Prague Universities – Academy of Performing Arts in Prague – AMU
AMU is the fifth oldest arts school offering a university-level qualification in TV and Film having been established as a faculty in 1946. The university itself was founded by Presidential decree in October 1945 with the original two faculties of DAMU for Theatre and HAMU for Music. If you’re wondering why it wasn’t “TAMU and MAMU” that’s because in Czech, Music is “Hudba” and Theatre is “Divadelni”. FAMU for TV and Film was added a year later.
Each Faculty can be subdivided. HAMU for instance has dedicated departments for String, Keyboard, Wind and Percussion. There are also departments for Jazz, Directing, Conducting, Composing, Music Theory and Pantomime.
In DAMU, students from the 3rd year onwards can present actual performances at the DISK theatre in the Old Town. These are performances that will have been designed, composed, directed and acted by students. There’s also co-operation with other artistic groups for different types of performances i.e. everything that happens in the commercial world of theatre in Prague.
Most of the regular teaching is done in Czech. Foreigners will attend special English Bachelor degree courses and they are usually for 3 years. If you want the Masters then add another 2 years to that. AMU also offers a language centre teaching English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Czech. Miloš Forman and Milan Kundera are former Alumni.
Location
The main AMU locations in Prague are in the Old Town and Mala Strana. The other two locations are at Ponešice in Southern Bohemia (close to the Hluboka Castle) and Beroun to the west of Prague (accessible by train). These are both study and practice centres used by all faculties.
Where to Stay to get to and from AMU
AMU has it’s own residences but the one you ideally want is in the street called Hradebni which is in the Old Town and means little more than a 10 or 15 minute walk to either Prague location. If you are renting then consider Holesovice/Bubenec in Prague 7 as trams will take you to both Mala Strana and Republic Square (close to the Old Town). Also consider the areas (in order) of Karlin, Invalidovna, Palmovka and Vysocany which have both metro and tram connections into the centre.
Malostranské nám. 12
118 00, Prague 1
http://www.amu.cz