21 March 2019
On the morning of 21 March 2019, Dmitriy Tomilin, Principal of the Moscow University of Theatrical Arts (MUTA), and Valentin Teplyakov, Head of the Department of Dramatic Arts, MUTA, visited the Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA), together with Chen Zhongwen, Deputy Director-General of the International Theatre Institute (ITI). Yang Yang, Vice President of STA, Gong Baorong, Dean of the STA International Institute, Zhang Yunlei, Director of the STA International Exchange Center, and Lou Yan, executive officer of the STA International Exchange Centre, received the guests.
Dmitriy Tomilin, Principal of MUTA, gave a brief introduction of MUTA, and then Professor Valentin Teplyakov's gave a focused introduction of the International Festival of Drama Schools of BRICS. Founded by MUTA, the festival has been successfully held for two times. The invited drama schools of BRICS will perform their own version of the required play designated by the organizing committee of the festival incorporating the traditional elements of performing arts of their respectively countries, and the performances will be staged in the terrace theatre of a park. The theme of this year's festival is "Oedipus the King". The Principal of MUTA extended an invitation for STA to participate in the festival in Russia with a performance of Chinese elements
Yang Yang, Vice President of STA, thanked MUTA for its visit and invitation, and expressed the willingness to organize a STA performance delegation to perform in Russia. At the same time, he expressed that STA is closely connected with Russian theatre and should maintain and deepen its exchanges and contacts with drama schools in Russia.
The two sides had a warm and friendly discussion, and jointly looked forward to this year's International Festival of Drama Schools of BRICS.
