Performing Arts in Prague
An interdisciplinary, mixed-level (BFA to PhD) Special Topics course where students will explore the rich performing arts tradition in Prague and in the Czech Republic. Students will visit prestigious academies of theatre, dance and music; watch end of year concerts, shows, performances; have the opportunity to go the worldly famous Prague Spring Festival (music); to the Brno Festival (theatre, performance); meet artists of the famous Laterna Magika company and watch some of their shows. Plus, tourism activities in the city and thematic workshops at HAMU (The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague).
About the program
Performing arts in Prague is an interdisciplinary, mixed-level (BFA to PhD) Special Topics course (3 credits), sited at HAMU ( https://www.hamu.cz/en/ ), the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Faculty of Theatre, Music and Dance, during the Spring season when multiple art festivals are happening. Among them the prestigious Prague Spring Festival (music); The Brno Performing arts festival and the DIvadelni Flora Theatre Festival.
This field school will investigate the current stage practices (theatre, music, performance) in the Czech Republic and, more specifically, the ones happening in the Prague region. Based on a long tradition of experimental and avant-garde productions, with a strong emphasis on classic and contemporary performances, stage productions in the Czech Republic tend be more experimental and politically charged. The goal of this field school will be to get a better understanding of this tradition and of the context in which stage artists in Middle Europe manage to practice their art form and, most specifically, the one of Czech artists. Students will be proposed to choose from an array of activities: visits of HAMU (Performing arts: Music, dance and theatre) and DAMU (Drama school): visit of music classes; visits of cultural institutions such as the National Theatre, independent companies, selected regional theatres; possibility to watch spectacle of Laterna Magika in the making. We will also facilitate access to the Prague spring Festival (Music). https://festival.cz/en/koncerty/ program here: https://festival.cz/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PJ25_Brozura-DL_WEB.pdf ; The Festival in Brno https://divadelnisvet.cz/en/history-of-festival/ The 2024 catalogue of the festival can be found HERE.; The Theatre, Dance and Performance Festival DIvadelni Flora Thetare Festival. (https://www.divadelniflora.cz/). There will also be the possibility to work and present an ephemeral performance at one of the festivals.
Dates & courses
Dates: May 9th, 2025 - May 25th, 2025
Pre-course in Montreal (one or two days):
- General introduction to the many stage traditions of the Czech Republic
- Preparation to the field trip with an introduction of HAMU, DAMU and other training and cultural institutions.
- Logistics and coordination
Interdisciplinary, mixed-level (BFA to PhD) Special Topics course (3 credits):
- ACTT 498 and ACTT 498/3
This field school will investigate the current stage practices (theatre, music, performance) in the Czech Republic and, more specifically, the ones happening in the Prague region. Based on a long tradition of experimental and avant-garde productions, with a strong emphasis on classic and contemporary performances, stage productions in the Czech Republic tend be more experimental and politically charged. The goal of this field school will be to get a better understanding of this tradition and of the context in which stage artists in Middle Europe manage to practice their art form and, most specifically, the one of Czech artists.
Activities in Prague
- Visits of HAMU (Performing arts: Music, dance and theatre) and DAMU (Drama school)
- Visit of music classes
- Listen to final concert exams of students (MA-Phd)
- Watch final show-exam of theatre students
- Workshops (dance-theatre)
- Watch/attend classes in Music
- Listen to concerts at the Prague Spring Festival: Prague spring Festival (Music). https://festival.cz/en/koncerty/. Program here: https://festival.cz/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PJ25_Brozura-DL_WEB.pdf
- Conferences with artists (directors, actors, performers, dramaturgs)
- Possibility of workshops at HAMU in Music, dance, Theatre (maximum 4 students per workshop)
- Visit of cultural institutions (National Theatre, independent companies, selected regional theatres)
- Visit of Laterna Magika spectacle in the making
- Possibly free tickets for two shows of Laterna Magika (Baby Laterna (May 4 or 5); Valérie and her week of wonder May 17)
Activities outside of Prague
- Theatre, Dance and Performance Festival at Brno: Festival in Brno https://divadelnisvet.cz/en/history-of-festival/. The 2024 catalogue of the festival can be found HERE.
