The cofounder of the Dome Studio talks about the challenges and rewards in setting up an acting school

Q: What was the purpose in setting up the Dome Studio?

A: The first thing was our own needs. Zhou Xun (another cofounder) never received any professional training in acting, and some of the actors I know were trained decades ago. Most continued to learn through practice after leaving school. However, what you can learn in acting on the set or on stage is very much limited to specific characters. Even though you can touch on the fundamentals of acting, your views are going to be colored because you're not in a space specifically to discuss the craft. It's impossible to carry out an in-depth discussion on acting in this way.

I now have about 19 years' acting experience, and Xun has more than 20. With this studio as a starting point or a laboratory, we wanted to create an opportunity to learn. We were determined to do things properly, hence setting up a studio and hiring the best teachers. The beginning of the Dome Studio was really an aspiration as simple as that.

Q: How was the curriculum of the Dome Studio designed?

A: Acting is a profession that requires lifelong learning. I have benefited from my 20 years of acting career, which has given me wealth, fame and confidence. The Dome Studio is a place for us actors to learn and to give something back. We look for teachers from around the world and set no limit on our students' educational background.

A lot of professionals were willing to give us advice, including many teachers who studied drama in Britain and the US. So we discussed, arranged, and tried the curriculum design. For example, we feel that aesthetics is also very important, so we invited architecture teachers. I personally value spiritual counseling and believe that meditation is very helpful for improving concentration, so I suggested that we have yoga and tai chi classes. In fact, we have all the resources from around the world, and the question is whether we have the vision to invite them, whether the students have the ability to accept them. We are also feeling our way in the dark when it comes to curriculum design. We are fumbling about in this brand new laboratory of ours, and it may take many years to refine things.

Q: How did the programs for beginners and professional actors go?

A: For the beginner's program, we selected 14 students out of 3,345 applicants. After one or two months the students had changed. Every week the students would write me a note, and I would reply to them. I could see that they were very serious in analyzing their self-observation. Some of them said that with their teacher's help they had found their true self. The Dome Studio is on the fourth and fifth floors above my office, and with the students I have a sense that a young tree is growing above us. For me, the whole building has become very lively because of the Dome Studio.

For the professional program spanning nine months we had suspected that few actors would apply because of their busy schedules. So we were greatly surprised when we received hundreds of applications. In the end, we chose 16 students. I really admire their decision because they could have spent these nine months working. Next time we'll circulate our application information earlier so actors can plan further in advance. I think many actors would have been interested in coming, but they simply didn't have the time.

The two programs have gone well. I can feel the students' progress. Acting is a profession that requires perception. Apart from learning, they need constant practice and reflection. With the insightful courses on acting methodology and spiritual exploration, we would like to help them expand their horizon, so that they can bring their expression to a higher level.