School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts

Our four-year BFA degree programme provides creative, professional and innovative tertiary level training for those talented and dedicated students wishing to pursue a select and intensive education in Western and Chinese performances and related technical and entertainment arts. The wide range of programmes offered by the Departments of Media Design and Technology, Technical Production and Management and Theatre Design will develop your creative, analytical, technical and communications skills necessary for making original contributions to the industry.

We offer the most comprehensive courses within an academically stringent framework designed to cover all skills necessary for you to succeed in today’s multi-faceted stage and entertainment industry. Our uniquely flexible course structure, interdisciplinary approach and cutting-edge technology allow us to respond to the ever-changing needs of the modern-day workplace – this has been the key to our School’s success and heightened reputation within the region and on the world stage.

Our faculty is comprised of international academic staff who are active professional artists and production specialists. We invited renowned Visiting Guest Artists and Artists-in-Residence to work in our world-class theatre facilities and on show productions to give lectures, seminars and workshops.

Visiting Artists 

Professor Pamela Howard OBE, world renowned theatre designer, director, scenographer and educator specialising in contemporary opera and music theatre, hosted workshops and public seminars.

Jeannine Oppewall, Art Directors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award winner, held a two-week production design workshop and a public seminar, highlighting a lifetime of excellence and recognition in the field of production design and art direction for the film industry.

Laura Frank, a well-respected media producer, gave a lecture on media production workflows and held an associated workshop on media design using the leading technologies in projection mapping.

Emma Troubridge, an experienced practitioner in theatre, performance crafts and higher education (the Royal Opera House, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), conducted a two-week workshop and gave a seminar on scenic art.

Professor Liu Xinglin from the Department of Stage Design of The Central Academy of Drama, Vice President of the China Institute of Stage Design, Chairman of China Center of OISTAT and Curator of China National Exhibition Prague Quadrennial 2015, offered a two-week workshop in set design for Chinese opera, and a public seminar to share his design excellence.

Gareth Fry is a multi-award-winning sound designer best known for his cutting-edge work in theatre and his collaborations with leading UK theatre directors and companies. He is a founder of and spent 6 years as the chair of the Association of Sound Designers, UK. Awards received include three Olivier Awards, two Tony Awards and more. He hosted thematic seminars on sound design.

GayBird Leung is a Multi-disciplinary Media Artist / HK Composer. GayBird’s career is defined by his versatility as a music director, composer, and producer. He has produced hundreds of works in music, concert and theatre since 1996. His compositions and productions have been recognised with nominations and awards from major music organisations. He was recently awarded the Artist of the Year (Media Arts) at the 17^th Hong Kong Arts Development Awards in 2023.

Hong Ka-chun is a prolific producer of music concerts in Hong Kong. He has worked with many top musical artists over the course of hundreds of shows, ensuring he is a staple feature of the Hong Kong music and entertainment industry. Hong is keen to promote the creation of original music, and has inspired many independent artists. Since 2018, he has led the student creative producer team to produce Interstage concert series.

Overseas Presence

Our staff and students regularly participate in overseas visits and have taken part in major theatre exhibitions, such as World Stage Design and Prague Quadrennial. Outstanding student design and production works have been presented in professional and student exhibitions. The School has an extremely strong network with international institutions and professional bodies.

International Study Trip

A sponsored international study trip was organised to allow the School’s Theatre Design students to visit three Italian cities notable for their influence on art, design and culture.

Media Design and Technology students attended Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt, learning the cutting-edge technology in sound, lighting and video media. The tour also included visits to production facilities of premier audio manufacturers.

Internship Programme

BeHere, a research, community and public art project using Augmented Reality (AR) technology led by Professor Masaki Fujihata was presented in collaboration with our students, featuring snapshots and images of daily life in Hong Kong from the 1940s to 70s.

Internship opportunities are available locally or overseas, subject to the needs of individual major studies. Companies which have provided internships for the School include Atelier Promethee (France), Birmingham Royal Ballet (UK), Cardiff Theatrical Services (UK), Coolflight Ltd (UK), Hand & Lock (UK), Inspira Studio (Spain), Lizzie Props Ltd (UK), National Theatre (UK), Odd Studio (Australia), Richard Nutbourne Scenic Studio (UK), Rob’s Prop Shop (Netherlands), Rocket Scenery Ltd (UK), Royal Opera House (UK), Seven 9 Signs (UK), Stufish Asia Ltd (HK), Tarver Productions Ltd (UK), The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (UK), The Twins FX (UK), Tiffany’s Show Pattaya Co., Ltd (Thailand), Visionlite (Netherlands), West Australian Ballet (Australia), and many local major theatre companies and theme parks.

(in alphabetical order)

Recent graduate employment statistics indicate that the vast majority of graduates were employed soon after graduation, working on a freelance or permanent basis in the main areas of theatre, live events, theme and adventure parks, film, television, broadcasting and music recording. Our alumni also work in many fields related to the entertainment industry, including theatre consultancy, concert sound and lighting, event production and management, graphic design, architectural lighting, fashion design, window display, project engineering and many entertainment supporting industries.

Master of Fine Arts in Theatre and Entertainment Arts

Major Study 
> Arts and Event Management 
> Contemporary Design and Technologies 
   (Interactive Media / Projection Design / Spatial Design / Wearable Art) 
 

Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) in Theatre and Entertainment Arts

Major Study 
> Media Design and Technology 
   (Audio Arts / Media Scenography) 
> Technical Production and Management 
   (Stage and Event Management / Technical Direction) 
> Theatre Design 
   (Costume Technology / Property Making / Scenic Art / Set and Costume Design) 
 

Diploma in Theatre and Entertainment Arts Foundations

(Feeder Programme to Undergraduate Programme)

Certificate in Theatre and Entertainment Arts 
(Fast Track Vocational)

Programme Enquiry: (852) 2584 8771 | tea@hkapa.edu