Swedish National Academy of Mime and Acting

The National Academy of Mime and Acting (NAMA), known in Swedish as Teaterhögskolan i Stockholm, was a school in Stockholm for acting and mime. This institution was also known under additional different names in English, including Stockholm University College of Acting[1] and Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts.

The school offered programmes in acting and mime, as well as various shorter courses.

The school originated in the acting school founded in 1787 on the initiative of King Gustav III and long appended to the Royal Dramatic Theatre. The Royal Dramatic Theatre's acting school was then known in Swedish as Dramatens elevskola (i.e. Kungliga Dramatiska Teaterns Elevskola) and produced many later famous actors and directors, including Greta Garbo, Gustaf Molander, Alf Sjöberg, Ingrid Bergman, Signe Hasso, Gunnar Björnstrand, Max von Sydow and Bibi Andersson. In 1964 the school separated from the Royal Dramatic Theatre (initiated by Ingmar Bergman who claimed the theatre no longer had room for it in the building). The acting schools affiliated with the city theatres in Malmö, Gothenburg were made independent state institutions at the same time, and one which existed in Norrköping/Linköping was closed down.

The Stockholm school was known as Statens scenskola or, more commonly; Scenskolan ("The National Academy of Dramatic Art" or "The National Theatre Academy") from 1964 until 1977, when the name was finally changed to Teaterhögskolan i Stockholm. Here famous actors such as Peter Stormare, Pernilla August and Lena Olin was trained. The Malmö and Gothenburg schools were merged with the universities of Lund and Gothenburg, respectively, but the Stockholm institution remained independent.

On January 1, 2011 the school merged with The Dramatic Institute to become Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts.