Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts, Damascus

The Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts was founded in Damascus, Syria, in 1977 by academics such as the playwright Saadallah Wannous, theatre critic Ghassan al-Maleh or professor of theatre at Damascus University, Dr. Hannan Kassab Hassan. The institute initiated a new phase in the development of theatre in Syria through the preparation of a new generation of actors and other specialisations of modern dramatic arts on an academic basis. The institute initially included five departments: Acting, Literary Criticism, Dramatic Arts, Scenography, and Theatre Techniques, with a department for Dance added later. ()