News

• Faculty Fellows in Accessibility

  Monday, December 09, 2024 | By eknight

  Congratulations to the the inaugural Faculty Fellows in Accessibility!

  • Keri Cronin, Visual Arts;
  • Mike Griffin, Dramatic Arts; 
  • Chelsea Jones, Child & Youth Studies;
  • Melanie Pilkington, Chemistry;

  The adjudication committee was inspired by the insight and collective possibility this cohort will bring to accessible pedagogy and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research at Brock. The Fellows will meet and work on exciting course and discipline-based projects over the next year and will be sharing their findings and experiences with the Brock community.

  Congratulations to all and thank you for supporting accessibility at Brock!  

  The Faculty Fellows in Accessibility initiative is one part of a multi-pronged approach to increasing accessibility awareness at Brock University.

  Supported by the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation (CPI) the Faculty Fellows in Accessibility will work to support the development of accessible pedagogical practice as well as the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research around accessibility at Brock University.

  This program is aligned to the following area of Brock’s Academic Plan:

  • 2c: Focus efforts on curriculum review and program reimagination to allow for a well-designed mix of on-campus, online, and blended course options, as determined by the alignment between course delivery mode and learning outcomes;
  • 2i: Support the creation, adaptation, and adoption of open educational resources;
  • 4g: Identify and work to dismantle systemic academic barriers experienced by BIPOC, disabled, 2SLGBTQ+, and gender-diverse faculty, staff, and students and develop supports and community that foster inclusive participation and belonging, and that support flourishing;
  • 4h: Implement the relevant recommendations of the post-secondary education standards development committee for a new accessibility education standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

  The program is also aligned with Brock’s Strategic Plan priority of “fostering a culture of inclusivity, accessibility, reconciliation and decolonization.”

  For more information about the program, please click here.

  Tags: cpi, dart, keri cronin, Mike Griffin, VISA
  Categories: Faculty & Instructors, News

• Brock’s arts impact takes centre stage

  Friday, November 22, 2024 | By eknight

  

  Friday, November 22, 2024 | by April Jeffs

  Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming Stan Cho (second from left) toured the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA) along with St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe (third from left) on Thursday, Nov. 21. Visual Arts Professor and Associate Dean of Fine and Performing Arts Linda Carreiro (left), Provost and Vice-President Academic Arja Vainio-Mattila (second from right) and Dean of Humanities Carol Merriam (right) highlighted how Brock’s state-of-the-art facilities and world-class resources and instruction provide a strong foundation for students to pursue their career goals and make meaningful contributions to the arts by helping to grow a vibrant centre of culture in both Niagara.

  Tags: centre for studies in arts and culture, Department of Dramatic Arts, department of music, Department of Visual Arts, Linda Carreiro, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, miwsfpa
  Categories: News

• High-profile NYC events shared through lens of student artist

  Wednesday, November 06, 2024 | By eknight

  

  Image caption: Fourth-year Visual Arts student Cleah Fast, recipient of a 2024 Medland and Green Inspiring Artists Bursary, is displaying her artwork in a new multimedia exhibition now open at Brock’s Visual Arts Gallery.

  Wednesday, November 06, 2024 | by Gillian Minaker

  While backstage at an iconic music festival and in the front row at New York Fashion Week, Cleah Fast couldn’t help but feel a spark — or rather, flash — of creativity.

  The fourth-year Brock Visual Arts (VISA) student and multidisciplinary artist has channelled her recent experiences at high-profile New York City events into an exhibit, Through the Lens, now on show at the University’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA).

  The exhibition features Fast’s large-scale photography, painting, sound installations and mixed media alongside video art created by Brock faculty, students and staff.

  Fast’s creative path was propelled forward when she received a 2024 Medland and Green Inspiring Artists Bursary, an award that assists students with a unique opportunity, including travel, training or masterclasses to support their final-year capstone project.

  Through the support of the bursary, Fast travelled to NYC and collaborated with media company Never Come Home to photograph the Governor’s Ball Music Festival, the biggest music festival on the east coast.

  “I was drawn in by the energy and bonds that take place during cultural events, where so many individual experiences take place and intertwine to create a bigger, collective experience,” she said.

  Fast was inspired to explore these connections from the perspective of youth culture.

  “Shooting the festival for four days with professionals was unlike anything I had ever done; I had never shot anything on that scale,” she said.

  The partnership was so successful, and the media company so impressed with her skills, Never Come Home invited Fast back to shoot New York Fashion Week with them this past September.

  “Without the bursary, this collaboration would not have been able to happen and flourish the way that it has,” she said.

