ACTING (BA)

About the Study Program

The Acting program at the Academy of Dramatic Art is the oldest and most influential program of its kind in the Republic of Croatia. The modern curriculum of the Acting program incorporates the teachings of major acting pedagogical systems and poetics of the 20th and 21st centuries (B. Gavella, Stanislavski, M. Chekhov, J. Lecoq, P. Brook, J. Grotowski, R. Laban, E. Barba, C. Berry, R. Wilson, P. Bausch, D. Donnellan, S. Meisner, and others) as fundamental pillars of contemporary acting art. The undergraduate acting program is designed as an experiential study focusing on a heuristic approach, analysis, and systematization of the actor’s material. During the program, students engage in exercises to develop awareness of the fundamental principles of organic acting expression, with an emphasis on technical development and the ability to freely vary internal experience in relation to its external manifestation. Instruction in artistic subjects (Acting, Stage Speech, and Stage Movement) consists of approximately 30 hours per week, conducted daily in small groups through collective and individual work under the guidance of mentors. Practical training is complemented by specialized courses (Voice, Acting for Camera) and theoretical knowledge from related artistic and scientific fields, such as theatre studies, dramaturgy, literature, fine arts, music, and film. The curriculum also includes workshops in various stage skills, such as fencing and other forms of stage movement and play, as well as masterclasses in directing and acting led by renowned contemporary artists from Croatia and abroad. Students collaborate regularly, both within the curriculum and in extracurricular activities, with faculty and students from other departments of the Academy (Theatre and Radio Directing, Film and TV Directing, Dramaturgy, Cinematography). Semester exams in artistic subjects take the form of public artistic-educational productions. The undergraduate Acting program lasts three years (six semesters).

History and Tradition

The Academy of Dramatic Art at the University of Zagreb traces its origins to Miletić’s Croatian Dramatic School, founded in 1896, making it one of the oldest educational institutions for theatre and film professions in this part of Europe. 

By the late 1930s, efforts to establish a higher education program for actors in Zagreb were gaining momentum. Dr. Branko Gavella, in numerous theoretical writings, repeatedly emphasized the need for a structured acting education and its elevation to the university level. The first legal proposal for the establishment of a higher education institution for actors in Croatia appeared during the period of Banovina Hrvatska. The decree on the reorganization of Croatian music education, published in the official government newspaper Narodne novine No. 113 on May 21, 1940, stipulated (Article 53) that the existing State Music Academy in Zagreb would be transformed into the Academy of Music and Theatre Arts. 

In 1945, the National Acting School (Zemaljska glumačka škola) was founded in Zagreb at Bogovićeva Street 7/III (rear staircase). This drama and performance training institution operated until 1950 and served as a precursor to the Zagreb Academy of Theatre Arts. 

Writer Dr. Drago Ivanišević, director of the National Acting School, initiated the formal proposal for the establishment of the Academy of Theatre Arts in 1948 after consulting leading Croatian theatre educators and dramatists. His proposal, submitted to the Ministry of Science and Culture on May 17, 1948, outlined the necessity of establishing a higher education institution for actor training in Croatia. On November 1, 1950, Dr. Branko Gavella, Drago Ivanišević, and Ranko Marinković officially founded the Academy of Theatre Arts in the same building. The Academy was attended by nearly all prominent Croatian actors, directors, and many writers, many of whom came from the Central Acting Ensemble or the Croatian National Liberation Theatre (later merged with the ensemble of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb). Faculty members came from various fields, including theatre, film, linguistics, art history, architecture, dance, fencing, and other disciplines. 

On August 1, 1952, the Academy of Theatre Arts moved to a new location—its current premises in the eastern wing of the building at Marshal Tito Square No. 5. This building was originally constructed in 1884, based on a revised project by architect Matija Antolac, for the Kolo Singing Society (eastern wing) and the Croatian Sokol Gymnastics Society (central part). The western wing was added during the construction of the Croatian National Theatre in the 1894/1895 season and initially served as a scenery storage area. In 1979, the Academy became part of the University of Zagreb, after which it no longer elected a rector but instead appointed a dean as its head.

About the Teachers

The permanent faculty members of the Acting program are distinguished and renowned educators and artists in the fields of theatre, dance, and stage movement. Their expertise is confirmed by numerous awards from professional associations and recognition at national and international theatre festivals. In addition to permanent faculty, guest lecturers—predominantly acclaimed actors from younger and mid-career generations—bring a wealth of diverse experiences that significantly enrich the quality of instruction in the Acting program.

Career Prospects after Graduation

Upon completing the undergraduate Acting program, students earn the academic title of University Bachelor of Acting (univ. bacc. art.) and acquire fundamental competencies in the field of acting. Successful graduates are qualified to continue their studies within the graduate program in Acting or pursue master’s programs in other disciplines at the Academy of Dramatic Art or related higher education institutions and academies.