The 3rd ATEC International Forum was held from May 18th to May 21st in the Central Academy of Drama, China. The Forum was hosted by Sports, Health and Arts Education Department under the Ministry of Education China and Asia Theatre Education Center, executed by the Central Academy of Drama with the help from China Institute of Stage Design. The Forum was themed as The Teaching and Practice of Stage Design.
In the morning of May 18th, according to the Charter of Asia Theatre Education Center, the Council of ATEC voted on the joining application from the National School of Drama, India and National Institute of Dramatic Art, Australia. All participating members agreed to accept both schools as the member school of ATEC.
In the afternoon of May 18th, the opening ceremony was held in North Theatre of the Central Academy of Drama. Mr. Yang Guiren - Director of Sports, Health and Arts Education Department Ministry of Education China, Prof. Mike Ramseau from Stanford University - the Chairman of OISTAT, Mr. Ji Guoping - the General Secretary of China Theatre Association, Mr. Cai Tiliang – Director of China Institute of Stage Design, Prof. Xu Xiang – the General Secretary of ATEC and the President of Central Academy of Drama, China made the speech to extend their congratulations to the Forum and to encourage participants to promote the development of theatre education in Asia by communicating with each other.
From May 19th to May 21st, experts from 23 art schools such as the Central Academy of Drama, China, Department of Theatre in Nihon University College of Art, Japan, School of Theatre and Film in Chung-Ang University, Korea, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore, National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, China, Shanghai Theatre Academy, China, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, China, National School or Drama, India participated in the seminars of the Forum. The participants discussed about the contemporary development of global stage design teaching, the achievements and the problems in the teaching of stage design, the research of methodology in stage design teaching.
At 9 a.m.of May 19th, the first seminar of the 3rd ATEC International Forum started in the North Theatre of the Central Academy of Drama. The seminar was hosted by Prof. Hara Ippei and Prof. Mao Jin'gang, a famous Stage designer from China.7 participants including Zhang Kangmei, Park Dong-Woo, Junko Ueda, Michael Ramsaur, Suresh Bhardwaj, Peter Cooke and Huang Yiru made the speech based on their thesis with the topoc of "Training and Practice of Stage Design in Modern World". The seminar was closed at 12 after a 3-hour discussion by the experts, scholars and students present.