  Linda Carreiro, Associate Dean of Fine and Performing Arts, said the Medland and Green Inspiring Artists Bursary is a tremendous benefit to students who want to gain professional training and experience outside of the institution.

  “In this case, Cleah was able to access a rare opportunity that enabled specialized skills development and career potential,” Carreiro said.

  During her time in Visual Arts, Fast said she had the opportunity to go beyond her comfort zone and try new things.

  “Access to diverse, creative opportunities were a big reason I chose the Visual Arts program. I love the Marilyn, and I wouldn’t be doing these incredible things without the support and encouragement from my professors,” she said.

  The opening reception for Through the Lens will be held Thursday, Nov. 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Visual Arts Gallery. The exhibition runs until Nov. 23.

  Tags: Cleah Fast, development and donor relations, humanities, Linda Carreiro, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, miwsfpa, visual arts
  Categories: Current Students, Department/Centre News, News

• Dramatic Arts welcomes celebrated theatre leader for mainstage production

  Tuesday, October 22, 2024 | By eknight

  

  Image caption: Simone Cinapri (left), a fourth-year Concurrent Education student with teachables in Dramatic Arts (DART) and History, rehearses on stage at the Marilyn I. Walker Theatre with guest Director Soheil Parsa and second-year DART student Lennon Paul (right) in preparation for DART’s mainstage production of Scorched.

  Tuesday, October 22, 2024 | by Gillian Minaker

  Director and writer Soheil Parsa is bringing his award-winning theatre expertise and artistry to Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA).

  Parsa, co-founder and former artistic director of Modern Times Stage Company in Toronto, is directing Scorched, a bold, innovative play written by Wajdi Mouawad, for the Department of Dramatic Arts (DART) fall mainstage production.

  With set and costume design by DART Associate Professor and Scenographer David Vivian, the deeply political and philosophical play explores fate, retribution and the human capacity for violence and destruction.

  Scorched tells the story of Nawal, a woman who fled a country tormented by violence, and her twins, Janine and Simon, who were raised in Quebec. Following Nawal’s death, the twins must return to their mother’s war-torn country to carry out her last wishes and deliver letters to their father, believed dead, and a brother they didn’t know they had.

  Parsa said Scorched strongly resonates with the events shaping the world today.

  “In this remarkable poetic piece, Mouawad explores the darker sides of human nature, contemporary barbarism, dehumanization in the face of war, friendship, separation, love and loss,” he said.

  Fourth-year Concurrent Education student Simone Cinapri, who plays the role of Janine, said Parsa guided the cast and creative team through the challenging script with patience and wisdom.

  “Beyond developing my skills as an actor, this experience has taught me about dedication, communication and creativity, lessons I will carry with me beyond my time at Brock,” she said.

  Cinapri explored how to bring characters like Janine to life — characters Parsa described as archetypal beings representing the essence of human hope, struggle and failure — as a tribute to women who have been affected by war and sexual violence.

  “By exploring the cycle of violence experienced by immigrant families in the play, I have drawn connections to my own family who faced many barriers to live in Canada today,” she said. “I am so grateful for DART’s dedication to providing memorable learning opportunities through mainstage productions.”

  Vivian, who attended National Theatre School with Mouawad, said the DART students involved in the production have “carried the characters in the play very carefully in our hearts these past few months.”

  “Digging deep into the histories and destinies of a multi-generation family led by women of great humanity has been simultaneously a privilege and a challenging responsibility for the artists of DART,” he said.

  Scorched opens Friday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Marilyn I. Walker Theatre at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts in downtown St. Catharines. Performances will also take place Saturday, Nov. 2, Friday, Nov. 8 and Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. A matinee performance is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3.

  General admission tickets are available for $25 and tickets for students and seniors are available for $20. Visit the DART event website to reserve tickets.

  The public is also invited to a mini symposium on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at the Marilyn I. Walker Theatre for an engaging conversation with lead creatives from the production and guest scholars from Brock’s Faculties of Humanities and Applied Health Sciences.

  Content Advisory: The production contains mature content and is only recommended for individuals aged 16 and up.

  Tags: david vivian, dramatic arts, humanities, mainstage, miwsfpa, Scorched, Simone Cinapri, Soheil Parsa
  Categories: Current Students, Department/Centre News, Walker Cultural Leader Series

• Mental health experiences explored through community art

  Wednesday, May 29, 2024 | By eknight

  

  Image caption: A new art exhibition, titled “unscene,” is showcasing the work of Willow Arts Community members at Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts gallery. Now in its second year, the collaborative exhibition showcases a diverse range of work including paintings, sculpture and multi-media installations.

  TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2024 | by Gillian Minaker

  A new art exhibition is exploring themes of presence and belonging in the local St. Catharines arts community for individuals with lived experiences of mental illness and substance use.

  Featuring work of Willow Arts Community (Willow) members, “unscene” is now open at the Visual Arts Gallery and Exhibition Space at Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA). The exhibition runs at MIWSFPA until Saturday, June 15.

  Through their work, participating artists reflected on their connection to the arts scene in downtown St. Catharines as well as how their voices are heard, and experiences perceived, by the wider arts community.

  All are invited to attend the opening reception at the MIWSFPA on Friday, May 31 from 5 to 7 p.m. The reception will include a live performance by The Willow Choir performing a song written by Willow community members and composed by Willow choir conductor Sarah Jerrom.

  Located in downtown St. Catharines, Willow provides low-barrier opportunities for community members to engage with peer-to-peer arts education and fosters a safe space for creative exploration.

  Tags: Department of Visual Arts, humanities, miwsfpa, visual arts, Willow Arts Community
  Categories: Events, Uncategorised

• Voice Work the focus of special edition Canadian Theatre Review

  Monday, May 06, 2024 | By gminaker

  

  Dramatic Arts Associate Professor Danielle Wilson’s interest in voice work began with her very first voice class when she began her theatre education. The actor quickly realized how her voice was tied to her identity, and how much power it could have.

  Through her professional practice and creative research, Wilson now aims to broaden the definition of what voice work is and highlight its profound impact on theatre practice.

  Wilson recently co-curated and co-edited a special edition of the Canadian Theatre Review (CTR) dedicated to voice work.

  The special edition investigates voice work within a broad context expanding on the notion that voice work is solely a skills-based subject for performers.

  “Many people may think that voice work is only about projecting your voice, enunciating, and performing accents. While those are fundamental elements, I wanted to look beyond the basics and explore what ‘voice work’ means in all its complexity. The work goes beyond what we sound like when we speak”, Wilson says.

  There are eleven articles in the issue which delve into the ways that voice work intersects with other areas and disciplines such as social justice, cultural and gender identity, feminist philosophy, and performance practice.

  Wilson found it fascinating, and at times challenging, to curate and edit an issue about a discipline so tied to sound and physical presence.

  As part of the issue, Wilson interviewed three prominent voice coaches at the Stratford Festival — the only theatre company in Canada with a dedicated team of voice professionals —  to illuminate what a voice coach does and help expand the common understanding of voice work.

  Another contributor, Jane MacFarlane, explores how theatre-based vocal practice can help people support their gender identity.  MacFarlane offers gender affirming voice classes through a transgender support organization in Calgary.

  Peruvian-born scholar Nae Hanashiro Ávila discusses voice work and performance through a social justice lens and how it can provide a platform for women’s voices to be heard in the public sphere.

  “At the root of voice work is self-expression by helping people embrace who they are. It’s not about developing a brand-new voice but about expanding and deepening your relationship with your voice and all that it can do”, Wilson says.

  “One of my mentors, voice teacher Richard Armstrong, said, ‘If you work on your voice, you work on yourself’. That has always resonated with me.”

  Wilson is also helping to organize and host the inaugural conference for the newly formed National Voice Association which will take place at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts from June 8-9^th.

  The CTR special edition is now available on the Canadian Theatre Review website.

  Tags: Danielle Wilson, DART Critics, dramatic arts
  Categories: Department/Centre News, Events, Faculty & Instructors, News, Uncategorised

• Celebrating literary diversity in Niagara with SAFRAN 2024

  Friday, April 05, 2024 | By gminaker

  

  Image caption: Brock Professor Jean Ntakiturimana of Modern Languages, Literatures & Cultures, (right) at the Sunday morning long table about the world of publishing, hosted by Binta Wague of les Éditions Touana (Toronto , centre-right, in green). 

  Brock University recently welcomed the Salon du Livre des Francophonies du Niagara (SAFRAN) 2024 for a diverse and dynamic weekend of events and performances celebrating literary creativity and diversity in the Niagara region.

  Hosted by Brock’s Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture (STAC) and Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures (MLLC) in collaboration with SOFIFRAN, the event was held from March 21 to 24 at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, with an opening ceremony at the Film House in the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre. With the important collaboration of the Maison de la culture francophone du Niagara, the event coincided with the UNESCO World Poetry Day, World Puppetry Day and International Francophonie Day.

  

  Director of the Salon du livre and MLLC Instructor, Nafée Faigou, hosting the opening ceremonies at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.

