School of Performing Arts

The school of performing arts was established with the hope of enhancing the entertainment industry through the proper development of individual talents of all types of unique individuals who are entering the performing arts as a professional.

Presently we are in the brink of establishing a new curriculum which will develop the acting abilities of all individuals who have a passion to learn acting, tv program hosting and to be a part of commercials and visuals.
Our course is 6 months part time and covers all aspects of acting, voice training, body movements, etc to develop a professional actor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Actors Dilemma and the Directors missing link
It is not a new subject line for the Sri Lanka’s acting career seekers that there is no place to commence their career development. For instance there is no career path for most Sri Lankan actors/actresses who finally end up standing pretty than the others in the industry. There have been various misfortunes happening to many who tread the path of Sri Lankan acting industry for more than five decades. Film makers complain that there are no academies or acting schools in the island to train actors, and molding an actor for a movie or a tele-drama is considered difficult as the lack of formal training could be seen in most of the new actors who appear on Sri Lankan TV and cinema.

Today the Sri Lankan context on acting is often portrayed as over acting or un-natural. And this is a definite path for the destruction of the Sri Lankan entertainment industry. Today cinema halls are packed with viewers who want to watch Hollywood and Bollywood movies as against ours, and this is just the beginning of sorrows. It is impossible to play the guitar without the basic instructions and basic training as well as its impossible to fire a bullet if you are unaware how the gun works. Almost everything needs a structure and a basic training which is skillfully developed and organized into a systematic approach to train the user of such equipment. How sad it would be for the soldier who goes to war without a basic training, and thus how sad it would be for the actor who goes on and on without formal instructions. Today many new actors don’t even know how to move in front of the camera, and their facial expressions, gestures are but a total fake which could be clearly seen even to the novice. Voice modulation, body movements, dancing is another area most actors/actresses lack in Sri Lanka. And the monotonous dialogs in tele-drams bore the viewers to a greater extent.

The missing link is obvious. Lack of formal training and lack of restrictions to enter into the industry without formal training which makes any Tom, Jack, Harry and Mable to walk in directly to the set without any training. The rate the mega storm is going, very soon the beauty of the industry will be erased from our memories. In simple, let’s assume that Saman wants to become an actor, and that he does not have the basic looks the Sri Lankan actors possess. No curly hair, no tall stature, no charming smile, and absolutely nothing which could be said as attractive. How on earth could he get into the scene? Who would cast him in for a drama or a movie? The answer is simple, No one will dare take him in for anything, even for a waiters role.

Our second example is Chamari, who wants to become an actress, she has nothing but an ordinary figure, pale face which could be made attractive with some cheap make up, new clothing which she bought just to meet someone in  the industry.  What could be her career path as an actress? One commercial, one scene, few months pass, she is already in the cinema. Now those who are part and parcel of the industry know how this was possible. But the irony is that this brings the industry to a deep ditch where there is no turning back. The situation is pathetic even to discuss what the fate of many young women have become due to their immense interest in the industry and their passion to become popular actresses. At a time as such there is a need for such an awakening in the industry where performing arts are concerned. A clear line of how to get into the industry must be established and the respect which the occupation once held must be restored where actors and actresses are respected and adored and not insulted in any way.

The need of the century had always been to create a place where new talent could bloom, a sanctuary where performing arts are considered a sacred religion which must be followed with passion, and adored above all other. Many filmmakers believe that the country lacks the design room for actors as well as the sculptors by whom actors are created with sweat and blood.
Today no one could complain that Sri Lankan government had done nothing for the fostering and development of Sri Lankan entertainment industry. The recently opened Opera House and Ranmihithanne show forth our pride to the entire world, that we are getting where Hollywood is. All the facilities granted by the government would be considered a waste of money when the world sees that the so called Sri Lankan actors cannot act but only stand pretty.

The missing link as it is known could be eliminated only through formal training where no one is given any chance of acting without prior training into performing arts. For instance almost all Bollywood actors/actresses have been through some formal training, most of them have completed their formal education in performing arts. Of course there are exceptional cases such as popular Indian actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, and the Khans. Hollywood situation is very different to the Asian culture of making ordinary people play musical instruments in scenes where they have no idea about the basic chords etc. and seen to be bluffing big time. Most popular actors such as Harrison Ford, Anjelina Jolie, Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts, Al Pacino, and Dencil Washington have been formally educated in their occupation of acting. Some even have degrees in performing arts as well as studied it in high school. But the Sri Lankan context is truly disturbing where nepotism, relationships, good looks and height dominate the scene rather than real talent. Most of Sri Lanka’s popular and established actors have only been to acting workshops and seminars to brush up their existing abilities while the new comers have few opportunities to enter into the industry. Today, the demand for actors in the Sri Lankan entertainment industry is enormous, and the supply is very low, and the existing supply lacks the basic quality required to maintain the industry. This dilemma could be only changed with the establishment of a proper school of performing arts where a career could be created and launched for success.

