Second year DART students Sarah Bradford and Sidney Francolini share their new Wikipedia page for theatre director, actor, and professor of the Department of Dramatic Arts, Virginia Reh.
On March 8, 2015, International Women’s Day, Dramatic Arts students, faculty, and community members joined Equity in Theatre in addressing the online gender disparity of the representation of women in theatre. For three hours, Brock’s Hackathon joined groups of theatre practitioners and supporters from across the country as part of Equity in Theatre’s Hackathon to create or update Wikipedia pages for diverse women in Canadian Theatre.
Brock’s Hackathon was led by a group of student leaders from DART 1F93, Introduction to Drama, but also saw students from other cohorts in attendance. Musicians Bri Lidstone and Hayley Malouin, fourth year Dramatic Arts students, performed strategically female-driven set-lists during the event, creating an empowering and inclusive atmosphere for all those in attendance. At the end of Brock’s Hackathon, the group had updated and completed 16 Wikipedia entries, focusing on female faculty and staff members, as well as members of the greater Niagara arts community. While the official number of pages updated and/or created is yet to be released from Equity in Theatre, if the online communication and support from groups across the country is any indication, the event succeed in increasing gender representation online, and fostering a network of engaged young theatre practitioners. (Kat Gottli)
