Presentation

The Academy was founded in 1945 and remains the only University institution to teach theatre and film in Slovenia. The teaching process at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels is tied to intensive artistic and research work, and is strongly based on individual tutoring. Apart from developing practical skills and techniques, the Academy offers a wide range of academic knowledge. Teachers at the Academy are leading practitioners and researchers in theatre, radio, film and television in Slovenia. In pursuing their teaching, research, artistic and public work, they adhere to professional excellence, academic and creative freedom, autonomy and humanism.

The Academy consists of four departments: Department of Theatre and Radio, Department of Film and Television, Department of Drama and the Centre for Theatre and Film Studies. The first three departments carry out the didactic activities of the Academy and correspond to the four courses of study: acting, theatre directing, film directing and dramaturgy. The Centre for Theatre and Film Studies is conceptualised as an information and documentation centre that includes comprehensive libraries of books and other visual materials. It also conducts research projects in the fields of performing arts and audio-visual media.

Each year, students present their practical work in a number of theatre productions, short films and television dramas. Productions are open to the general public; films directed by students are usually shown on public television. Students also regularly take part in theatre and film festivals in Slovenia and abroad.

A total of twenty students divided in four disciplines enrol at the Academy each year. The number is limited mainly owing to the lack of space and other resources. Since 2000 the Academy has been participating in international student and professor exchange programmes such as Socrates/Erasmus, CEEPUS and LLP. In the academic year 2009/2010 the Academy will start adopting revised study programmes based on the principles of the Bologna decleration. These will include the strengthening of the interdisciplinary collaboration and research, the introduction of performing art studies as well as the integration of the film and televison department with the courses in cinematography, editing, sound design and screenwriting.

The Academy is located in downtown Ljubljana in the vicinity of theatres, museums, galleries and other urban cultural spaces. This enables students to follow theatre and film events and become familiar with the cultural tradition and vibrant pulse of the Slovenian capital.