Jan Hajdelak Husták from Czechia is an alumni student at the international Master in Scenography programme at Norwegian Theatre Academy (NTA).
Since graduation from the master programme in scenography he has been working on a wide range of projects as an independent artist.
Application deadline is January 15, 2024. Online admission registration opened November 1. Read more about how to apply.
More a bout the master programme: MA in Scengoraphy - A close collaboration with KHiO.
How did you learn about NTA?
- Actually, it was my wife who told me about the school. She did the research, looking for theatre and acting schools around Europe in English. Norwegian Theatre Academy was one of the best three schools in contemporary Theatre and Performance. She applied, got into the BA acting program and I came to Norway with her.
Why did you choose to apply for the study program at Norwegian Theatre Academy (NTA)?
- As an artist with a background in New Media, and because of the connection through my wife I often found myself hanging around the school and spending time with the students. I helped with documentation and video projections for their projects. Over the years, I had the chance to observe how the school operates and how it challenges students. So, when NTA decided to launch an MA Scenography program for the first time, it was a no-brainer for me.
“As a student, you get to choose what and how to learn from different mentors. That aspect truly resonated with me.”
Jan Hajdelak Husták, NTA alumni student Master in Scenography
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w did you experience being a student at NTA?
- Some art schools and well-established teachers tend to mold students into replicas of themselves. Of course, NTA has its distinct style and significant flair, but each academic year is truly unique. From my perspective, the most remarkable aspect of the school is its workshop-based education. These workshops can last anywhere from one week to nearly two months. Especially in the MA program, the educators are carefully selected to cater to the student's specific needs. I genuinely enjoyed the constant rotation of new workshop leaders. The best part was that even if a particular workshop wasn't quite my cup of tea or if I didn't click with the teacher, I knew it was temporary, lasting only a few weeks.
“This brought a whole new dimension to my learning journey. So, even if I didn't particularly like a teacher's artistic style, I could still extract valuable lessons from their creative process or how they discussed their work. On the other hand, some great artists are not the best teachers, yet their art enriched my own creative approach. I'm quite certain that if some of the workshop leaders were to gather, they'd have strong disagreements on various topics. And that's fantastic. As a student, you get to choose what and how to learn from different mentors. That aspect truly resonated with me.”
Can you describe the international profile of NTA – from a student perspective?
- Coming from Czechia, I found myself among classmates from Norway, Estonia, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Just this mix alone speaks volumes about NTA's global outlook. Embracing intercultural exchange is a significant part of extracurricular education. Hearing viewpoints from people of diverse continents and cultural backgrounds is incredibly refreshing. The same diversity applies to the teachers as well. While my time at NTA was still characterized by mostly Euro-American presence, it appears that NTA has been opening up more to non-western educators in recent years.
Also travelling to participate in projects, workshops and international exchanges abroad is quite common.
"NTA isn't about becoming an actor or scenographer – it leads students to be creators who can feel confident in multiple roles, from directors and dramaturges to choreographers, costume designers, performers.."
Jan, NTA alumni
What is your work experience since graduating from NTA?
- Since my time at NTA, I've been working as an independent artist, freelancing as a scenographer, light designer, photographer, and video artist. A significant portion of my work revolves around the T.I.T.S. performance group and Direct Action Theatre, both floating collectives of artists, many of whom are also NTA alumni. We don't have a fixed base; we spend months each year in various artist residencies worldwide.
As an alumni, how are the things you learned at NTA useful to you?
- NTA isn't about becoming an actor or scenographer – it leads students to be creators who can feel confident in multiple roles, from directors and dramaturges to choreographers, costume designers, performers. We were encouraged to provide honest feedback to one another, which taught me not to take criticism personally. I learned how to embrace failure and acquire new skills through it. I learned to respect others' paces, tastes, and spaces. NTA equipped me with tools to navigate the world of devised theatre, where roles of each participant are more blurry and fluid.
Why would you recommend others to apply for this study programme?
- Well .. applying for this program and becoming an artist will plunge you into a whirlwind of grant applications, open call searches, forms, intent letter collecting, and tireless self-promotion. It's like trying to keep your head above the raging waters of social insecurity. But despite all the chaos and late-night hustles, I'd still recommend it, because NTA is one of the schools that is actually able to help you succeed in such a world.
So if you wish to do live art and be active in the performing scene, NTA will prepare you well.
As a NTA alumni and a big fan of a learning environment based on people of diverse continents and cultural backgrounds, Hajdelak Husták is clearly worried about the effects of the new study fee for international students introduced by the Norwegian government.
- This move feels rather unnecessary and will render NTA education basically unreachable for a vast majority of current students, he says.