The Central Academy of Drama is the first higher education institution for drama education in New China, directly affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the highest institution for drama, film and television art education in China, a “Double First Class” construction university designated by the state, the headquarters of the China Higher Drama Education Alliance, the Asian Drama Education Research Center, and the Secretariat of the World Drama Education Alliance. It is a world-renowned art institution.
The history of the Central Academy of Drama can be traced back to the establishment of the Yan’an Lu Xun Art Academy on April 10, 1938, which has a history of more than 80 years. In December 1949, the Central Academy of Drama was officially established. On April 2, 1950, the founding ceremony of the Central Academy of Drama was held, and Chairman Mao Zedong personally inscribed the school name.
The Central Academy of Drama currently has two campuses, with the Dongcheng campus located at No. 39 Dongmian Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing, and the Changping campus located at No. 4 Hongfu Middle Road, Changping District, Beijing. The total area of the two campuses is about 230000 square meters, with a building area of about 180000 square meters.
The Central Academy of Drama has departments including Performance, Directing, Stage Art, Drama and Literature, Musical Theatre, Peking Opera, Opera, Dance Drama, Drama Education, Drama Management, Film and Television, Drama Studies, and Digital Drama. Undergraduate majors include: Performance, Quyi, Drama and Film Directing, Drama and Film Art Design, Recording Arts, Drama and Film Literature, Drama Studies, Musical Theatre, Drama Education, Art Management, Broadcasting and Hosting Arts. The college has authorized doctoral and master’s degree programs in art, drama and film, opera and quyi. The college has established a postdoctoral research station.
The Central Academy of Drama has the only national level teaching team in the field of performance, the only national level characteristic professional construction point in the field of directing, the only national level talent cultivation model innovation experimental zone for musical performance teaching, and the only national level experimental teaching demonstration center for drama and film. The “Intelligent Drama Art Space” has been approved for the construction of a key laboratory by the Ministry of Education. The college is the seat of China Arts Education Promotion Association, China Drama Association, Director’s Art Committee of China Dramatists Association, International Stage Art Alliance, China Dance Art Society, China Center of International Dance Art Organization, China Branch of International Drama Critics Association, China Stage Art Education Alliance, China Musical Association Teaching Professional Committee, China Primary and Secondary School Drama Education Research Center, China Drama Culture Management Collaborative Innovation Center, International Federation of Film Education of the “the Belt and Road” countries and the World Dance Drama Education Alliance.
In its long-term educational practice, the Central Academy of Drama adheres to the principles of realism aesthetics, inherits the aesthetic tradition of the Chinese nation, draws on the strengths of others, strengthens its foundation, and emphasizes practice. Adhering to the school motto of “seeking truth, creating, and achieving beauty”, it is committed to cultivating elite talents in drama, film, and television arts for the country and even the world. A considerable number of graduates from the college have become renowned artists, scholars, professors, and writers both domestically and internationally, making outstanding contributions to the prosperity and development of China’s drama, film, and television industry.
Facing the future, the Central Academy of Drama will firmly grasp the important strategic opportunity period of deepening reform and accelerating development of higher education, strive to broaden its educational ideas, increase teaching quality and teaching reform engineering construction, strengthen discipline construction and high-level teacher team construction, promote innovation in management system and mechanism, carry out multilateral exchanges and cooperation in world drama education, continuously improve the comprehensive strength and overall quality of the academy’s education, and strive to build a distinctive and world-class art college.