leung
- Loong Man-hong
- Mak Pui-tung
- Alan Mak Siu-fai
- Michael Ning
- Kearen Pang
- Poon Chan-leung
- Louisa So Yuk-wa
- Tse Kwan-ho
- Rosa Maria Velasco
- Anthony Wong Chau-sang
- Wong Cho-lam
- Harriet Yeung Sze-man
- Yeung Wai-lun
The School of Drama is committed to internship opportunities for our 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 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 in teaching. In recent years, our teaching staff have participated in various events including:
(In alphabetical order)
- 16th Asia-Pacific Bond (APB) Directors’ Conference
- Asia Playwrights Festival in Incheon (Korea)
- Breathing, Support and Estill Model Workshop in Sydney (Australia)
- Devised Theatre and Performance Workshop organised by International Training and Research Centre for Theatre and Performance Makers
- ITI Network for Higher Education in the Performing Arts Special Connecting Event
- Network for Higher Education in the Performing Arts Conference organised by International Theatre Institute of UNESCO
- SIBMAS Conference by IATC
- Social/Political in Drama and Theatre Education Conference at Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
- Symposium on Research-based Theatre at The University of British Columbia (Canada)
- The 9th Estill World Voice Symposium in London (UK)
- Theater der. Zukunft: Taipei, Shanghai, Peking und Hongkong im Gespräch
The School also collaborated with Goethe-Institut Hong Kong to co-present the screening of Berliner Theatertre en’s Remarkable Productions.
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