Articles tagged with: skye rogers

  • Grad unites community through creative movement

    Skye Rogers (STAC ’22) has found her momentum as a creator and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

    The Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture Certificate graduate will inspire audiences as a Creative in Residence alongside creative collaborator Vik Mudge during the 2024 Ontario Culture Days Festival.

    An annual celebration of arts, culture and heritage, the Ontario Culture Days Festival includes more than 1,000 free, hands-on events in communities across the province from Friday, Sept. 20 through Sunday, Oct. 13.

    A portrait image of Skye Rogers shows her sitting on a wood bench, leaning forward and smiling warmly. Yellow, outdoor light and greenery can be seen in the background.

    Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture graduate Skye Rogers (STAC ’22).

    This year, St. Catharines is a Festival Hub and will feature Rogers and Mudge, dance artists and co-founders of retrograde: dance in motion.

    The duo will work with dancers of all abilities to create community-generated choreography with their project Composing Community.

    The project includes two public creation workshops on Saturday, Sept. 21 and Sunday, Sept. 22 at FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre and a performance showcase on Oct. 13 at Niagara Artists Centre (NAC) in downtown St. Catharines.

    Rogers said she learned how to create cultural programming on her own — a huge strength for her as an artist — during her time at Brock.

    “Suddenly, I could create opportunities for myself and fellow artists in my community to grow in our practice and strengthen the cultural scope where we live,” Rogers said.

    With a background in performing arts, Rogers came to study at Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA) with an interest in art history and a desire to learn more about behind-the-scenes arts management.

    The classes Rogers took as part of the Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture (STAC) Certificate program still influence her work today by providing her the skills and knowledge to envision and execute innovative, creative programming.

    At MIWSFPA, Rogers also gained valuable insight in how to prepare and write grants, a skill that she said unlocked a whole new world for her. After graduation and prior to Ontario Culture Days, Rogers applied for a grant to bring her dance in community workshop series ideas to life.

    “Just like that, I was producing Dance and Movement Days for the St. Catharines community and making my dreams a reality,” Rogers said.

    A portrait image of Vik Mudge shows them in a black shirt with their head to the side against a grey background.

    Dance artist and instructor Vik Mudge.

    Recognizing the success of Rogers’ workshop series, Rogers and Mudge formed a creative collaboration to continue building an emerging creative community of people united by a curiosity to explore ideas through movement.

    “I had a sense there are more people interested in this type of work, which is how we conceived of our Culture Days community-driven workshops and performance. It’s only just the start of this quickly blossoming community of movement lovers,” Rogers said.

    Mudge, a trans non-binary dance artist, choreographer and instructor in St. Catharines, said the pair prides themselves on making dance accessible to everyone.

    “Through this project, we are bringing together a diverse group of people — from different generations, different backgrounds — to activate community spaces and diversify what it means to be a dancer while giving people the chance to perform and create,” Mudge said.

    Other Ontario Culture Days events offered by the MIWSFPA include the Walker Cultural Leader Series workshops and exhibition featuring Camille Turner and a “Dia de los Muertos” Mexican Arts and Crafts Workshop presented by the Department of Visual Arts.

    For a full listing of events and registration, please visit the Ontario Culture Days events website.

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  • First Studies in Arts and Culture certificate recipient making mark in industry

    Skye Rogers, the first recipient of Brock University’s Certificate in Arts and Culture Studies, will debut her project ‘PLAYGROUNDS: a joyful happening’ on Saturday, July 16 at In the Soil Arts Festival.


    Originally published in The Brock News | WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2022 | by 

    For the first recipient of Brock University’s Certificate in Arts and Culture Studies, the sky’s the limit.

    Skye Rogers, who received the first certificate from the Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture (STAC) this spring, has been using the knowledge she amassed at Brock to further her career.

    The one-year certificate program was a draw for the St. Catharines native, who returned to her hometown in spring 2021 upon completing her studies at Randolph College for the Performing Arts in Toronto.

    “It was a perfect time to get some more learning under my belt,” Rogers says. “The STAC program really allowed me to dive deeper into my interests in art history and the flexibility that I had in my course selection allowed me to continue my more hands-on learning in dramatic and visual arts.”

    Rogers says she found her time with STAC “academically enriching.”

    “The program set me up well with more of the entrepreneurial skills needed to be an artist,” she says. “Applying my knowledge was really significant for me and getting to research my own interests for our final project was crucial.”

    With her newly acquired skills and knowledge, Rogers is now flourishing professionally.

    “I’m so excited to be involved in some artist residencies this summer, including the Nest Residency with Suitcase in Point and In the Soil Arts Festival,” she says. “I’ve been developing a project called ‘PLAYGROUND: a joyful happening’ that’s centred around rekindling childlike joy, connecting with strangers, and reclaiming city spaces through play.”

    Her new project will debut at Nest Fest on Saturday, July 16 as part of the In the Soil Festival Summer Series. Nest Fest will also include participants from Suitcase in Point’s Electric Innovations Theatre Intensive. This two-week intensive theatre program will be hosted at Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts in downtown St. Catharines.

    Reflecting on her studies, Rogers says it’s the connections she made during her time at Brock that she cherishes most.

    “All of my in-person group projects were especially profound. Art is all about connection for me, and that element must be kept sacred,” she says. “I could chat with a classmate, or even a professor, and develop a friendship with our shared interests.”

    More information on the Certificate in Arts and Culture Studies program is available on the STAC website.

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    Categories: Alumni, Current Students, Faculty & Instructors, Future Students, News