According to the rating of the Ministry of Education and Science and the ranking of the national leading newspaper “24 Hours”, NATFA is considerd by employers, candidate students, and general audience, to be the best higher school in Bulgaria in the fields of theater and film arts.
NATFA is a full member of CILECT (International Association of Film and Television Schools) since 1982.
Founded in Cannes in 1954, CILECT is the association of the world’s largest film and television schools and includes over 180 institutions from 65 countries on 6 continents. Its main goal is to develop and maintain the standards of teaching and learning at the schools that are its members and to spread the audiovisual literacy in cultural and communication development globally. The Rector of NATFA, Prof. Dr. Stanislav Semerdjiev, held the position of Vice President of the organization (2002-2010, two terms of 4 years), and since 2011 has been elected as the Executive Director of CILECT.
NATFA is a founding member of ELIA (European League of Institutes of the Arts) since its inception in 1990.
The European League of Institutes of the Arts was established in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It is an independent network of educational institutes in all fields of art: dance, design, theater, fine arts, music, media arts and architecture. By 2021 ELIA has 260 members from 48 countries. The network is dedicated to creating, developing and supporting regional and international cooperation among its members and promoting art education across Europe. NATFA actively partners with over 100 member institutions.
NATFA is a founding member of WTEA (World Theater Education Alliance) since its birth in 2016.
WTEA is an independent international academic organization, initiated by UNESCO, and comprises of the most prestigious schools from 20 countries on all continents. It aims to improve the teaching and exchange among theater schools around the world, to promote the dialogue between different cultures, to maintain cultural diversity and to stimulate the development of the theater education.
NATFA is a full member of WMO (World Mime Organization) since 2018.
WMO was established in 2004. In 2011, the organization declared March 22nd – the Marcel Marceau’s birthday – as the World Mime Day.
NATFA is a full member of CUMULUS (International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media) since 2020.
CUMULUS is a global association that stimulates research and education in the field of art and design. Founded in 1990, the association was recognized by UNESCO in 2011. The association currently over 300 members from 56 countries. CUMULUS not only collaborates with institutions and organizations in the field of art, design and media, but also promotes actively cooperation with the industry and the business. Through competitions, summer schools and exhibitions, CUMULUS promotes the talent of young people and increases the visibility of their artworks. To stimulate design projects and research, CUMULUS representatives signed the Kyoto Design Declaration and established Cumulus Green – an international award, focusing on nurturing and stimulating the societies and global industries for greener and more responsible solutions.
NATFA is a full member of ENCATC (European Network for Cultural Management and Policy) since 2020. ENCATC was established in 1998. Its mission is to stimulate the development of cultural management and cultural policy education in Europe and beyond, engaging and responding to new developments in politics, economics, societies and technology. The organization has over 150 education and training centers from 40 countries in Europe and other regions.
