On 11 May, the opening ceremony of the 2015 International Master Class on Directing (Europe) was held in front of the Foxi Building at the Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA). Prof Lu Ang, Dean of STA Department of Directing, made the welcome remarks and introduced the guests of honor. The opening ceremony was presided over by Prof Gong Baorong, STA Vice President. STA President Prof Han Sheng, Head of Division of Arts of Ministry of Culture Ms Zhou Hanping and International Theatre Institute Director-General Mr Tobias Biancone attended the opening ceremony and made speeches.
As a highlight of the opening ceremony, Prof Lu Ang presented a set of research works of the six country or region-specific IMCD in the past six years including the USA, Russia, UK, France, Germany and Oceania to ITI Director-General Mr Tobias Biancone. In his speech, Mr Tobias Biancone emphasized the diversity of the theatre culture in the world and highlighted the dominating position of directors in theatrical arts. In closing, he expressed his strong support to IMCD and desire for further cooperation with STA in the future.
STA President Prof Han Sheng made the wrap-up speech. He stated that although STA is the place where artists are cultivated, it is actually the place where artists grow and develop themselves. As a brand program of STA, ICMD provides the students with a learning platform. The students should spread the outcome of their studies as seeds countrywide and contribute positively to the prosperity of China’s theatre culture.
This year marks the 7th year of the highly successful ICMD. IMCD 2015 has invited top-class theatre directors and educators of directing arts from five Northern European countries to come in succession during the next five weeks to interact and share their unique directing techniques and theories with the students bringing the students an unparalleled feast of knowledge.
