Get festive with Fine Arts

by | Dec 5, 2024 | Events, Faculty, School of Music, Theatre

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, the winter holiday season is the one time of the year where people join together to enjoy the biggest range of festivities. From concerts, plays and readings to holiday films, it seems like there’s a bit of everything ready to deck December’s halls. Here’s what Fine Arts is serving up this year. 

Holiday concerts

The festive season starts with Jingle Brass, the ever-popular annual School of Music brass concert. This year the Faculty Trio — featuring Merrie Klazek (trumpet), Sam McNally (horn) and Scott MacInnes (trombone) — will perform solo works for the season, and UVic brass students will be joined by talented young local high-school brass players. Get ready for some beautiful and celebratory sounds of the season, with a special appearance from the UVic Vikes Band.

7pm Wed, Dec 4 • Phillip T Young Recital Hall, MacLaurin B-wing • Tickets $5/$15 or free for Music students • This concert will be available as a live stream

Then, School of Music cello professor Pamela Highbaugh Aloni brings together UVic cello students, alumni and community members for A Holiday Cellobration, an annual festive concert that celebrates community and the holiday season.

7pm Sunday, Dec 8 • Phillip T Young Recital Hall, MacLaurin B-wing • By donation • This concert will be available as a live stream.

Following a soggy performance in 2023 when the skies opened for one of the rainiest days of the year, Tuba Christmas returns for their (hopefully drier) 46th year. School of Music brass instructor Scott MacInnes directs more than 100 tuba and euphonium players from across the region as they play your favourite seasonal songs at one of Victoria’s most beloved holiday traditions! Interestingly, 2024 is the 50th anniversary for Tuba Christmas events across the world, as it dates back to 1974 where it originated in New York City: concerts now take place in over 200 cities worldwide!

1-3pm Saturday, Dec 14 • Downtown’s Market Square, 560 Johnson St • By donation to the Times Colonist Christmas Fund

Festive performances

Busy Theatre alum Zachary Stevenson returns to Victoria with Buddy’s Holly Jolly Christmas old-time rock & roll revue. Stevenson has carved out a career for himself over the years portraying rock legend Buddy Holly, and he’ll be joined at this show by the Chicago-based trio The Lovettes, who offer a salute to the female icons and girl groups of the ’50s and ’60s. Hear all the hits plus a sprinkle of your favourite seasonal tunes performed by the cast with backing provided by the Legends All-Star Band.

7:30pm Mon, Dec 9 • McPherson Playhouse, Centennial Square • Tickets $62

This year, the annual CBC Victoria charity reading of A Christmas Carol features a new face: School of Music professor and CBC Radio’s Saturday Afternoon at the Opera host Marion Newman, who will join other CBC Victoria on-air personalities presenting Dicken’s holiday classic plus the Reach Choir and special guests at this annual fundraiser for Our Place.

7pm Friday, Dec 13 • First Met United, 932 Balmoral • Tickets $7 & $15

What happens when you discover that your greatest enemy is your soulmate? That falling in love with love is not real love at all? That darkness is less powerful than light? Find out when Blue Bridge Theatre presents The Shop Around The Corner just in time for the festive season. Theatre professor and director Brian Richmond presents this version of the 1940s Christmas classic film by legendary director Ernest Lubitsch, which was then adapted for the Lux Radio Theatre in 1941.

Now, Victoria playwright and Fringe Festival favourite Andrew Bailey has placed his own contemporary take on this timeless classic, which features Theatre instructor Amanda Lisman plus a cast of alumni (Trevor Hinton, Frances Matheau), students (Jack Storwick) and community players (Brian Linds,Rosemary Jeffrey, among others).  

8pm Fri-Sat, Dec 13-14 + 2pm Dec 14 & 15 • UVic’s Phoenix Theatre • Tickets $10-$35

Alumni puppet company WONDERHEADS return with their signature reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol, offering an unforgettable live experience featuring spectacular giant masks, whimsical puppets and unfathomable theatrical invention.

Created by acclaimed Theatre alum Kate Braidwood, any WONDERHEADS show is a feast for the eyes, ears and heart, with a generous kick to the funny bone; but their Christmas Carol is particularly astonishing, given its glowing ghosts and 10-foot-tall puppets.

7:30pm Dec 18-21 + 3:30pm Dec 21 at the McPherson Playhouse • Tickets $30-$64

Merry movies

Our friends at Cinecenta, UVic’s on-campus movie theatre, have another week-long lineup of holiday films set to entertain: from the 1970 oddball charmer Harold and Maude (Dec 17) and 1985’s endlessly debated is-it-or-isn’t-it-a-Christmas-movie Die Hard (Dec 18) to the sweetly kooky 1992 The Muppet Christmas Carol (Dec 19-20), love-it-or-leave-it 2003 UK comedy Love Actually (Dec 19-20) and finally the 1946 classic It’s A Wonderful Life (Dec 21), there’s quite literally something for everyone!

