Global Mapping of Theatre Pedagogy: From the Conservatory Model to the Epistemic Hybridization of the 21st Century

Abstract

This article investigates the reconfiguration of university theatre pedagogy in the context of the epistemic transformations of the 21st century, tracing the transition from the vocational conservatory paradigm to the model of “epistemic hybridization” specific to the contemporary university of arts. The study explores how theatre universities have transformed institutions from knowledge transfer into research laboratories based on the concept of “Thinking Practitioner”. Through a comparative analysis, four major pedagogical matrices are mapped: the conservatory centred on guild tradition and technical rigor; the American MFA model, which integrates artistic practice within the liberal arts; the GITIS-type theatre institute model, organized around the master-led workshop; and the integrated arts university model, oriented towards interdisciplinarity and digital technologies. The research examines the theoretical contributions of Erika Fischer-Lichte, Hans-Thies Lehmann, and Robin Nelson to the consolidation of Practice-as-Research methodologies, while also highlighting the current vectors of change—digitization, curricular decolonization, and applied theatre. It argues that the contemporary theatre university trains artist-researcher profiles capable of operating simultaneously in the fields of aesthetic innovation and social responsibility.