  “It’s been an absolutely remarkable celebration of language and culture, beautifully led and produced by Director of the Salon du livre, Nafée Faigou and Fété Ngira-Batware Kimpiobi, Director General of SOFIFRAN,” said Professor David Vivian, Director of the Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture. “Our learning community is so much richer for having hosted SAFRAN.”

  Guests and community members from the Niagara Francophone community and beyond were treated to a diverse offering of cultural interactions including entertaining and thoughtful puppet shows by Le chemin qui marche from Quebec, workshops for youth on robotics and AI and compelling roundtable discussions  in the MIWSFPA venues.

  A highlight was the publisher’s fair in the MIWSFPA lobby, igniting important long-table discussions amongst publishers and authors that celebrated the Francophonie of the region, including both Franco-Ontarian and new Franco-Canadian voices.

  For more information about the event, please visit the STAC website.

  Tags: humanities, miwsfpa, MLLC
  Categories: News, Uncategorised

• Inaugural theatre festival showcases talents of Niagara student artists

  Tuesday, December 19, 2023 | By gminaker

  

  Image caption: As part of the inaugural Niagara Regional STAR Festival held at Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, students from Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School staged a short performance in Studio C following a morning of workshops honing their creative skills.

  Elementary and high school students from across Niagara recently gathered at Brock to take the stage and put their theatre skills to the test.

  Hosted by Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA) in partnership with the Theatrical Arts Education Association, the inaugural Niagara Regional STAR Festival(School Theatrical Arts Recognition) saw more than 150 students, teachers and theatre professionals gather for a day of workshops, performances and community building on Thursday, Dec. 14.

  The festival allows young people to compete against a rubric created by theatre educators while receiving valuable feedback from professionals in the industry.

  Throughout the day, students participated in workshops led by local theatre professionals and educators exploring topics such as vocal techniques, improvisation and community building.

  A.N. Myer Secondary School student Leah Miller said that it was a fun day learning about different art forms.

  “Having the opportunity to try out new things like improv and vocal skills has been a wonderful experience,” said Miller.

  Students presented skills developed in their school drama classes and performed theatrical pieces in categories including contrasting monologues, musical theatre ensembles, solos and short plays. The categories were adjudicated by theatre experts, including Brock faculty and Dramatic Arts students.

  “The only requirement was that students bring their best efforts. No costumes, sets, lighting or makeup was required, just their best work and theatre blacks,” said Tracy Garratt, Program Leader for the Arts, School Culture and Student Engagement with the District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) and Teacher at A.N. Myer Secondary School in Niagara Falls.

  Associate Professor and Scenographer David Vivian, the Brock faculty lead, said the community partnership with the STAR Festival not only offered emerging student artists the opportunity to showcase their talents and creativity, but also to receive feedback fostering creative growth in a supportive environment.

  “The faculty and senior students of the Dramatic Arts program at the MIWSFPA were thrilled with the opportunity to discover the emerging talent of the region and to share our excellent facilities with the high school community,” Vivian said.

  The event was supported by local organizations sharing a common mandate of supporting youth and their families with wellness resources, especially focusing on mental health.

  In addition to the participation of local arts organizations, representatives of the Vancouver Film School (VFS) travelled to Niagara to lead workshops on acting for the camera, strengthening ties between DART’s undergraduate programming and a professional program such as VFS.

  For more information about the event, please visit the Theatrical Arts Education Association website.

  Tags: david vivian, District School Board of Niagara, humanities, miwsfpa, Niagara Regional STAR Festival, Theatrical Arts Education Association, Tracy Garratt
  

• Putting theatre skills to work at Edinburgh Fringe Festival

  Friday, November 10, 2023 | By gminaker

  

  Pictured above: Fourth-year Dramatic Arts student Manikham Marianne Vongboutdy recently returned from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where she put her Brock theatre training to work gaining international experience.

  THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 09, 2023 | by Gillian Minaker

  Carrying with her the skills she’s learned as a Brock Dramatic Arts (DART) student, Manikham Marianne Vongboutdy recently headed overseas to work at the world’s largest performance arts festival.

  The fourth-year student spent time this summer with the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where she was invited by her high school to work as a stage manager on the St. Catharines Collegiate and West Niagara Secondary School production, Piece of Me.

  With a concentration in production and design, Vongboutdy said her Brock theatre training was key to her landing the stage management gig in Scotland.

  “Working with Brock’s state-of-the-art technology in Dramatic Arts has been invaluable,” she said. “Learning tech in the theatre has been a special experience. I am developing the skills I will need in the professional theatre world.”

  Piece of Me navigates the relationship of a mother and daughter in a coming-of-age tale offering an innovative take on adolescence told through a teenager’s eyes. Like the characters in the play, Vongboutdy has found many moments of personal reflection as she has grown in her creative practice at Brock.

