Theatre Articulation Meeting May 17 2010, UBC Okanagan
1)
Introductions
Chair: Neil Cadger. Minute-taking: Virginie Magnat
UBC Vancouver: Ron Fedoruk; UBC Okanagan: Neil Cadger, Denise Kenney, Virginie Magnat;
TWU: Angela Konrad; TRU: Robin Nichol and Heidi Verwey; VIU: Mike Taugher; UFV: Ian
Fenwick; Douglas College: Allan Lysell, Ross Nichol.
2)
Minutes from last year. Moved/Passed by Ian Fenwick/ DK
Ian F (UFV): Articulation important so that students can move between programs (transfer
credits, etc), keep good flow of communication – B.C. system recognized as excellent system.
Larger articulation group (all disciplines) also meets in B.C. (November?)
This group supports and advocates programs in the province. Ministry rep? Debated this but it
was decided that this meeting should be dedicated to sharing information between us and
networking. UVIC/UBC faceoff in the early days... But now pretty collegial...
Neil C: Funding for the Arts issues in B.C. Collective dismay? What are we doing with these
programs within this context? Do we have political and critical goals in our programs?
Ross Nichol: Can’t do that directly, done in other classes, but emphasizing skills for real life,
although not big selling point.
Ian F: Likeminded people to be found in program yet theatre students keenly aware of
marginalization. Effort to support initiatives that develop growth in students, long-term
commitment to giving them a place in the community, but not in a radical way, just looking for a
broad base of support. Cuts are bad for students: what work can they do after graduating?
Different options...
Ron F: Important issues but too early in the morning... Let’s do the reports, then.
3) Reports
1. Ian F: University of Fraser Valley (see the written report he provided). 30-year
anniversary: celebration, lots of events.
2. Allan L: Douglas College. Limbo of leadership. Confronting the terrifying
demographics: business-model-like strategic plan focused on FTEs and on being “the
most progressive and fun place and offer lots of degrees...” On the other hand, things
are going well, group of students going to Whales, two grads accepted into the final
year of their BA program (performance production year). Other grads going to
various places. Very good auditions this year (100% increase in applications and 75%
increase in the quality of the applicants). Blind applicant for the first time, great
audition, long discussion about how to integrate her, but too many program changes
would have to be made (very visually oriented). An applicant with very rare disease
was accepted. No participation in the Directing Festival this year (for the first time):
students very focused on where to go next (what university program) – no longer
about going out there to create new work (even though the curriculum hasn’t
changed). Why? 90% of students are 19 years old and also some 17-years-old
students. No experience of the theatrical world, no context, no preparation.
Socialization process in first year very important. By the time they graduate, they are
just beginning to understand, and then they go somewhere else. Frustrating...
Ross N: Stagecraft and technology. 6 credits cut (no funding): 3 credits turned into
another elective, 3 credits recycled in other ways. Changed the theatre-centric focus
and broadened to film, etc. New 1-credit courses (20 hours over 5 weeks): good for
short attention span (contextualizing the theatre industry, focusing on technical skills
such as lighting, multi-media, stage management, etc). Also: new 2-credit short
internship in the community.
Signed an agreement with a Burnaby Secondary School/Academy (4 hours in the
afternoon) for a Stage Technician Program. Douglas College faculty supervise the
teachers, who use their own curriculum (some equivalency problems are anticipated).
Their students are eligible to come to Douglas College in the second year (5 spots
guaranteed). Good way of getting more students.
3. SFU
Report sent to Denise K. Moving back to SFU taking most of their energy.
4. Capilano College: cancelled their participation.
5. Vancouver Island University
Mike T (see his written report). Fundraiser for breast cancer and one theatre student
scholarship. Enrolment: interview, not audition. Full for next year. Usually keep their
students in the second year. 3 to 4 grads over last 3 years (this program is only 3 years
old). Escaped funding cuts: so small that cuts would end the program. Supportive
Dean. Consultants brought in to deal with the integration of building plan and
strategic plan. New university status requires new plans.
