Articles tagged with: Alex Sykes

  • THANK-YOU STARfest National South and WELCOME to Niagara Childrens Festival

    Thursday, May 14, 2026 | By

    After a remarkable three days of the the National STARfestival South of the Theatrical Arts Education Association, when we welcomed students from Alexander MacKenzie (YRDSB), A.N. Myer (DSBN), Assumption College (Brant/Hamilton DSB), Bravo Academy (TDSB), E.L. Crossley (DSBN), Holy Cross (Niagara Catholic DSB), Laura Secord (DSBN), Meadowvale (Peel District), Milliken Mills (York Region DSB), St. Paul (Niagara Catholic DSB) and Welland Centennial (DSBN) Secondary Schools, this weekend we welcome the artists and audiences of the Niagara Children’s Festival 2026 produced by Carousel Players of St. Catharines, one of the pre-eminent companies producing theatre for youth and young people on the national landscape.

    The Niagara Children’s Festival is an exciting explosion of creativity, offering live theatre, performances and arts-based activities for young audiences and their families. Join us in downtown St. Catharines May 14-17 for a celebration of Arts & Culture for all ages!

    See the welcoming instagram posts and get all the information about performances and activities at https://www.niagarachildrensfest.com/

    Check out the Venue Guide and the Festival Program. Opening tonight!

    We also welcome the return of Dramatic Arts alumni Taylor Bogaert (BA Honours Dramatic Arts, 2020), Josh Loewen (BA Honours Dramatic Arts, 2020) and Alex Sykes (BA Honours Dramatic Arts, Concentration in Production and Design, 2022) and their project Why Don’t We Together, a recorded storytelling performance from Dear Bear Multi-Arts (instagram). Why Don’t We Together is an immersive, audio-visual experience that takes place in a custom-built structure called “The Hut.” When audiences enter The Hut, they are met with a choice between several curated audio stories, all written and recorded by a variety of handpicked Ontario artists. These stories are accompanied by rich sound design and dynamic lighting – the walls, seats, ceilings, and airwaves come alive as audiences get transported into the world of each story.  WDWT was presented by Dear Bear Multi-Arts (website) with a different program of stories this past September 2025 at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts and was the subject of an exhibition of the Museum in the Hallway / Boîte-en-valise of the Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture at the beginning of 2026.

    Break-a-leg to all of the students and staff of Dramatic Arts at Brock University, some of them participating in experiential education and Work-in-Learning opportunities and helping to make the festival a success!

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    Categories: Alumni, Announcements, Current Students, Events, Faculty & Instructors, Future students, In the Media, Media Releases, News, Uncategorised, Visiting Artists

  • Student-run podcast provides guidance, inspiration for future artists

    Tuesday, April 12, 2022 | By

    The Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts in downtown St. Catharines is home to the student-run podcast, Dear Marilyn, named in honour of the late textile artist and philanthropist.

    Originally published in The Brock News | TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022 | by 

    What started as a passion project for two Brock University students in search of career tips has become a robust podcast series providing invaluable insight to the next generation of creators.

    Produced for students by students, the popular podcast Dear Marilyn is now in its second season of connecting the student community with professional artists, with plans to continue production on an ongoing basis.

    Created in 2021 by Dramatic Arts (DART) students Danielle Letourneau and Luca D’Amico, the podcast name honours celebrated textile artist, philanthropist and arts advocate Marilyn I. Walker. In 2008, Walker made a historic donation to Brock that led to the creation of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA).

    Letourneau, the podcast’s producer who is now in her fourth year of study with a concentration in Drama and Education and minor in History, says that she has often felt anxiety about entering theatre as a profession.

    “I started this podcast to give students like myself a resource for practical job advice,” Letourneau said. “The arts industry is not always considered the most conventional career path, but we do it because this is what we love; the arts nurture our souls.”

    Supported by Dean Carol Merriam of the Faculty of Humanities through the Dean’s Discretionary Fund in 2021, the Associate Dean of Fine and Performing Arts and MIWSFPA department Chairs, the Dear Marilyn team invites local and surrounding artists from a range of artistic disciplines to share their stories.

    Co-hosts Hayley Bando, a second-year Dramatic Arts major with a concentration in Production and Design, and Chloe Racho, a third-year Music major with a minor in French Studies, are thrilled to be part of the project.

    “We are honoured to help bring these diverse perspectives about professional journeys in the arts to the Brock community,” Bando said.

    Recent podcast guests include actor, writer and producer Thet Win, voice actor Keegan Vaillancourt and singer-songwriter Glenn Marais.

    MIWSFPA faculty have been supportive since day one, with Karen Fricker, Associate Professor of Dramatic Arts, championing the podcast idea in its early stages.

    “I was happy to support Dear Marilyn initially because it’s a great idea, and a positive student-led project during the hard time of the pandemic,” she said. “I looked forward to each episode and was entertained and educated by the hosts’ sparky exchanges with guests.”

    DART Associate Professor Gyllian Raby guided the grant proposal for Dear Marilyn resulting in the expansion of the podcast to include all four departments at the downtown arts campus (Dramatic Arts, Music, Visual Arts and Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture).

    “What’s not to like about Dear Marilyn? It relates directly to our mission to create experiential, professionalized learning for students producing, hosting, editing and broadcasting,” Raby said. “And, it’s entertaining and insightful.”

    DART Associate Professor Danielle Wilson has been working with the team on the second season. Episodes are edited by Alex Sykes, a fourth-year DART student with a concentration in Production and Design.

    Available on Spotify, the next episode goes live this week. For the latest news, follow Dear Marilyn on Instagram.

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    Categories: Announcements, Faculty & Instructors, News, Uncategorised, Visiting Artists

  • Dramatic Arts students’ original play takes the stage Thursday

    Tuesday, April 12, 2022 | By

    Image caption: Little Raincoat Collective in rehearsal at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, including (back row, from) Brenley Charkow (co-director) with company members Celine Ayesha, Sammie Marett, Alex Sykes, Jonah Pace, Michael Cicchini, Asenia Lyall and (front row, from left) Julian Valentin, Alyssa Ruddock and Abby Etling.

    Originally published in The Brock News | MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2022 | by 

    A compelling collective creation from nine fourth-year Brock Dramatic Arts (DART) students is set to premiere this week at the Marilyn I. Walker Theatre.

    The new play, The Storm Left Behind, is presented by Little Raincoat Collective (DART 4F56 Advanced Studies in Theatre) and directed by instructors Colin B. Anthes and Brenley Charkow.

    The a coming-of-age tale is about finding lightness in the darkest of times. Following the story of a girl who is navigating her way through life, the play takes audiences on a journey that combines different forms of storytelling.

    The production runs Thursday, April 14 and Friday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, 15 Artists’ Common in downtown St. Catharines.

    Tickets for the show, which is suitable for ages 15 and up, are $5 and can be purchased through Brock University Tickets.

    For more information about The Storm Left Behind, please visit the play’s website.

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