The History of Slovak Theatre – 15. Theatre Schools
Theatre education has a rich history in Slovakia. Its beginnings are tied to 1928 when the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts opened in Slovakia. The graduates of theatre schools become the prominent personalities in the Slovak arts and culture. They create works that go above and beyond the local dimensions. In addition to a number of conservatories dedicated to music and drama teaching on the high school level, the future theatre professionals are being shaped primarily by two universities: Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (VŠMU) and Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica.
The Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (VŠMU)
The VŠMU has been present on the map of dramatic educational institutions since 1949. With over a thousand students annually it is not only the oldest, but also the biggest performing art school in Slovakia. Its College of Theatre offers studies in the essential accredited areas (acting, directing, literary management, set design, puppetry, theatre science and management), and fosters
the development of all forms of art science and research through the basic and applied processes. Since 1977, the activities of the VŠMU students gained an international dimension thanks to the renown international festival of theatre schools, the lstropolitana Project. Every two years it offers a platform for the meeting of the future theatre
professionals and gives them space for mutual artistic confrontations. For teaching purposes as well as the public presentation of their projects through a monthly repertoire the College of Theatre uses the Lab Theatre and also the Chapel, Burkovňa and Studio 1.
Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica
In 1997, the Bratislava-based VŠMU was joined by the second college for performing arts, the Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica. Over the twenty years of its existence, its College of Dramatic Arts underwent multiple transformations and today offers studies in the areas of acting, theatre literary management and directing, theatre arts. Every year an international theatre science conference is held on the premises of the college, including the international festival of theatre schools Artorium. The school owns several facilities for the presentation of
the works of its students: Theatre Studio, and two external facilities, D44 and Club HaD.
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