6. UBC Vancouver
Ron F: New faculty members including Asian scholar Siyuan Liu and several guest
artists. Change: “Writing across the curriculum” course now has content created by
theatre faculty (replaces English 112). Providing support to the students who need to
learn how to write about their own discipline. Class size around 30.
Other change: 12 credits total of “Credit/D/Fail” (see policy statement provided by
Ron): Cr awarded for a grade of 55% of higher; D awarded for a grade of 50-54.9%;
F awarded for a grade of less than 50%, where 50% is the passing grade (student loan
maintained as long as students complete the course). Problem: student commitment,
especially in collaborative theatre courses. There can be exceptions, including all
graduate courses.
Second year literature requirement broadened: addressing arts requirements (reading
scripts, theory, etc). Rethinking the existing THTR 120 which was a lecture in
Theatre Studies but can now become more practical.
7. UBC Okanagan
Denise K: FCCS Brochure provided. Creative Studies is home to INTP, which got
formally approved this year, although the program is in its second year. CRW and
VISA (3D Stream) courses required. Minimum of 12 credits in CRW and 12 credits
in VISA in the first two years, then choose to continue with either CRW or VISA.
THTR 103 introduces students to working with existing texts and psychological
realism. Space issue, although our studio is getting expanded by a third of its original
size. No tech support, small production budget (so that guest artists can be brought in,
for example), which means that productions have to be portable and/or site-specific.
Live Art/New Media fourth year course providing some technical skills to students.
New VISA faculty member specializing in New Media. New FCCS first year core
course in New Media will become a requirement next year. Other first year core
course focused on “What is Art?” Neil C directed “Just Looking” last year and Denise
K directed “Inside Out: Confessions of a Student Body” this year in a new space in
new building (“Ball Room”). Devised work. Smaller events: site-specific Water Day,
Flash Mob, etc... Recruitment effort not yet fully developed, but getting better now
that the BFA is official. Not for students interested in mainstream, commercial
theatre, but open to students interested in going into Education, for example. Question
of equivalencies have to be taken into account (transfer students). At the moment
MFA students seem more likely to be seeking out this kind of program, and current
graduate students include two international students.
Neil C and Denise K: Inner Fish: long-term goal is to provide a springboard for
graduating students, designed to be primarily a touring company. Trip to Push
Festival this year with students.
Virginie M: Month-long series of workshops and other events in Poland last summer:
2 BFA and MFA students participated in this practical component of the international
research project currently directed by Virginie M, who has also been working towards
developing a partnership with the En’owkin Center in Penticton, and will be meeting
at the end of May to discuss the possibility for En’owkin students to come to UBCO
and take an INTP course in performance production next year.
8. Trinity Western
Angela Konrad: (see written report) New status: School of the Arts of Media and
Culture (Theatre Art, Music, Art and Design). New BFA in Acting. Two new teamtaught courses: “Critical Issues in the Arts” and “A Contemporary History of Western
Arts.”
24- hour theatre event: Yearly event: 8:00PM Friday meeting, 12 hours to write a
script, then meeting with director, then with the actors to rehearse. Very popular, but
lots of pressure on the writer, so it might focused more on devising in the future.
Cabaret-style next year in collaboration with the Music faculty and students. New
rehearsal/teaching space: The Barn (upper level of a barn located on land owned by
Trinity).
9. Thompson Rivers University
Robin N (see her written report). Enrolment was steady but now recruitment and
retention are an issue. This year 12 majors (but should be 36). Productions well
attended. Some funding will be available for student-driven projects next year. Other
changes: new Dean, and President was fired.
4)
Robert Belton’s welcome: He is excited about the INTP Program, and hopes we get lots of
feedback from everyone as we continue to grow.
Lunch 12:30 – 1:30
5)
Update on Collaborative BFA Program Arts Degree between Douglas, Capilano, Langara
and VCC.
Allan Lysell reports that the idea was to create something that would be “fun.” At this
stage everything is now in the hands of the administration, Douglas College had set
funding aside even though there is no budget for it, and Capilano wanted to host it for the
first year but has no space.
