Academy of Performing Arts
About us
The Academy of Performing Arts Baden-Württemberg (»Akademie für darstellende Kunst«, ADK) is an open, ground-breaking institution for education in the performing arts: Acting | Directing | Dramaturgy. ADK cultivates a national and international network and has a firm regional footing.
On a joint campus with the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg, ADK stands at the intersection of contemporary theater forms, film, and digital media. The campus and its learning opportunities are unique in German-speaking countries. It is a space of creative impulses, a laboratory for the future in which artistic dialogue is explored and practiced every day.
ADK creates an open climate that supports curiosity, reflection and critical dialogue. Diversity is understood. ADK teaching staff accompany students as mentors on an equal footing. One of the academy’s declared educational goals is to prepare all students for a transdisciplinary workspace within cultural institutions, but also in different segments of society outside traditional cultural establishments.
The development of their own artistic personality and voice as well as a command of artistic phenomena are meant to enable students to open up and play to creative spaces as sites of personal and political engagement with relevant themes.
History
2007
Foundation – founding circle: Joachim Uhlmann (MWK), Hans-Georg Koch (MWK), Hartmut Römpp (MWK), Werner Spec (Lord Mayor Ludwigsburg), Prof. Dr. Claus Eiselstein (State Ministry), Dr. Dietrich Birk (MWK), Dr. Klaus Bessey (State Ministry), Prof. Canaris (Musikhochschule Stuttgart) und Prof. Dr. Ludger Hünnekens (ABK)
2007/08
Construction of theatre tower– Many thanks are due to Prof. Zehetgruber,
head of the course of study stage design at Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design for the architectonical design and concept of the theatre tower.
2008-2010
Prof. Wolfgang Bergmann, founding director
2010-2011
Prof. Thomas Schadt, director
2011–2014
Prof. Hans-Jürgen Drescher, director
From Sept. 2014
Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Schweeger, director and manager
July 2014
ManieFest – First student festival at ADK
From Sept. 2014
Acceptance in the network mitos21 (group of European theatre professionals)
From 2014
Intensification of the cooperation with the Film Academy and the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design in the disciplines stage and costume design, architecture and photography.
2015
Acceptance in the network of European theatre university and academies E:UTSA
2016
Launch of the series of events »Montags an der ADK« prospects, insights and discussions.
Among the guests are top-class personalities from science, politics, art and culture, e.g. Jörg Armbruster ( journalist, Middle East correspondent), Prof. Dr. Wolf Singer (brain researcher), Prof. Dr. Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard (biologist at Max Planck Society, Nobel Prize winner), Prof. Dr. Verena Metze-Mangold (president of German commission for UNESCO), Josef Hader (author, director, cabaret artist)
2016
Launch of »Open Academy« in close collaboration with surrounding schools in Ludwigsburg with the aim of bringing adolescents closer to the theatre
2016
»Lost in (Digital) Space« Authorship in the Digital Age,
Symposium in cooperation with ZKM | Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe and Akademie Schloss Solitude
2016
FURORE festival – First edition of the international festival, organized by students
2016/17
Cooperation with PH Ludwigsburg in the master study course »Cultural education«
2017
Accreditation of the ADK and thereby international recognition of ADK as a university
2018
Acceptance in the network ELIA – European League of Institutes of the Arts
Acceptance in Ständige Konferenz Schauspielausbildung (SKS)
2020
FURORE 2020 | digital | International jung theater festival (Internationales Festival für junges Theater)
Since March 2022
Prof. Ludger Engels, artistic and managing director
