Faculty & Instructors

• Dramatic Arts instructor honoured at St. Catharines Arts Awards

  Friday, December 03, 2021 | By gminaker

  

  Image caption: Andrew Tye, winner of the Arts in Education Award at the 2021 St. Catharines Arts Awards. Photo credit: Alex Heidbuechel, BLVD. Photography, courtesy of the City of St. Catharines.

  Published in The Brock News | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2021 | by Gillian Minaker

  Brock University Dramatic Arts instructor Andrew Tye was among the winners of the 2021 St. Catharines Arts Awards livestreamed from the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre (PAC) recently.

  At the ceremony held Sunday, Nov. 21, the Brock educator, arts facilitator and public speaking expert was named the recipient of the Arts in Education Award, which celebrates individuals and groups committed to engaging residents through arts education.

  For Tye, arts education is always a collective endeavour.

  “I like the idea of people learning in a community and partnering together. If people did not want to actively participate in learning, it wouldn’t happen in a successful way,” he said.

  Tye teaches DART 2P21 Drama in Education at Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA). Along with teaching and a successful career as a corporate public speaking and leadership coach, he also serves as a committee member for Brock’s Social Justice Research Institute.

  Striving for an open and inclusive learning environment is a priority for him.

  “Both the students and my colleagues in Dramatic Arts are willing to take risks for what we think is important. This support and openness are key to a successful educational environment,” said Tye. “So many Brock folks understand how the arts can be used to study humanities and the human condition.”

  Tye’s passion for arts education extends to his work in the local arts community with Start Me Up Niagara, Willow Arts Community and past contributions as a former board member of Carousel Players.

  Other award winners from the Brock community included OPIRG Brock for the Making a Difference Award and Jean Bridge, retired Visual Arts faculty member and former professor of Digital Humanities for a Jury’s Pick Award.

  Watch the 2021 St. Catharines Arts Awards ceremony courtesy of the PAC and the City of St. Catharines below:

  Tags: Andrew tye, City of St. Catharines, community engagement, Department of Dramatic Arts, humanities, Jean Bridge, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, miwsfpa, opirg brock, St. Catharines Arts Awards
  Categories: Announcements, Department/Centre News, Events, Faculty & Instructors, Media Releases, News, Uncategorised

• Visual Arts graduates featured in upcoming exhibition

  Wednesday, December 01, 2021 | By gminaker

  

  Image caption: Artwork featured in Beneath the Skin, an art exhibition opening Nov. 30 showcasing the work of studio-based artists and Rea Kelly and Angelina Turner.

  Originally published MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2021 | by Gillian Minaker

  A new exhibition will see the return of two Brock University graduates showcasing their artwork and creative research in the space where they once studied.

  Beneath the Skin runs from Tuesday, Nov. 30 to Saturday, Dec. 18 featuring participating artists and Studio Art graduates Rea Kelly (BA ’21) and Angelina Turner (BA ’21). The opening reception will be held Thursday, Dec. 9 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Visual Arts Gallery and Student Exhibition Space at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA).

  The exhibition examines themes related to human anatomy and the psyche with the intention of encouraging audiences to delve deeper into their physical and emotional identities.

  “The theme of my work is rooted in challenging the viewer’s perception of how portraits, and even ‘selfies’ as an extension, are typically used to understand an outward appearance, status and social identity,” said Kelly. “Instead, my work focuses on the internal lived experience.”

  Turner said she took images of anatomy and intertwined them with other natural organisms to highlight the concept of interdependence in the world.

  “Many members of society, especially since the rise of smart technology, speak to feelings of loneliness and isolation,” she said. “But we aren’t alone, and I hope through my work I can show that to viewers.”

  The Visual Arts Gallery and Student Exhibition Space is located on the first floor of the MIWSFPA at 15 Artists’ Common in downtown St. Catharines. The gallery is open to the Brock community and wider public Tuesday to Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. (September through April).

