VietNamNet Bridge – The HCM City Cinematography and Theatre College (HCTC) is set to upgrade into a speciality university this year.

Grown up fun: Students from the HCM City Cinematography and Theatre College stage a show for children. The college will be upgraded to a university this year.

“We’re very confident in our ability to successfully train our students at the highest level,” Ha, who manages a staff of more than 50 full-time lecturers and officials at the 20-year-old school, said.

The HCTC has spent more than VND64 billion (US$3.9 million) on rebuilding its facilities and building a theatre to stage plays and other performances by students twice a month.

Its plan to expand at a new location in District 2 has also been approved by the HCM City People’s Committee earlier this year.

Ha said, “With our skilled teachers and quality training courses, our school is the best of its kind in the south, training more than 200 students in various majors every year. Many of our graduates are now film and theatre actors, directors, and critics around the country.

“We believe after upgrading to a university, we will be able to offer even better education to our students.”

The HCTC has developed partnerships with several foreign drama and movie schools. It has also sent its best students overseas to train at leading theatre schools in France and Australia like Paris 8 University, Lion University, and the National Institute of Dramatic Arts.

Many of its courses are taught by foreigners like pantomimist Durand Pascal of France and stage director Richard Jeziorny of Australia.

It has tied up with local movie companies like Nguyen Dinh Chieu Films and Giai Phong Movie Studio to give its students practical exposure.

“This is one of the ways to improve the quality of our training as well as provide students practical lessons,” comedian-lecturer Nguyen Duc Hai, who studied in Russia, said.

“[This] helps students improve their techniques, knowledge of modern performance skills, and emoting,” he said.

Hai and his colleagues believe that the college’s plans to expand are crucial not only to its own development, but also to the development of the country’s theatre scene as a whole.

(Source: Viet Nam News)