U of C is a vibrant fine art hub where a wide variety of performances, galleries and showcases are hosted throughout the year. At the heart of this artistic ecosystem is the university’s School of Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA).
Dr. Joelle Welling, the director of the SCPA, sat down with the Gauntlet to discuss the various events and performances the school has for this upcoming semester as well as the importance of community involvement in the arts.
The SCPA is split into three different divisions: dance, drama and music. Individuals who major in these subjects are taught how to refine their talents as artists and performers. Welling describes the ways students can benefit from taking fine art courses.
“I think what we'd like people to know is that what students learn from the fine arts gives them a ton of transferable skills. There's a lot of things that our students learn that while directly related to dance, drama, and music, are also related and really welcomed in other fields,” said Welling.
For many of these courses and programs, there is a requirement for students to participate in public performances. Each semester, the SCPA puts on various concerts, recitals or plays where students from the different disciplines are given the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned in their courses.
Many of the upcoming SCPA events are collaborations between the fine arts department and various external organizations. This includes a collaboration between Handsome Alice Theatre Company and the drama division and The Movement Research Festival, which is a co-production with dance organizations in Calgary that will feature student dancers.
“We have got all sorts of connections with virtually every performing arts organization in the city,” said Welling. “Many of our faculty members are active dancers, musicians, and theatre makers, and have really close ties to those performing organizations in the city. So there's that sort of informal outreach that the faculty members have that the students benefit from.”
These performances are not only a means for these students to showcase what they have learned, but also an integral part of their education as performers. Regularly performing for the public helps build an artist's confidence and comfort level while on the stage. Welling details how important it is for students to have the opportunity to demonstrate what they learn in the privacy of their classes to an audience.
“What you do in a studio or in a practice room, and then to actually have to take that and present it to the public is a really important learning opportunity. So we need the community to come and see these things so that the students can have that other experience.”
Because of the importance of public attendance for students' skill development, these performances are made to be highly accessible for U of C students. Many of these events take place on campus at locations like the Roza Centre. Students also are not required to pay for tickets for admission for most SCPA shows as long as they bring their UCID.
Free access is a commonality for most of the art presentations at the university. Nickle Galleries is a free public art gallery located on the first floor of the Taylor Digital Family Library (TDFL). It consists of rotating exhibits of works of artists from around the world. Another space where art is showcased is The Little Gallery located in the Art Buildings. At this gallery, art produced by talented undergraduate and graduate creatives is displayed and auctioned.
Overall, students are the driving force behind the art scene at the university. Curated for students and produced by students, the value of these performances and exhibitions comes from how they bring members of the U of C community together and expose audiences to the ideas and perspectives of the school's brightest artists.
“What we do with dance, drama, and music gives people an opportunity to reflect on things, maybe things in their own life or things that are happening in the world in a slightly different way,” said Welling.
More information about the SCPA and other art initiatives at the U of C can be found on the university’s website.