  Brock students and staff are encouraged to RSVP through ExperienceBU to attend the exhibition and opening reception. All Brock University protocols apply including mandatory full COVID-19 vaccination and masks for all visitors. Community visitors are asked to enter the building through the main entrance for check-in at the Security desk.

  Questions can be directed to the Visual Arts Gallery at visagallery@brocku.ca

  Tags: alumni, Angelina Turner, Beneath the Skin, community engagement, Department of Visual Arts, exhibition, humanities, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, miwsfpa, Rea Kelly, VISA, visa gallery
  Categories: Alumni, Announcements, Events, Faculty & Instructors, Future Students, News, Uncategorised

• BIPOC theatre leaders to discuss new industry approaches at Brock event

  Wednesday, November 10, 2021 | By dvivian

  

  Theatre leaders participating in the upcoming Brock discussion panel include (top row, from left) Haui, Carmen Alatorre, (centre, from left) Shanna Miller, Samantha McCue, Wladimiro A. Woyno R., (bottom row, from left) Giselle Clarke-Trenaman and Kat Chin.

  Originally published in The Brock News Wednesday, | NOVEMBER 10, 2021 | by Gillian Minaker

  Prominent Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) Canadian theatre production and design professionals will come together to discuss recent experiences in their fields and new strategies in production at an upcoming Brock University digital panel.

  This is the second event presented by the Department of Dramatic Arts (DART)  in a new series as part of the 2021-22 Walker Cultural Leader Series (WCL Series), “Transformation and Adaptation in Theatre Pedagogy and Training.” The series is organized by DART Professors Karen Fricker and David Vivian with longtime instructor Carolyn Mackenzie.

  “Industry Panel with BIPOC Canadian Theatre Artists” will take place Monday, Nov. 15 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Zoom. The Brock and wider community are invited to attend and asked to register ahead of time on the Zoom registration page.

  Moderating the panel is Giselle Clarke-Trenaman, Production Co-ordinator at Presentation House Theatre in North Vancouver and creator of Black History Matters, an educational program addressing gaps in Black history in elementary schools.

  Panelists include Haui, a mixed media director and designer working in theatre, opera and film; Samantha McCue, an Anishinaabekwe and Ned’u’ten theatre professional based in Ottawa; Carmen Alatorre, a Latinx artist and theatre designer based in Vancouver; Kat Chin, a Toronto-based stage manager who has worked across Canada, off-Broadway and at the Palace of Versailles; Shanna Miller, the Technical Director at Young Peoples Theatre; and Wladimiro A. Woyno R., a live performance designer and Assistant Professor of Theatre Production and Design at School for the Contemporary Arts, Simon Fraser University.

  The panel will cover a range of topics, from how to bring more BIPOC artists to the theatre industry and cultivate new audiences, to the use of technology and how the pandemic has affected the performing arts industry.

  “We’ve invited these important artists from diverse fields of Canadian theatre design and production to share their journeys of the past 20 months and to encourage our students with the vision and passion that informs their professional practice,” said Vivian.

  “Whether through the lens of anti-racism, decolonization, accessibility or the drive for professional and economic sustainability, this evening promises a vivid invitation to join progressive voices for change in live performance and theatre production in Canada.”

  The third and final event in the DART WCL series is a daylong Casting and Audition workshop on Sunday, Nov. 28 for DART students, staff and faculty. This closing event will be led by Kimberley Rampersad, actor, choreographer, director and Associate Artistic Director of the Shaw Festival; and Marcel Stewart, actor, writer, director and arts educator.

  To learn more, please visit the WCL Series website.

  Tags: Carmen Alatorre, Carolyn Mackenzie, community engagement, dart, david vivian, Department of Dramatic Arts, Haui, humanitites, Karen Fricker, Kat Chin, Kimberley Rampersad, marcel stewart, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Ars, miwsfpa, Samantha McCue, Shanna Miller, Walker Cultural Leader Series, WCL Series, Wladimiro A. Woyno R.
  Categories: Alumni, Announcements, Current Students, Department/Centre News, Events, Faculty & Instructors, Future Students, In the Media, Media Releases, News, Uncategorised, Walker Cultural Leader Series

• Concepts of land and ownership in Canada at centre of upcoming Brock panel discussion

  Thursday, November 04, 2021 | By gminaker

  

  Image caption: Artist and educator Adrian Blackwell (left) and architect David Fortin (right) will be co-moderating an upcoming online roundtable discussion about land ownership in Canada.

  WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 03, 2021 | by Gillian Minaker

  An upcoming Brock University panel discussion will bring together distinguished Indigenous and other artists, designers and architects to reimagine Canadian cities towards a more inclusive future.

  Presented by the Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture (STAC) and Department of Visual Arts (VISA), “Rethinking Property in c\a\n\a\d\a” will be hosted as a Zoom webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 10 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. and is open to the Brock and wider community.

  The online event will be co-moderated by artist and educator Adrian Blackwell, Associate Professor, School of Architecture at the University of Waterloo, whose art practice spans photography, video, sculpture, urban theory and design; and David Fortin (Métis Nation of Ontario), a LEED-accredited professional and registered architect. Fortin is also a member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) Indigenous Task Force that seeks ways to foster and promote Indigenous design in Canada.

  The discussion will bring together a diverse group of panelists, including artist Bonnie Devine (Genaabaajing First Nation), Founding Chair of the Indigenous Visual Culture program at OCAD University and winner of the 2021 Governor General Award in Visual and Media Arts; landscape architect Tiffany Kaewen Dang, a territorial scholar from Treaty 6 Territory in Edmonton, Alta.; and Luugigyoo Patrick Reid Stewart (Nisga’a, B.C.), the first Indigenous president of an architectural association in Canada and the first Indigenous person in B.C. to own and operate an architectural firm.

  Rethinking Property in c\a\n\a\d\a is the first of four events in a series called Fictive Architecture presented by STAC. The series is funded through a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Connection Grant, with matching funds from the Office of the Vice-President, Research at Brock University.

  Catherine Parayre, Associate Professor and Director of STAC’s Research Centre in Interdisciplinary Arts and Creative Culture, said these events will provide a creative and intellectual environment for all participants to express and debate views, sharing experiences that touch on personal perspectives or matters of social urgency.

  “This series is part of the activities of the Research Centre in Interdisciplinary Arts and Creative Culture, whose vision is predicated on the fact that researchers and creators, no matter their discipline, share a passion and drive for their subject in which creativity is often at the root of their unique vision or forms of inquiry.”

  The series is also connected to STAC’s Small Walker Press (SWP), a small innovative publishing house that produces two companion books each year as part of the Walker Cultural Leader Series. Blackwell is one of the artists (along with Landon Mackenzie) who will contribute to the 2022 SWP publications informed by the roundtable discussion.

  Derek Knight, Associate Professor, History of Art and Visual Culture and co-editor for the Small Walker Press, said this timely panel promises to be informative, far-reaching and will posit new, inclusive ways of re-imagining the land, concepts of ownership and shelter in Canada.

  “Blackwell is committed to thinking about new ways of interacting with our built environs, especially at this critical time in which decolonialization brings into focus the pressing need to resolve the challenge of unceded territories and respect the role of First Peoples as integral to how we re-envision Canada in the future,” Knight said.

  The webinar is free to attend, although registration is required through the Zoom event web page.

  Tags: Adrian Blackwell, Bonnie Devine, Catherine Parayre, centre for studies in arts and culture, David Fortin, Derek Knight, humanities, IACC, Luugigyoo Patrick Reid Stewart, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, miwsfpa, research, Research Centre in Interdisciplinary Arts and Creative Culture, Small Walker Press, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, SSHRC, stac, Tiffany Kaewen Dang
  Categories: Announcements, Department/Centre News, Events, Faculty & Instructors, In the Media, Media Releases, News, Uncategorised

• Brock Visual Arts Gallery showcasing work from students and faculty reopens

  Monday, October 25, 2021 | By gminaker

  

  Image caption: Visual Arts students view works of art from faculty exhibition Apart We Were Together, the first in-person art show to be held in the Visual Arts Gallery since it closed due to the pandemic.

