National Taiwan College of Performing Arts

On July 1st,1999,the National Fu Hsing Dramatic Arts Academy combined with the National Kuo Kuang Academy of Arts to establish the National Taiwan Junior College of Performing Arts（NTJCPA）. It is the first vocational school of its kind in Taiwan to offer ten years of continual education in the performing arts. As NTJCPA was formed from two preexisting schools, it is now separated into two campuses: the Mucha Campus, and the Neihu Campus. It also maintains the academic departments of the two original schools, including the Chinese Opera Department, the Department of Traditional Music, the Department of Acrobatics and Dance, the Department of Taiwanese Opera, the Department of Theatre Arts and the Hakka Opera Department. Aside from students in the Department of Theatre Arts, who begin their studies during their first year of high school（at age 16）,NTJCPA students begin their studies in the fifth year of elementary school （at 10 years of age）. Their education includes the last two years of elementary school, three years of junior high, three years of high school, and two years of junior college. Students at the elementary school and junior high levels are fully sponsored by the government, while students at the high school and junior college levels are given generous financial support. The curriculum is divided into general subjects, theory courses, and skills training. General subjects are the same as those of other schools, and adhere to the standards set by the Ministry of Education. While fifth grade students are not divided into different subjects, sixth grade students are allowed to try three different subjects, which include theatre, music, and acrobatics/dance. They participate in exploratory courses in the basics of these different fields. Once students reach junior high, they are formally separated into different vocations, as determined by their abilities, and they receive training in basic techniques. Students at the high school level, aside from receiving advanced training in special skills, are also given the opportunity to use their talents on stage in regularly scheduled performances. The main goal of education at the junior college levels is to develop professional talent in the areas of research, creativity and performance. NTJCPA is engaging in whole person arts education, and cultivating accomplishments in the humanities, with an equal emphasis on both professional skills and academic theory. Furthermore, the school mission is to develop creative talent, with the hope that students can bear the burden of passing down cultural heritage to the next generation, and fostering the tradition of Chinese performing arts. Currently, NTJCPA facilities include a Chinese Opera Cultural Relic Exhibition Hall, three performance theatres, and two experimental theatres. The school ha also published a series of books about the performing arts profession, and produced a multi-media presentation that introduces plays and cultural relics. Every year, the school Chinese Opera Troupe and Chinese Acrobatics Troupe put on a combined total of more than 600 performances, both in Taiwan and around the world.