Image caption: Dramatic Arts graduate Nav Brar discovered his passion for wardrobe and costume design at Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, where he contributed his skills to creating costumes for performances.
published Wednesday, June 10, 2026 in The Brock News | by Gillian Minaker
Nav Brar found an unexpected new passion woven into the fabric of his Brock University experience. Though he’s had a lifelong love for the stage, the Dramatic Arts (DART) graduate wasn’t sure where his academic path would lead when he first arrived at Brock — that is, until he stepped into Wardrobe at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA). Now, Brar is forging ahead with purpose after earning his degree and being honoured with the 2026 Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts Textile Award at Brock’s 119th Convocation on Wednesday, June 10. Always more focused on acting and writing, Brar had never pictured himself in theatre production. Then came his a first-year DART production course, which ignited his passion for fabric and materials. In his third year, he landed the role of Assistant Head of Wardrobe, learning from and working with DART’s Head of Wardrobe Bobbi Pidduck on the School’s theatre performances.
Dramatic Arts graduate Nav Brar discovered his passion for wardrobe and costume design at Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, where he contributed his skills to creating costumes for performances.
Brar quickly picked up sewing, cutting and minor pattern drafting, all integral skills for professional costume designers. “Somehow, working with my hands and envisioning the final product, it was easy for me to understand what I needed to do,” he said. For Brar, the beauty is in the challenge of the process. “It’s envisioning the design, what you need to make, figuring out the math and then figuring out what the steps are,” he said. “Sometimes we build a simple T-shirt, and sometimes we work on hugely technical garments with lots of specifications to fit the production.” Working alongside Pidduck on mainstage productions, including Metamorphoses and Métis Nutcracker, was a transformative experience for Brar as he developed his design and dressing skills, bringing two-dimensional designs to three-dimensional life. “When the actor puts on the costume and performs on stage, you see it all come together,” he said. “It’s a very exhilarating experience to see something you’ve made or created give the desired effect.” When the curtain closes on each production, Brar is driven to keep creating, knowing he has contributed to enhancing the audience experience. “It’s incredibly meaningful and fulfilling,” he said. “Nav has been dedicated to his work, seeking to learn as many skills as possible and consistently improving with each new project, continuously navigating challenges with grace and humour that earned the respect of his peers and instructors at DART,” Pidduck said. From student peers to faculty, Brar said the support of the close-knit DART community sets the stage for students to grow and thrive in their academic and creative endeavours. “All of our professors and instructors are so kind. They are all talented theatre professionals and so willing to share their knowledge with students as we develop our own creative voices,” he said. “The opportunity to create in such a stunning facility has truly been a golden experience for me.”
Nav Brar built dynamic costumes for the Dramatic Arts mainstage productions including Métis Nutcracker written by award-winning Canadian playwright and Assistant Professor Matthew MacKenzie.
The Marilyn I. Walker Textile Award is given to a graduating student to further their apprenticeship or study in textiles. “Nav has contributed so much to the theatre program through his beautiful costume designs and constructions,” said Visual Arts Professor Linda Carreiro, Associate Dean, Fine and Performing Arts and MIWSFPA Director. “He truly deserves this award, and I’m thrilled that he will be able to use it to continue honing his craft.” Brar will pursue the Fashion Techniques and Design program at George Brown Polytechnic to expand on his theoretical and technical foundation in garment construction and costume building. He hopes to be found happily working away in a professional wardrobe room one day. “I am excited to keep developing my design eye,” he said. “I am forever grateful for the role Brock has played in setting me on this path.”