  Originally published in The Brock News on | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2021 | by Gillian Minaker

  After a year and half, the Visual Arts Gallery and Student Exhibition Space at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA) has recently reopened its doors to the Brock University community and wider public to view in-person exhibitions.

  The latest show running in the gallery is a student exhibition featuring the work of Visual Arts students Sarah Formosa and Rabia Choudhary. Intricate Connections (Sarah Formosa); Unruly Growth (Rabia Choudary) opened Thursday, Oct. 21 and runs until Nov. 19.

  Choudhary called it “thrilling” to be sharing her work publicly.

  “These pieces were created during the pandemic and explore my struggles with identity, and coming to terms with who I am,” she said. “It is such a privilege to share my work with the Brock community.”

  Formosa agrees that sharing her work in a public show is an exciting opportunity.

  “I have officially heard my first gasp from a child, entering a space that holds something that I’ve created,” she said. “I hope visitors enjoy these works and that there might be an opportunity to leave the gallery having gained another perspective on life.”

  The first exhibition to be mounted in the space was a Visual Arts faculty exhibition opened in September entitled Apart We Were Together. Exhibiting artists were Associate Professor and Visual Arts Department Chair Amy Friend, Associate Professor Derek Knight, Assistant Professor Troy David Ouellette and Associate Professor Donna Szoke.

  The concept of the show was loosely borrowed from celebrated author and philosopher Jacques Rancière’s book The Emancipated Spectator, which explores the idea of ‘apart we were together’ investigating outcomes when an artist is separated from their work and the viewer.

  The exhibition included photography, video projections and multimedia installations made of fibre-optic cable. Exhibiting artists drew on pandemic-related themes for their works such as separation, the loss of connection, solidarity and nostalgia.

  As stated in the Exhibition Introduction, the artists acknowledged that even with the closure of galleries, theatres and other areas of cultural production during the pandemic, there was always the possibility of “wonderment and dialogue” within the arts.

  The ‘apart we were together’ theme underscored the importance of solidarity, especially during challenging times. Though the in-person exhibition has closed,  a virtual exhibition can be viewed online.

  The Visual Arts Gallery and Student Exhibition Space is located on the first floor of the MIWSFPA at 15 Artists Common in downtown St. Catharines. The gallery is open to the Brock community and wider public Tuesday to Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. September through April.

  Brock students and staff are encouraged to RSVP through ExperienceBU to attend the exhibition. All Brock University protocols apply including mandatory full COVID-19 vaccination and masks for all visitors. The visiting public is asked to enter the building through the main entrance for check-in at the Security Desk.

  Questions can be directed to the Visual Arts Gallery at visagallery@brocku.ca

  Tags: Amy Friend, Apart We Were Together, community engagement, Department of Visual Arts, Derek Knight, Donna Szoke, exhibition, humanities, Intricate Connections, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, miwsfpa, Rabia Choudhary, Sarah Formosa, TROY DAVID OUELLETTE, Unruly Growth, VISA, Visual Arts Gallery
  Categories: Announcements, Current Students, Department/Centre News, Events, Faculty & Instructors, Future Students, In the Media, News, Uncategorised

• Visual Arts podcast launches new season challenging ideas of western art

  Monday, October 04, 2021 | By gminaker

  

  Image caption: Co-hosts of Unboxing the Canon podcast, Associate Professor Linda Steer, left, and fourth-year Brock student Madeline Collins.

  Originally published FRIDAY, OCTOBER 01, 2021 in The Brock News | by Gillian Minaker

  Unboxing the Canon has made its return with the goal of doing a deep, critical dive into the history of western art.

  The second season of the popular podcast from Linda Steer, Brock Associate Professor, History of Art and Visual Culture, is now live with new 20-minute episodes dropping monthly.

  Unboxing the Canon look at issues that are part of the history of western art, examining how those issues played out historically and how they connect to contemporary culture and thinking.

