15 December 2017
From 12 to 13 December 2017, five faculty members from the Department of Theatre Pedagogy of The Central Academy of Drama visited Shanghai and carried out exchange activities with the Department of Dramatic Literature of the Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA) over the two days.
On the morning of 12 December, the welcome and academic exchange meeting was held in the Glass Room of the STA Trade Union. The welcome session was presided over by Associate Professor Xu Jun, Head of Art Education Major and Director of Art Education Teaching and Research Office, STA. The visitors from The Central Academy of Drama included Associate Professor Wang Xin, Deputy Dean of Department of Theatre Pedagogy, Associated Professor Sun Fei, Director of Acting and Directing Teaching and Research Office, Associate Professor Li Na, Director of Theory Teaching and Research Office, Associate Professor Han Xin, Director of Comprehensive Teaching and Research Office, and Wen Cuiting, teacher at the Department of Theatre Pedagogy. The specially invited guests were Dr Morrison, research scholar at the University of Cambridge, and Wang Lu, graduate student at the University of Cambridge.
At the meeting, Professor Liu Qing, Dean of STA’s Department of Dramatic Literature, made the welcome remarks, introduced the basic situation of the art education major at STA’s Department of Dramatic Literature, and expressed the desire to further strengthen the mutual exchange, mutual visits and in-depth cooperation between the two sides. Professor Shen Liang, Director of STA’s Academic Affairs Office, participated in the meeting, together with Professor Zhang Shengquan and two teachers at the Department of Dramatic Literature, Xu Yang and Qi Shaoyuan. Then, the two sides held discussions the topic of “The Focus of Undergraduate Program in Theatre Education in China”. Professor Shen Liang made the keynote presentation. The two sides carried out in-depth discussions and exchanges on such issues as the focus of undergraduate program in theatre education in China, the experience sharing of international theatre education, and what kind of theatre education is needed in China in the future.
On the afternoon of 12 December, the theatre education achievement exchange event was held at the Xuhui District Youth Activity Centre. Scholars and experts from the three sides discussed the theatre education at the practical level. The youth activity centre has been tasked with the planning and organization of different kinds of activities and events of the Xuhui District over the years and, since its merger with the children’s palace and the science activity station for teenage, has become the activity base for holistic education of the Xuhui District. Because of its outstanding achievements in art education, the Xuhui District Youth Activity Centre is the only youth activity centre among the first group that has been accepted into the Shanghai Student Theatre Alliance in the first round.
On the morning of 13 December, the teaching seminar was held in the conference room on the fourth floor of the STA Library. The seminar was chaired by Associate Professor Xu Jun. Associate Professor Xu Yu, Deputy Dean of STA’s Department of Dramatic Literature, gave a speech. Ms Li Yingning, who is regarded as the “first person of drama in education in China”, attended the seminar as a special guest of honor. Associate Professor Xu Jun gave the presentation entitled “What Kind of Theatre Education that China Needs in the Future”. Then, the two sides carried out exchange and discussion on this topic. The development of China’s theatre education is still in its early phase which is a fast-growing stage and, on the other hand, talents in theatre education are rare and much sought-after.
After the seminar, the participants of both sides came to Classroom 208 in the Red Building for the lecture given by Dr Morrison. In the lecture entitled “Empathy and Theatre Education”, Dr Morrison discussed the concept of theatre education, brought the international ideas and theories to the teachers and students present, and provided a clue to the collision of thinking between the experts and scholars participating in the exchange on this occasion. Dr Morrison has been engaged in the field of education for a long time. He has taught drama and drama application, and has instructed a large number of undergraduate and postgraduate students in drama, creative studies and art education, and helped a lot of PhD students in art, culture and education. Dr Morrison’s workshop held in the afternoon in Classroom 101 of the Red Building also attracted a large number of students interested in theatre education to attend, which enabled the students to have exposure to and benefit from the new theories of theatre education and practical experience in the world.
The theatre education is neither a castle in the air, nor an empty talk. Indeed, it should be developed and practiced through communication of this kind. Experts and scholars from both sides also said that such a theatre education achievement exchange activity is greatly beneficial to the development of theatre education, and they also reached a consensus on jointly promoting the development of theatre education in China.