  Piece of Me was an adaptation based on two different plays exploring similar subject matter, which from a stage management perspective, meant merging two plays into one. This complex staging posed interesting challenges that Vongboutdy was prepared to take on.

  As an upper-year DART student, she was able to transfer the skills gained in her first few years at Brock to her international experience, such as learning to sew in wardrobe classes so she could step up and help with costumes or painting props using skills from props classes.

  “A unique thing about studying at the Marilyn is that we get to learn about different aspects of staging a show, which served me so well during my Edinburgh experience,” she said. “We are stronger artists because of it.”

  After her experience abroad, Vongboutdy said she has a wider perspective of what theatre can look like.

  “It was eye-opening for me,” she said. “As a stage manager, we try and put forward the best show possible, but part of our job is to work with what is happening in the moment. I am thrilled to put my experience into practice.”

  Vongboutdy is now working as stage manager for Brock’s upcoming winter mainstage production, The Mysterious Mind of Molly McGillicuddy, written and directed by DART Instructor Mike Griffin. The play explores brain injury and related mental health issues through the styles of full-mask, puppetry and physical theatre.

  Working with Griffin is a valuable experience for Vongboutdy, who aims to pursue a master’s degree in puppetry. Exploring the medium is especially important to her Laotian heritage, a culture in which many teachings occur using masks and puppets.

  “As an immigrant, I always hold my home and culture in Laos very close, and I try to incorporate elements of my culture into the work I do every day creating theatre,” she said.

  The Mysterious Mind of Molly McGillicuddy will run at the Marilyn I. Walker Theatre Feb. 15 to 19. More information can be found on the DART website.

  Tags: dramatic arts, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Marianne Vongboutdy, Mike Griffin, miwsfpa
  Categories: Announcements, Current Students, Department/Centre News, Events, Faculty & Instructors, In the Media, News, Uncategorised

• Dramatic Arts mainstage production puts modern spin on classic play

  Thursday, October 19, 2023 | By gminaker

  

  Pictured above: Third-year Dramatic Arts student Lucas Charters (left) and second-year student Victoria Marshall rehearse on the set of the upcoming Dramatic Arts mainstage production at the Marilyn I. Walker Theatre, opening Friday, Oct. 27.

  THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2023 | by Gillian Minaker

  More than a hundred years after it was written, a celebrated play by famed playwright Anton Chekhov is getting a contemporary reboot that invites audiences to explore how love and art fuel the pursuit of happiness.

  Stupid F**king Bird, the mainstage production from Brock’s Department of Dramatic Arts (DART), opens at the Marilyn I. Walker Theatre on Friday, Oct. 27.

  Directed by retired Associate Professor of Dramatic Arts Gyllian Raby and fourth-year DART student Hayley King, the play is a contemporary adaptation of Chekhov’s classic 1896 play The Seagull written by Aaron Posner. The story follows the lives and complicated love triangles of characters Con, Mash, Dev and Nina, teenagers coming of age in rural Ontario.

  

  Third-year Dramatic Arts student Lucas Charters rehearses on set for the upcoming Dramatic Arts mainstage, an adaptation of the famous play The Seagull by Anton Chekhov, whose face is displayed as an artistic rendering seen here as part of the staging.

  As the characters wrestle with the disappointments of love, rejection and growing up in the shadow of the boomer generation, they also find hope for the future through artistic expression when they stage their own play their way.

  Raby said the adaptation is faithful to Chekhov’s original comedic work, exploring themes of human relationships in society that are as relevant today as they were in 1896 when the play was written, although it was considered revolutionary at the time.

  “This is a production with big ideas attempting to reproduce theatrical innovation that Chekhov sought during his time. It is irreverent and laugh-out-loud funny, even given the character’s tendencies to self-destruct,” she said.

  King, who is in her final year of study with a concentration in performance, said she has greatly enjoyed working on this innovative production as Associate Director and Choreographer, especially reimagining the theatrical conventions used by Chekhov and staging them in a fresh way for new audiences.

  “Working alongside Gyllian Raby, I have learned so much about creating theatre. Investigating the metatheatrical nature of the play through staging, choreography and design has been both a great learning experience and a lot of fun,” King said.

  Stupid F**king Bird opens Friday, Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Marilyn I. Walker Theatre at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts.

  Performances will also take place Saturday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 29 at 1 p.m., Friday, Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday Nov. 4 at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

  General admission tickets are available for $20 and tickets for students and seniors are available for $16. Visit the Dramatic Arts event website to reserve tickets.