  The first episode dropped Sept. 17 and explores Orientalism and the Western Gaze. Upcoming episodes will address topics such as the representation of disability in western art, an art movement known as Primitivism connected to colonization, and the history of self-portraits, religion and landscape in paintings.

  According to Steer, who teaches first-year Art History, asking hard questions about these topics is important to developing a deeper understanding of the canon.

  “Students are hungry for a critical view of the western canon; they want to deal with the issues and unpack them and understand why they may be problematic,” Steer said. “When examining the long history of western art and its ties to imperialism, for example, we can ask important questions about iconic images that continue to have a tremendous impact on contemporary society.

  Steer says listeners don’t need any prior knowledge of western art to enjoy the podcast. She started the project last year as a way for students in her first-year VISA 1Q99: Introduction to the History of Western Art class to take a break from their screens and do a little extra learning while taking a walk or relaxing at home.

  Now, other instructors at the University and beyond are also using the podcast as a teaching tool. Each episode includes materials for further learning, including resources and websites where listeners can view the works of art being discussed.

  This continued engagement is an aspect of the project that Steer and fourth-year History of Art and Visual Culture student Madeline Collins are passionate about.

  Collins, who joined the podcast this season as a Research Assistant, said that images are not neutral and that there is a lot happening that viewers are not always aware of.

  “There is so much behind what we see. We need to look critically and realize how biased, gendered, racialized and colonized images are at the forefront of our cultural memory,” she said. “It has been a part of the story the whole time, and once you see it, it totally changes your perspective moving forward. That is my favourite part about this podcast.”

  In addition to co-hosting the podcast episodes, Collins is involved in all aspects of production, including conducting research, sound design and working closely with Steer on writing.

  The pair have been working together since July so Collins could learn the sound design and editing software gearing up for the season.

  Excited to be involved in the project, Collins, an avid fan of podcasts herself, said she has already learned so much from the experience.

  “I’ve always been interested in podcasts and the incredible ways in which we can communicate ideas through them, especially for those who learn better through listening,” Collins said. “I have never been a part of anything like this before, particularly learning all about microphones and sound editing, and I am loving the experience.”

  Unboxing the Canon is publicly available on all podcast services, including Apple, Google, Podbean and Spotify. For updates and information on future episodes, follow Unboxing the Canon on Instagram and Twitter.

  The transcripts and sound files from each episode of Unboxing the Canon can be found in Brock’s digital repository.

  Tags: community engagement, HAVC, History of Art and Visual Cutlure, Linda Steer, Madeline Collins, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, miwsfpa, podcast, Unboxing the Canon, visual arts, Western Art
  Categories: Alumni, Announcements, Current Students, Department/Centre News, Events, Faculty & Instructors, Future Students, News, Uncategorised

• Popular Brock concert series back on stage for 2021-22 season

  Monday, September 27, 2021 | By gminaker

  

  Image caption: The Walker String Quartet rehearses on stage at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre for the 2021-22 performance season. Photo by Max Holten-Andersen.

  Originally published FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 in The Brock News | by Gillian Minaker

  After a year of performing from their homes, musicians featured in Brock University’s RBC Foundation Music@Noon series will return to the stage at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre (PAC) for the 2021-22 season.

  Although there will be no live audience this fall, performances will be livestreamed for the Brock and wider community to enjoy online.

  Presented by the Music Department at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA) and sponsored by the RBC Foundation, the free concert series takes places most Tuesdays at noon throughout the academic year and features the department’s performance faculty, special guests, Brock students and alumni.

  In partnership with the PAC , the Music@Noon season opens Tuesday, Sept. 28 with the musical stylings of the John Sherwood Trio. Featuring John Sherwood on piano, Kieran Overs on bass and Terry Clarke and drums, the trio will delight audiences with selections from the Great American Songbook.

  With concerts booked for most Tuesdays until the holiday season, the fall program will feature faculty performances as well as recitals from Music students later in the year. The livestream concerts can be viewed on the Facebook pages and YouTube channels of the MIWSFPA and PAC, as well as on the PAC website.

