The 16th Theatre School Directors’ Conference of the Asia-Pacific Bond of Theatre Schools was held on 29 October at the Shanghai Theatre Academy.
One of the important items on the agenda is the election of the new President and Vice-Presidents of APB. After the election, Huang Changyong, President of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, was elected as the new President of APB (Term of Office: 2023-2025).
Leon David Rubin, Dean of the Faculty of Performing Arts, LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore; Kim Mi Hee, Dean of the School of Drama, Korea National University of Arts; and Poon Sze Wan, Professor at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, were elected as Vice Presidents of APB.
Since its establishment in 2008, the Asia-Pacific Bond of Theatre Schools has grown into a professional theatre education platform with 28 member schools and a close collaborative relationship with the International Theatre Institute (ITI). As one of the members of the APB Bond of Theatre Schools and acting as its Secretariat, the Shanghai Theatre Academy has been actively organizing and participating in the activities of APB since its establishment, and has continuously contributed to the development of the cause of theatre education and that of APB.
This conference was the first in-person meeting of APB after the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the elections, the conference also discussed and reached a basic consensus on the amendments to the management regulations proposed by the Secretariat of APB.
Huang Changyong, the newly elected President of APB, expressed his sincere gratitude to the previous President, Ricard Abad, for his contribution to APB, especially his work under the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, and gave an outlook on APB’s future development. Under the guidance of the International Theatre Institute (ITA), APB will work with the Vice Presidents and its member schools to establish rules and regulations, standardize the system, and create a high-level theatre alliance with continuity. It is believed that the member schools of APB will work hand-in-hand, share the opportunities, and also cooperate for win-win outcomes and common prosperity. In the future, the activities of APB will be richer, more cohesive and more impactful, thus promoting the exchange and cooperation in international theatre, so that the fruits of international theatre culture can benefit people in different places around the world. The member schools of APB can also use the platform for in-depth dialogue and exchange, and continuously improve the cooperation among specialist art institutions in the fields of art education, practice and exchange. The Shanghai Theatre Academy will continue to actively support APB and provide diversified support for theatre creation, theatre exchange and talent cultivation, so as to contribute to the development of the Asia-Pacific Bond of Theatre Schools.
