The Department of Scenography was created by Czech stage designer and architect, Prof. František Tröster in 1946. The foundations of the teaching program were laid by other Czech stage designers of international standing, for instance Josef Svoboda. The department has further developed its teaching concept under the lead of Tröster’s student and stage designer, Prof. Jan Dušek the developer of action scenography. Many important Czech designers have graduated from the DAMU Department of Stage Design including: Milan David, Karel Glogr, David Marek, Luboš Hrůza, Ondřej Nekvasil, Jana Zbořilová, Ivana Brádková, Kateřina Štefková and Jan Štěpánek, many of whom teach at the department. These individuals have had a powerful infl uence on the visual power of theatre globally.
This outstanding history and the dynamism of the study program have given the Department of Scenography widespread international recognition. Many students from all over the world have studied with us. In the past, the program was only offered in Czech; nevertheless, students came to study from Germany, Brazil, England, America, Italy, Korea, Israel, Poland, Serbia and many other countries. In view of the fact that many talented foreign students were extremely interested in studying at DAMU but found it problematic studying in Czech, the English language program was created. It has already produced many successful MA graduates.
The teaching of the field is based on the intersection of the arts, mainly performing and visual arts, humanities, and technology. It develops students' individual qualities and their orientation towards a specific area of scenographic/spatial creation. The MFA is a crucial stage in the formation of the artistic personality and is decisive for further professional development. An important quality is an ability to think, interpret, and create authoritatively in a space beyond professional stereotypes.
Pedagogical guidance is based on the student's ideas, initial ideas, and own solutions, helping them to develop and find further artistic possibilities for the project. We understand the pedagogical leadership of the master‘s degree program as a creative process. The pedagogue is above all an inspiring personality with an unquestionable artistic reputation, his/her creativity, and capacity for theoretical reflection.
Scenography of drama theatre of all genres and styles, the scenography of opera, movie, men and physical theatre and musical theatre, scenography in non-traditional space and public space. And further, scenography in a broader social/cultural/political context with a focus on scenography in theatre and non-traditional space.
The composition of the courses and their content is chosen by the student according to his/her ambitions and prerequisites. The program can be modified and changed during the course of study on an individual base.
The basic discoveries and innovations have their roots in the early stages of professional development, very often during the final phase of the study. The educator/lecturer can recognize these tendencies and guide the student to understand their possibilities and to develop them constantly further. The ideal situation is one in which the graduates enter professional praxis in theatre with a vision of "their own" scenography.
The graduate is a distinctive independent creator within the creative interpretive and authorial activity in the field of scenography in a broader context. He/she also works in the field of conceptual design, installation, gallery installation, and curating.
The graduate works in a production team - he is a full member of it.
The graduate’s abilities and qualities are:
Graduates are employed in theatres of all types and can create art projects in both free and non-theatrical / site-specific spaces
Other abilities and skills result from the individual project of study.
8 500 Eur/per academic year
Production design is a specific creative field in which the knowledge of a scenographer regarding the script and dramatic space is combined with the profession of architect and designer. This profession is always a part of the film crew. This specialization Scenography is open to graduates with at least a Bachelor's degree in scenography, architecture or interior design. The basic subject of the specialization is Production Design, in which the whole range of tasks that a film set designer encounters during his/her work is gradually practiced in a series of practical exercises. These assignments are both artistic and technical. So this course essentially covers a range of other subjects such as technical drawing, perspective imaging, construction technology, budgeting, and so on. In the course of study, the student is introduced to the history of the field and its main artistic and technical developments in both Czech and world cinematography. During the study, the student gains an overview of the artistic and technical possibilities of film set design, as well as the interconnection of this field with other professions of a film crew. The student gains a comprehensive knowledge of film production.
A graduate can:
9 000 Eur/per academic year