  A  return to in-person concerts may be possible in January, depending on Brock University and provincial protocols for COVID-19 mitigation strategies.

  For a full listing of upcoming concerts and to check for live audience updates, please visit the Music@Noon website.

  Tags: community engagement, department of music, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, humanitites, john sherwood, John Sherwood Trio, Kieran Overs, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Ars, miwsfpa, musi, music@noon, PAC, Terry Clarke
  Categories: Alumni, Announcements, Current Students, Department/Centre News, Events, Faculty & Instructors, In the Media, Media Releases, News, Uncategorised

• PROJECT: Soundscape, presented by the Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture, on exhibit September 24

  Friday, September 24, 2021 | By dvivian

  

  IMAGE CREDIT: REINHARD REITZENSTEIN

  Music, Noise, and Soundscape: Gayle Young and Ryan Bruce in Conversation

  Created in 2021, Music, Noise, and Soundscape: Gayle Young and Ryan Bruce in Conversation is a virtual project of the Research Centre in Interdisciplinary Arts and Creative Culture homed in the Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture (STAC) at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, Brock University. It includes an interview, performances and demonstrations, as well as an outreach activity.

  Gayle Young is a composer and musician based in the Niagara region who creates her own instruments and performs music for them, often employing unusual tunings. She has also performed and recorded works by John Cage and Yoko Ono. Gayle composes works for voice and chamber instruments and creates electronic sound for film and visual art installation. Many of her compositions include environmental sounds recorded through tuned resonators that she invented to integrate harmony and soundscape.

  Gayle wrote The Sackbut Blues, the biography of pioneering electronic instrument inventor Hugh Le Caine (1914-1977), who invented several instruments for electronic music, including the Sackbut, an innovative touch-sensitive keyboard instrument first recorded in 1946. As editor of Musicworks Magazine for over two decades, she presented an inclusive gaze on the world of experimental music.

  Ryan Bruce is an ethnomusicologist, jazz historian and saxophonist. His research concentrates on the transition of jazz styles from the 1950s–1960s (bop and the jazz avant-garde) with investigations in jazz historiography, improvisation, musical analysis, and interdisciplinary comparisons to other avant-garde art forms. His work includes special focus on collaborating with performers to create digital resources for teaching jazz history, improvisation, and world music traditions.

  Ryan holds a PhD in Music from York University and has published articles on jazz criticism, musical analysis, and specific musicians for the current Grove Dictionary of American Music. He is also an active teacher and performer of jazz and free improvisation on saxophone.In 2021, Ryan is teaching STAC 2P93 Critical Practice in the Fine and Performing Arts.

  Experience the ‘Soundscape’ exhibition by visiting the Brock University Digital Scholarship Lab

  Please note the virtual exhibition is best viewed on a laptop or desktop computer. Headphones are recommended.

  Tags: Brock University Digital Scholarship Lab, centre for studies in arts and culture, Gayle Young, music, Noise, Project Soundscape, Research Centre in Interdisciplinary Arts and Creative Culture, Ryan Bruce, Soundscape, stac
  Categories: Announcements, Current Students, Department/Centre News, Faculty & Instructors, In the Media, Media Releases, Uncategorised

• Brock community members nominated for St. Catharines Arts Awards

  Friday, September 24, 2021 | By gminaker

  

  Image caption: Artists and Instructors from Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts Andrew Tye (left) and Barbara Worthy (right) are among the nominees for the 2021 St. Catharines Arts Awards.

  Originally published in The Brock News WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021 | by Gillian Minaker

  The City of St. Catharines is gearing up to celebrate the local arts scene and those who champion it — including members of the Brock community.

  Among the City’s recently released nominees for the 2021 St. Catharines Arts Awards are several individuals and one group who are connected to the University.

  Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA) instructors Andrew Tye and Barbara Worthy were nominated for the Arts in Education Award and Making a Difference Award, respectively.

  Other Brock nominees include alumna and musician Kathryn Sinopoli (BA ’13, BEd ’13), who received the nod for the Emerging Artist Award, and social, economic and environmental justice organization OPIRG Brock and retired Visual Arts faculty member Jean Bridge, who were both nominated for the Making a Difference Award.

