The Central Academy of Drama

The Central Academy of Drama

The Central Academy of Drama is the first higher education institution for drama in New China. It is directly under the Ministry of Education, the foremost institution for drama and film arts education in China, a national-level university designated for developing world-class disciplines, and home to the headquarters of the China Alliance for Higher Drama Education, the Asia Centre for Theatre Education Research, and the Secretariat of the World Theatre Education Alliance. The Academy holds a UNESCO Chair in Theatre Education and is a world-renowned institution of the arts.

The history of the Central Academy of Drama can be traced back to the Lu Xun Academy of Arts in Yan’an, established on April 10, 1938, making it over 70 years old. In December 1949, the Academy was officially founded, and its inaugural ceremony was held on April 2, 1950, with the school name personally inscribed by Chairman Mao Zedong.

The Central Academy of Drama currently has two campuses: the Dongcheng Campus is located at No. 39 Dongmianhua Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing, and the Changping Campus is at No. 4 Hongfu Middle Road, Changping District, Beijing. The combined area of both campuses is approximately 230,000 square meters, with a total building area of about 180,000 square meters.

The Academy offers departments in Performance, Directing, Stage Design, Theatre Literature, Musical Theatre, Peking Opera, Opera, Dance Drama, Puppetry, Drama Education, Theatre Management, and Film & Television. Undergraduate programs include: Performance, Theatre & Film Directing, Theatre & Film Art Design, Theatre & Film Literature, Theatre Studies, and Broadcasting & Hosting. The Academy has doctoral and master's degree authorization in the first-level disciplines of Theatre & Film Studies and Art Theory, as well as a postdoctoral research station.

The Central Academy of Drama houses China’s only national-level teaching team in the field of performance, the only national-level distinctive program in directing, the only national-level experimental zone for talent cultivation in musical theatre performance, and the only national-level experimental teaching demonstration center for theatre and film. The Academy hosts the China Drama Association, the Directing Art Committee of the China Theatre Association, the International Organisation of Scenographers, Theatre Architects and Technicians (OISTAT), the China Institute of Stage Design, OISTAT China Centre, the International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC) China Branch, the Teaching Professional Committee of the China Musical Theatre Association, the China Primary and Secondary School Drama Education Research Centre, and the China Theatre Culture Management Collaborative Innovation Centre.

Dongcheng Campus Address: No. 39 Dongmianhua Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing Postal Code: 100710

Changping Campus Address: No. 4 Hongfu Middle Road, Changping District, Beijing Postal Code: 102209

Email: zhongxi@zhongxi.cn Phone: +8610-56620312