6)
Enrolment trends.
Allan L: Douglas College is doing well; visited a few high schools and participated in the
Association of Drama Educators One Act Play Festival in B.C. But President worried that
demographics are not looking good, and thinks they’ll have to become more competitive
and cut-throat, as well as more “fun”...
Ross N says they were told quality was not an issue and they’d take the bottom half of the
applicant pool if they had to in order to fill the program.
Robin N and Heidi V say they have an “open enrolment” policy (i.e.: letting anyone
in).Update on the sharing of performances and festival/conference opportunities. Heidi V
says that some studies are showing that in bad economic times people are more likely to
enrolling the Arts – why not, since there are no jobs anyway. Postcolonialism: focus on
internationalization and indigenization, as well as “third learners” (seniors) at Douglas,
UFV, and TRU. UFV wants to make sure that Aboriginal communities need to be served
better (funding available for that).
UBC: Issue with indigenization are students coming without the prerequisite preparation
for university-level courses? Transfer/equivalencies questions.
Ian F: Example of “Indigenous carving certificate” connected to VISA, and Indigenous
Studies open to Indigenous and non-Indigenous students (similar to the implementation of
Women Studies).
Heidi V: This is an issue across the board, for example for mature graduate students.
7)
The Articulation Environment/ Update on new programs and degrees.
Angela K had asked last year if we would agree to give each other comps (not mentioned
in the minutes). UBCV and Douglas have made it a requirement to go and see productions
in other programs.
Ron F: UBCV choice between BA and BFA, which means it is important to identify what
these degrees are and how to attract the right students without treading on other programs’
territories. We could help each other out that way in terms of recruitment by defining our
roles and making them distinctive so we can better target the appropriate demographics.
UBCV, for example, has a strong focus on graduate studies. UBCO has a strong focus on
devising both at the undergraduate and graduate level.
Ian F: relationship UBCV/UBCO? Neil: one past attempt at collaboration but logistically
difficult.
Virginie M: issues around Indigenization at UBCV could be addressed by a collaboration
with UBCO in partnership with the En’owkin Center.
Denise K is interested in collaborations leading to production creation, including UBCV
design students who could come to UBCO on a student production (and possibly an Inner
Fish production), and UBCO students could go to UBCV to devise a production there.
UBCV would be open to that, but it would have to be discussed in greater detail to define
the exact terms of such a collaboration.
Everyone is curious about the new focus on Applied Theatre at UVIC, which sounds
exciting.
10)
The Performance Creation Canada Conference will be hosted this year by UBCO, Inner
Fish Performance Co., and Caravan Farm Theatre. Armstrong, September 2 – 5, 2010.
Focus on post-secondary education and devising, the relationship theatre groups create
with their community (rural and urban), and policy making for the arts in Canada.
Everyone is invited to attend!
11)
Plans for next year.
Gary Harris (not present) will be hosting next year’s Articulation Meeting at SFU, but
when? Second Monday in May? Tentative date is May 9, 2011.
12)
Other business.
Neil C: Funding for the arts issue. What can we do about it? How do we educate students
about the role of culture and the value of the arts in our society, especially in terms of what
we have to offer: liveness, embodiment, relationship to others.
Allan L suggests that next year we should devote 30% to housekeeping and 70% to
discussing issues that we can have a dialogue about via email in the meantime. We need
more time to talk so it would help to structure our next meeting around key questions.
Denise K: topic questions proposed by participants prior to the meeting.
Neil’s questions will be added to the minutes and emailed to everyone so we can begin the
dialogue out of which topics for next year will hopefully emerge.
Allan L: Breakout groups could be a useful way of addressing the questions we decide to
focus on at next year’s meeting. We would then need to schedule the meeting until
5:00PM.
Angela K: Agenda could be drafted based on the minutes of this meeting.
Denise K will send all this information to Garry and ask him to check about the date.
Meeting adjourned at 2:45.