Trees tease 

Finally, our friends at UVic Athletics are back with their annual Vikes Christmas tree sale. This year, the Vikes cross-country and track teams invite you to pick up a tree from 10am-6pm Fridays to Sundays until Dec 15.

Now in its 23rd year, this cherished tradition offers locally grown Grand, Noble and Douglas firs from the Cowichan Valley, with proceeds directly supporting UVic student-athletes. Head to parking lot 4, off McGill Road, at Centennial Stadium.

Double Your Fine Arts Gift on Giving Tuesday

by | Dec 3, 2024 | Alumni, Award, donor, indigenous, Writing

December 3 is Giving Tuesday, a day when the entire UVic community will unite around a common cause — supporting the students and programs that make this university the very special place it is.

This year, UVic’s Faculty of Fine Arts is raising funds to honour and celebrate Indigenous voices through the sxʷiʔe ̕m “To Tell A Story” Indigenous Writers & Storytellers Series — and we have a special opportunity to double your gift, as the first $5,000 donated before midnight tomorrow (Tuesday, Dec 3) will be MATCHED dollar-for-dollar by one of our generous donors.

Will you make a Giving Tuesday donation to the Indigenous Writers & Storytellers Series?

YES! I’LL MAKE 2X THE IMPACT

The inaugural sxʷiʔe ̕m event at UVic’s First Peoples House in 2023

Inspiring & uplifting

Created by acclaimed Métis poet and Department of Writing professor Gregory Scofield, this annual series is an inspiring way of uplifting Indigenous literary achievements and engaging with our local community of writers and readers. “My goal is to honour the nations on whose territory we live, and to celebrate and honour the writers and storytellers in our communities,” he says.

Launched in 2023, the inaugural sxʷiʔe ̕m series featured two acclaimed UVic Writing alumni: Syilx Okanagan multidisciplinary author Jeannette Armstrong and award-winning WSÁNEC poet Philip Kevin Paul. This year we presented Icelandic/Red River Métis poet Jónína Kirton and Cree author Joseph Kakwinokansum.

Joseph Kakwinokansum (left) & Jónína Kirton in conversation with Gregory Scofield in 2024

An exciting time

There are so many important stories to be shared by Indigenous artists, through mediums of literature, film, music, dance and oral storytelling. Your donation on Dec 3 — which, again, will be doubled — will connect Fine Arts students and local community members with Indigenous perspectives, knowledge, creativity and history. Giving Tuesday is an inspiring day when millions of people unite around good causes: it’s hard to think of a better cause than uplifting the voices of Indigenous artists.

“It’s a very exciting time for Indigenous writers and storytellers,” says Professor Scofield. “As more Canadians become aware of truth and reconciliation, more people are reading works by Indigenous writers and gaining knowledge of our history.”

Twice the impact

Will you see the impact of your gift doubled by making a Giving Tuesday donation to the sxʷiʔe ̕m “To Tell A Story” series before midnight (Tuesday, Dec 3)?

YES! I’LL MAKE 2X THE IMPACT

Together, we can continue to honour and celebrate Indigenous voices through the important work of this ongoing series.

Sales were brisk at the book table at the 2024 sxʷiʔe ̕m event

Call for grad student proposals: ONC ArtScience Fellowship Program

by | Dec 2, 2024 | Art History & Visual Studies, Award, Graduate, Research, School of Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, Writing

Call for grad student proposals: ONC ArtScience Fellowship Program

UVic’s Faculty of Fine Arts and Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) are calling for graduate student applications for the paid 2025 ONC ArtsScience Fellowship program.

Note: the application period closes on December 23, 2024

The ArtScience Fellowship strengthens connections between art and science that broaden and cross-fertilize perspectives and critical discourse on today’s major issues, such as environment, technology, oceans, cultural and biodiversity, and healthy communities. This program is open to all current Fine Arts graduate students who have completed most of their course requirements with practice in any visual, written, musical or performance media, or art historical research. Co-led and sponsored by Fine Arts and ONC, the Artist-in-Residence program receives additional financial support from UVic’s Faculty of Science to a maximum of $14,000.  

About the ArtScience Fellowship

The ArtScience Fellowship (previously known as the ONC Artist-in-Residence program) will ignite cross-disciplinary exchanges, interacting with Fine Arts faculty members and scientists & staff at ONC, as well as with other individuals using ONC’s world-leading ocean facilities. This program is inspired by the ArtScience Manifesto of 2011, and numerous references to this concept in the literature. The Fellow will learn from and engage with the current research, connecting it to their own practice, and to wider societal and cultural aspects, creating work for public presentation at the end of the residency. The Artist will also be invited to contribute as a lead or co-author in scientific conference proceedings and/or journal articles.

