The Theatre Academy developed from 'Malmö Stadsteaters Elevskola', which was founded in 1944 and later became 'Statens Scenskola' in 1964. Through a higher education reform in 1977, both became part of Lund University's Faculty of Humanities. At the same time, the teacher training programme in music (SÄMUS), which started in 1973, was incorporated into the Teacher Training Academy, which also belonged to Lund University.

New premises and administrative units 

After being housed in Fridhemsborg in Limhamn and also being scattered at a number of different addresses, the music programmes were brought together in new premises at Ystadvägen 25 in 1982. Thus, both the musician and music teacher programmes were under the same roof and Malmö Academy of Music was given a physical identity that essentially still exists. For many years, the Malmö Theatre Academy was located at Stora Nygatan 52. The rehearsal stage 'Teater Fontänen', a former cinema at Fridhemstorget, was replaced in 2004 by Bryggeriteatern in the Mazetti Cultural Quarter, where the entire Malmö Theatre Academy moved three years later.

At the time, Lund University was divided into a number of administrative units called areas. Some areas were faculties and some were purely undergraduate programmes. The latter category included the Artistic Area, which was established in 1984 and consisted of Malmö Academy of Music and Malmö Theatre Academy. There was an Area Board for the unit, which was also the board of Malmö Academy of Music.

Malmö Art Academy is added

The Artistic Area was expanded in 1995 with Malmö Art Academy, which had its roots in the existing art schools: 'Målarskolan Forum' och 'Grafikskolan'. It was housed in Mellersta Förstadsskolan at Föreningsgatan 42. However, this expansion meant that the activities became too large for the management organisation at the time, and two years later a new area management team was created from Malmö Academy of Music's organisation to have a cross-area function. This also refined the team's function and it was now called the Board of the Faculty of Fine and Performing Arts.

The establishment of doctoral programmes

In parallel with the development of undergraduate programmes and courses of various kinds, the need for research opportunities had grown strong. The ambition to establish a doctoral programme was expressed as early as 1981, but it did not happen. To move forward, priority was given to a doctoral programme in music education, which was finally established in 1995. It was not until 2000 that artistic postgraduate education became a reality. Initially, the doctoral programmes were formally run under the auspices of the social sciences and humanities.

The Faculty of Fine and performing Arts comes into being 

In 2007, the Board of Lund University decided to establish the Faculty of Fine and performing Arts in Malmö which shall coordinate both undergraduate education and research within its activities. In 2011, Inter Arts Center was established in the Mazetti Cultural Quarter as a meeting place and centre for artistic research and experimental art. The following year, 'Körcentrum Syd' - a platform for the choral life in southern Sweden, which had previously been located directly under the university's rector, was placed at the Faculty of Fine and performing Arts and located at Malmö Academy of Music.