- Theatre, Dance and Performance Festival: Divadelni Flora Theatre Festival. https://www.divadelniflora.cz/
Estimated cost
Program fee: Concordia will charge program participants for 3 credits of undergraduate tuition and a program fee $1,075 CDN to cover
- Accommodations
- Workshops
Available Funding
Peter N. Thomson Family Field School Award
The Faculty of Fine Arts invites applications for the Peter N. Thomson Family Field School Awards. The Award offers an amount of $1,300 for thirty (30) eligible Fine Arts undergraduate or graduate students accepted to a Field School hosted by the Faculty of Fine Arts. Please consult the Peter N. Thomson Family Field School Award webpage for application instructions.
Quebec Mobility Bursary
To help with the costs of going abroad, Concordia offers a $1,200 CAD Quebec Mobility Bursary to students.
To qualify, you must be a Concordia student enrolled in a Concordia Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral degree program and approved to participate in the field school.
Important to note:
Field school applicants do not need to submit a bursary application as it is part of the on-line field school application, and you will automatically be considered for the Quebec Mobility bursary.
The bursary will be applied to student accounts. Details on the payment of the bursary will be sent to successful field school applicants.
Contact Concordia International if you have any questions on your eligibility for funding.
Host Institution
HAMU, The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (https://www.hamu.cz/en/ and https://www.amu.cz/en/) is a university in the centre of Prague, Czech Republic, specialising in the study of music, dance, drama, film, television and multi-media. It is the largest art school in the Czech Republic, with more than 350 educators and researchers, and 1500 students. The academy consists of three faculties: a Film and TV School (FAMU); Music and Dance Faculty (HAMU); and Theatre Faculty (DAMU), offering Bachelor, Masters, and Doctoral level courses, as well as conducting artistic research, and in some departments also research in art history and theory. The university also has two facilities outside Prague designed for residential multi-day creative projects.
Accommodations
The students will stay in double rooms at Univerzita Karlova, Koleje a menzy. The breakfast will be served.
Application process
To be eligible to participate in the field school, you must meet one of the following criteria.
- Be enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree program, with a minimum 2.7 cumulative culmative GPA (CGPA) and have completed at least 24 credits toward your current degree program by the time you leave for the program.
- Be enrolled in a Master’s degree program, with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (CGPA) and have completed at least 9 credits toward your current degree program by the departure date.
- Be enrolled in PhD degree program, have a 3.7 cumulative GPA (CGPA) and have completed at least 9 credits toward your current degree program by the departure date.
All students interested in applying to this program must attend an information session given by Concordia International.
Date: Tuesday February 4, 2025
Time: 2:00 pm
Submit the Concordia Field School Abroad Application by the application deadline of February 14, 2025. The application can be accessed through the Concordia International CSEP Mobility Portal.
Your application must also include:
- A copy of your most recent unofficial Concordia transcript.
- A letter of intent of 500-750 words describing why you wish to participate in the Performing Arts in Prague Field School and the kind of work you hope to accomplish while there. You should also make mention of what strengths or contributions you think you will bring to the group.
- Concordia admissions decisions will be communicated by email after the application deadline.
- Final admissions decisions will be made by the program director Dr. Robert Reid
- Students admitted to the program will have to make a non-refundable $500 deposit to Student Accounts by March 19, 2025. Please be aware, however, that any deposit you make will first be applied to any outstanding balances you owe to Concordia.
- Students admitted to the program will have to attend a mandatory pre-departure meeting TBC.
All information on this website is subject to change without notice; the program is subject to a minimum enrollment of 16 students to take place; and it may be cancelled at any time and for any reason.