The selected Fellow will actively engage with researchers on a variety of ocean science themes that may include:

  • Deep Sea Ecology
  • Seabed-Ocean Exchanges
  • Coastal Ocean Processes
  • Marine Natural Hazards
  • The Ocean Soundscape
  • Arctic Ocean Observing
  • Ocean Big Data

The ONC ArtScience Fellowship program is established to:

  • explore the potential of the arts or alternative cultural practices in the area of the visions, challenges, philosophical, aesthetic, and ethical aspects of the ocean and the impacts humans have on it;
  • add a complementary artistic and creative perspective to ocean science, the societal ramifications of its exploitation, and its cultural aspects;
  • create opportunities for potential new research questions, experimental approaches and knowledge synthesis resulting from interaction between the arts and science; and
  • help envision and communicate the potential long-term impact of ocean changes on humanity. 

2024 resident reflects on their experience

School of Music graduate student Megan Harton held the position in 2024, using their background in music technology to explore the concept of “solastalgia” — emotional distress caused by the disruption of familiar landscapes due to environmental change — through both an installation exhibit and a public talk. By integrating scientific data from ONC’s observatories with different artistic mediums (including video, soundscapes, experimental photography and nostalgic retro iconography), Harton invited visitors to reflect on the impact of climate change, memory and place.

Harton describe their time with ONC as “really positive and enriching . . . it was unlike anything I’ve done before. I’ve done ecologically-themed art, but getting to collaborate with so many people was new — and also people that are industry experts in ocean science, which was very different from who I’ve worked with before.”

In addition to their installation exhibition, Harton had the opportunity to attend two different conferences and present their work at the annual American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting in Washington DC in December 2024. “It’s really been interesting to start to network and make my work known in all these different avenues,” they said. 

Learn more about previous ONC artistic residents Neil Griffin (Writing, 2023), Colin Malloy (School of Music, 2022), Dennis Gupa (Theatre, 2021) and Colton Hash (Visual Arts, 2019).

Advice for future applicants 

Harton’s advice for future applicants includes taking a flexible approach to submitted proposals and entering into the spirit of collaboration.

“The first bit of time, you’re just absorbing so much information about what they’re doing [at ONC], meeting people and making as many connections as you can,” they reflect. “Having a spirit of collaboration and trying to distill ONC’s knowledge through an artistic lens could open up different possibilities that [future applicants] wouldn’t be able to achieve by themselves.” 

“And my original proposal did shift around over the course of four months — there were things that sparked my interest that just didn’t end up making it into the installation — but it wasn’t like I was working from a blueprint to achieve my results.” 

Previous Fine Arts grad students Neil Griffin & Megan Harton at their public talk (above) + Harton’s installation exhibit(below)

Financial provision for the Artist

The residency period can start anytime between 1 February 2025 and 31 October 2025 and last for up to four months. A cost-of-living stipend of $3,500/month will be paid to the selected Fellow, with limited additional funds to support production or materials.

At the conclusion of the residency, the Fellow will plan and deliver a public exhibit and/or event sharing the fruits of the fellowship, which will be promoted by ONC and the Faculty of Fine Arts.

Proposal Submission

Interested applicants are to email ONC at dwowens@oceannetworks.ca with the subject line “Ocean ArtScience Fellowship,” and attach:

  1. the artist’s CV
  2. a concise portfolio of previous relevant artistic work;
  3. a letter of motivation outlining the project proposal for the Fellowship, and
  4. a 500-word project proposal with a separate project-costs budget.

The application period closes on December 23, 2024. Applications will be reviewed by representatives of Fine Arts and Ocean Networks Canada. Artists may be contacted for an interview or to supply further information before a decision is made.

Public Exhibit or Event

At the conclusion of the Fellowship, the Fellow will host a public exhibit or event within a specified budget agreed to during the residency and depending on the type of project to be exhibited. Assistance for marketing and/or ticketing could be made available from other UVic departments (Visual Arts, Theatre, etc.).

About Ocean Networks Canada

Established in 2007 as a strategic initiative of the University of Victoria, ONC operates world-leading ocean observatories for the advancement of science and the benefit of Canada. The observatories collect data on physical, chemical, biological, and geological aspects of the ocean over long time periods, supporting research on complex Earth processes in ways not previously possible. The observatories provide unique scientific and technical capabilities that permit researchers to operate instruments remotely and receive data at their home laboratories anywhere on the globe, in real time. The facilities extend and complement other research platforms and programs, whether currently operating or planned for future deployment. 

The ArtScience Fellowship was initiated by ONC’s late Chief Scientist Kim Juniper, whose leadership and transdisciplinary approaches continue to inspire many in the ArtScience space.

About the Faculty of Fine Arts

With experiential learning at its core, the Faculty of Fine Arts provides the finest training and learning environment for artists, professionals, and students. Through its departments of Art History and Visual Studies, Theatre, Visual Arts, Writing and School of Music, the Faculty of Fine Arts aspires to lead in arts-based research and creative activity and education in local, national, and global contexts by integrating and advancing creation and scholarship in the arts in a dynamic learning environment. As British Columbia’s only Faculty exclusively dedicated to the arts, UVic’s Faculty of Fine Arts is an extraordinary platform that supports new discoveries, interdisciplinary and diverse contributions to creativity, and the cultural experiences of the students and communities UVic serves.

With thanks also to the Faculty of Science for their support.