Journalist:
Why an organization that specializes in Corporate Training and Education suddenly seek to open up a school of performing arts?

MD: 
We believe that this is an unfilled gap in the industry of performing arts. And for such a long time there had been no academy which addresses this issue on a contemporary level, today most young and old like to get into the TV screen at its best and there is no opportunity and after all no place to get formal training so we decided that with the facilitation of the experts in the industry we will open that career path for Sri Lankan acting enthusiasts.

Journalist:
What are the reasons identified for the present state of affairs in the entertainment industry in Sri Lanka?

MD: 
This is a chronic illness which has its roots in the very lower levels of the system. For instance even though the performing arts have been included in the education curriculum, the preference and facilities given to the subject is definitely not sufficient. Mostly due to the unavailability of trained instructors, the teaching of performing arts has fallen into the hands of Sinhala Language teachers and Art teachers. Obviously, performing arts cannot be studied through theory alone, you need practice, otherwise it will be like learning how to swim from outside the pool. No one will know what to do when they fall into deep waters.

Journalist:
Do you mean that the training involved for artists is a continuous process?

MD:
Of course, whatever the subject, continuous learning is a serious matter. Developed countries have a mechanism where all professionals go through continuous professional development (CPD) regardless of how many years experience they possess. Most popular Indian actors such as Shahrukh Khan and Nana Patekar also still get into the deep waters by practicing on regular basis, how else do you think they stay on the edge?

Journalist:
We have heard that many award winning film makers of Sri Lanka will be facilitating as instructors for those who get enrolled, what could be said about it?

MD:
Well we have invited most of the internationally recognized filmmakers in Sri Lanka to impart their knowledge and experience to develop the industry, and yes many have agreed to facilitate training.

Journalist:
It is known among many that, not everybody could join the diploma offered by the school, is there any truth to this?

MD:
Yes, we have limited the number of students to a maximum of hundred and these also will be only selected by strict auditions. So just because someone is willing to pay the course fee, they cannot get enrolled, they have to be selected for the course. At the moment some of the existing actors have already got enrolled and I think due to this, it will be difficult for fresher’s to join unless they display some talent at the auditions.

Journalist:
Now most schools grant scholarships or some sort of waving off of course fees for highly talented individuals, is this school going to offer a similar grant?

MD:
Absolutely, we are granting ten full scholarships for highly talented individuals who score the highest marks at the auditions.

Journalist:
How long is this course? There are many courses which are conducted in a week or month; will this course be short as such?

MD:
It is ridiculous to conduct an acting course in a week or month unless it only caters into a specialized area of acting. And obviously no one can produce actors in a week, this is a lifelong process. Our course is conducted over a six month period, on part time basis, which will cover more than four hundred and fifty contact hours. This is more than enough to impart the basic ingredients necessary for anyone who wants to enter the industry with some serious hands on training and exposure.

Journalist:
What is the final outcome of the students who complete the course?

MD:
We have designed the course in a backward integration manner, where our focus is only in producing talented individuals who will be immediately absorbed into the industry, whether it’s a TV commercial, Program hosting, or acting in a tele-drama, theater or cinema.

Journalist:
How will be they absorbed into the industry? What plans are underway for such an endeavor?

MD:
Most of the Sri Lankan filmmakers have agreed to absorb the products of the school for their work, and also we will make a database of all students who complete the course with their full profiles to be available to International Filmmakers as well as to all Advertising firms and production houses in Sri Lanka. In addition to this we will produce our own teledrama to introduce all our students to the viewers, this is why we will have a strict audition before the course commences.

Journalist: Now we are endowed with a fully facilitated opera house in Colombo, what impact will this school have on utilizing such facilities?

MD: We have established standards, and want to keep them up to the international level at all times. The creation of the school of performing arts is a response to the efforts of the government in establishing such facilities so that highly trained professional actors will be the end products.

Journalist: What is expected as the final outcome of this course?

MD:
We want to see a total transformation of the entertainment industry of Sri Lanka, and we will compromise anything to establish our goal. At present, any sane parent will not want their children to become artists, due to the reputation it has gained due to the unavailability of facilities and programs as ours, what we need is a paradigm shift, where parents will want their children to embrace performing arts as a passion. Many new actors/actresses are taken for scenes and tele-dramas and not paid, I have heard personal stories of youngsters who had performed very well for nothing, their food, travelling expenses etc are never been taken care of by those who produce such tele-dramas, and due to their passion they do it free, and finally end up with nothing. The final outcome will be a passionate professional artiste who is well equipped to do any acting, they don’t have to go behind people to get into the screen, and no one will be able to take them for granted. They will be actors who can stand their ground. In turn we will create a better future for Sri Lanka.