  Tye, who has been an Instructor with the Department of Dramatic Arts (DART) since 2013, is honoured to be nominated for the second year in a row in for the Arts in Education Award, which celebrates individuals and groups committed to engaging residents through arts education.

  “I have always believed learning through the arts is a collective endeavour — there is no single individual that makes that successful,” he said. “I am someone who helps facilitate group and collective success, and I believe in a common goal for learning.”

  Tye currently teaches DART 2P21 Drama in Education II and DART IP95 Creative Play for Education. Along with teaching and a successful career as a corporate public speaking and leadership coach, Tye also serves as a committee member for Brock’s Social Justice Research Institute.

  Worthy, a MIWSFPA Instructor famous for her energetic class warm-ups and always having her little white dog at her side, has taught in DART since 2006 and teaches at the Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture. Currently, Worthy is teaching DART 3P92 Scriptwriting, to students in the Dramatic Arts, English and Creative Writing, Film and GAME programs. An experienced creative producer and writer, Worthy is also thrilled to be a part of the awards celebration.

  A former longtime producer for CBC Toronto and former actor with Shaw Festival, Worthy’s teaching philosophy is informed by her professional career in the arts and a strong belief in the importance of experiential learning.

  “What truly makes a difference to communities everywhere is the power of art, the power of drama and the power of the written word,” Worthy said. “Making a difference to me means providing students with access to the real world, specifically their local communities, where they can truly experience the arts for themselves.”

  The St. Catharines Arts Awards will be presented online Sunday, Nov. 21, livestreamed from the stage of the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre (PAC).

  “The city’s cultural and artistic community has exploded in recent years — there are so many diverse voices and visions out there,” said Kathleen Powell, the City’s Acting Supervisor of Cultural Services. “These nominees represent some of the best our community has to offer, world-class talents who call St. Catharines home and step up to build a community we can all be proud of.”

  For more information about the arts awards and how to view the celebration, visit the City of St. Catharines website.

  Tags: Andrew tye, Barbara Worthy, centre for studies in arts and culture, City of St. Catharines, community engagement, dart, Department of Dramatic Arts, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Jean Bridge, Kathleen Powell, Kathryn Sinopoli, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, miwsfpa, St. Catharines Arts Awards, stac
  Categories: Announcements, Department/Centre News, Events, Faculty & Instructors, Future Students, In the Media, Media Releases, News, Uncategorised

• Accessibility in music education at centre of upcoming talk

  Tuesday, September 21, 2021 | By gminaker

  

  IMAGE CAPTION: Music educator Erin Parkes will be the first speaker in a virtual series offered by Brock’s Department of Music as part of the 2021-22 Walker Cultural Leader Series.

  Walker Cultural Leader and music educator Erin Parkes will address key questions about providing access to music education to people with exceptionalities in an upcoming online lecture presented by Brock’s Department of Music.

  Held online Friday, Sept. 24 from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m., Parkes will discuss teaching models for students who require a different approach and the benefits of opening up music studios to diverse learners.

  Parkes is Founder and Executive Director of the Lotus Centre for Special Music Education, a charitable organization committed to providing access to music education for people with exceptionalities. She holds a PhD in music education from McGill University, where she researched how to effectively train studio music teachers to work with students with autism.

  This is the first online presentation of a virtual speaker series offered by the Department of Music as part of the 2021-22 Walker Cultural Leader Series. Welcoming musicians, music scholars, and music educators to the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts online, these lectures and workshops are free community events and are open to the Brock and wider community.

  Registration is required by emailing music@brocku.ca

  For more information, please visit brocku.ca/music

  Tags: accessibility, community engagement, department of music, Erin Parkes, humanitites, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Ars, miwsfpa, musi, music education, Walker Cultural Leader Series, WCL Series
  Categories: Announcements, Current Students, Department/Centre News, Events, Faculty & Instructors, Future Students, In the Media, News, Uncategorised, Walker Cultural Leader Series