Articles from:February 2022

• Brock Mainstage production to take audiences on magical bike ride

  Monday, February 28, 2022 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 28 February 2022 – R0023

  Through an epic journey on a beloved red bicycle, an 11-year-old girl reflects on the small town she sees before her, taking audiences along for the ride. Venturing to the outer edges of town and encountering challenges unlike any she has ever experienced, she must face her fears to see the world in a new way.

  The Brock University spring 2022 Mainstage production of Red Bike brings the poetic words of celebrated playwright Caridad Svich to life with an exhilarating performance exploring movement, physical theatre and puppetry.

  The show runs March 4, 5, 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m. and March 6 and 12 at 2 p.m. at the Marilyn I. Walker Theatre at Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA).

  The production’s unique style of fractured storytelling explores diverse themes as seen through the eyes of a child, including capitalism, consumerism, gentrification, globalization, immigration and isolation. Director and Dramatic Arts Instructor Mike Griffin was drawn to the play because of its whimsical nature.

  “While reading the play, I became a kid again; running out of the house to go on adventures down the street. Red Bike is the perfect balance of getting lost in imagination while reflecting on society,” he said.

  One of six actors in the all-female cast, fourth-year Dramatic Arts student Asenia Lyall said the unique script and dialogue provided her with a valuable opportunity to explore her creativity.

  “Being a part of Red Bike meant working with a small cast to tell a complicated and wonderful story in an unconventional way,” she said. “Learning how to perform this kind of script is a great opportunity for me as an actor. Embracing the abstraction and surrealism of the piece is something I’ve learned from.”

  While the cast and crew faced various challenges mounting the show during a pandemic, both the director and actors feel there was a silver lining.

  “We have bonded together as a community to create something fantastic,” Griffin said. “For me, the community that emerges out of the creative process is the reason that I keep doing theatre.”

  Lyall agreed, adding that creating theatre during the pandemic has taught her how to be flexible as an artist.

  “There is a real sense of humanity in this play, with a lot of exciting moments and big reveals that I think audiences will enjoy,” she said.

  The MIWSFPA will welcome a live audience for the production to the Marilyn I. Walker Theatre at the downtown arts campus in St. Catharines. In the interest of student and audience member safety, the theatre is operating at a reduced capacity with 120 seats available for each performance.

  Tickets are $20 for the public, $16 for youth and seniors and $15 for Brock students. Tickets may be purchased through Brock University Tickets. All provincial and Brock University COVID-19 protocols are in effect for the performances, including mandatory vaccination and masks for all audience members visiting the MIWSFPA.

  All visitors to Brock University and MIWSFPA must complete the Brock University Self-Screening Tool.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University [email protected] or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases

• Russia’s invasion of Ukraine occurring within a complex historical framework: Brock expert

  Thursday, February 24, 2022 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 24 February 2022 – R0022

  As world leaders responded to Russia’s audacious invasion of Ukraine Thursday, Feb. 24, a Brock University expert on war, genocide and military occupations says Vladimir Putin is operating under his own set of rules.

  “The Russian view of the world is not our view,” says Gregor Kranjc, Associate Professor with the Department of History. “It doesn’t view the principles that we think we all agree on, like sovereignty, the same as we do.”

  Despite the Soviet Union signing on to the Helsinki Accords in 1975, which guaranteed that European states would not interfere with each other’s borders or internal affairs, Putin doesn’t see Ukraine as a legitimate sovereign nation. By using the language of genocide to describe the grievances of Ukraine’s Russian minority, Putin creates a pretext to enter Ukraine, says Kranjc.

  Russia’s reasoning for the invasion is further complicated by the country’s relationship with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

  “Russia needs to regain its power and prestige in the world, that is one aspect, but there is also this view that the west took advantage of Russia’s position in the 1990s by expanding NATO into Russia’s historic area of influence,” says Kranjc.

  From the Russian perspective, NATO is a threat as it has extended its alliance into territories that had previously been influenced by Russia, he says.

  “They do not see it as a defense organization; They see it as a threatening organization,” says Kranjc. “From the Russian perspective, NATO is approaching them and is encircling them.”

  Kranjc’s research interests include war and society with a focus on ethnic and religious minorities in Central Europe and the Balkans. He teaches courses on the history of terrorism, genocide and military occupations. Prior to coming to Brock, Kranjc worked in the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes section of the Canadian Department of Justice.

  Associate Professor of History Gregor Kranjc is available for media interviews.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University [email protected] or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases