Stories from the Creative Edge
Events
Dept of Writing busy at Victoria Festival of Authors
Looking to familiarize yourself with the fantastic range of talent associated with the Department of Writing? Don’t miss the third annual Victoria Festival of Authors, where the literary talents of Writing faculty and alumni will be showcased alongside top local and...
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Fine Arts fantastic at Fringe Fest
If it's late August, it must be time for the Victoria Fringe Festival. Running August 22 to September 2, this annual explosion of live performance returns with 47 shows from around the globe in 12 venues, plus outdoor events for the whole family and late night...
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New donations benefit students
Never underestimate the impact a donation can have for students. For many, both undergraduate and graduate, it can make all the difference in their academic career. “As a student from a rural town and a lower income family, this scholarship will go a long way in...
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Summer is the time to register for electives
Ever taken a course where you study — and play — video games? Or watch Pixar movies? What about the acting experience, public speaking, humour writing, art forgery, or the cultural impact of film music or the history of fashion & body modification? It’s tough to beat Fine Arts when it comes to cool electives.
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Professor challenges WHO “video game addiction”
When the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on June 18 that they were declaring "video game addiction" a mental health condition in the 11th edition of its International Classification of Diseases, Department of Writing chair David Leach felt compelled to...
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Student reflection: Dungeons & Dragons in the classroom
When my family first moved to Canada, we visited my grandparents’ house and loaded all of my dad’s childhood things into a moving van. A large amount of these boxes were filled with old first edition Dungeons and Dragons modules and rulebooks, a collection which has continued to grow since my siblings and I began playing with our dad.
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Call for Artist-in-Residence Ocean Program
The Faculty of Fine Arts and Ocean Networks Canada at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, are sponsoring an Artist in Residence program. The concept strengthens connections between Art and Science to broaden and cross-fertilize perspectives and critical...
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Southam Lecture presents filmmaker Judith Pyke
From the frozen lands of the High Arctic to the scorching streets of Liberia, filmmaker Judith Pyke has never shied away from diverse and challenging locations. Currently the 2018 Southam Lecturer in Journalism and Nonfiction for UVic’s Writing department, the...
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From Damascus to deadlines: Deborah Campbell joins Writing faculty
From embattled cities in Syria to intractable encounters in Israel, the writing of Deborah Campbell fuses journalism and travel writing with the kind of personal observations that can only come with being immersed in some of the most pressing international issues of...
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Theatre & Writing students ignite at Belfry’s SPARK Festival
One of the best parts of being a Fine Arts faculty in an arts-rich city like Victoria are the opportunities available to current students through our associations with local cultural institutions. From Pacific Opera Victoria and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria to...
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Get interactive with writing, music & art at Ideafest 2018
Whether you’re a regular part of the UVic community or simply a visitor to campus, Ideafest 2018 offers an ideal chance to explore the vast and diverse range of research and creative activity happening all around the Ring Road.
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Latest Southam Lecturer Judith Pyke talks docs
When it comes to narrative filmmaking, it’s hard to beat a good documentary. The form of visual storytelling most closely related to journalism, documentaries have unparalleled power to not only connect us with their subjects in remarkably personal ways, but to also...
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Fine Arts grads shine during Alumni Week
UVic's annual Alumni Week is back, and Fine Arts is well-represented in the various events happening across campus and around the city from February 1-7. 2018 marks the 11th annual celebration highlighting the achievements and impact of our alumni, and offers everyone...
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Iconic literary journal celebrates 50 years of excellence
It's said nothing succeeds like success, which is an aphorism well-appreciated in the offices of The Malahat Review. Currently celebrating both its 50th anniversary and 200th issue, UVic’s venerable and revered literary journal has served as a springboard for some of...
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Top 10 Fine Arts stories of 2017 – part two
What else happened in Fine Arts in 2017? More than we can mention in one blog post, so here's part two of our top-10 stories of the year. International attention Considering we're based on an island at the edge of the continent, it's surprising how much international...
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Top 10 Fine Arts stories of 2017 – part one
There’s no easier measure of just how creative the activity is here in the Faculty of Fine Arts than by looking back at what happened over the previous year. From classes and guest lecturers to concerts, exhibits, plays, readings, seminars and our core research and...
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Southam panel celebrates a decade of inspiring journalists
For the past 10 years, students in UVic’s Department of Writing have benefited by learning from veteran journalists and authors, thanks to the Harvey Stevenson Southam Lecturer in Journalism and Nonfiction. Named for UVic alumnus Harvey Southam — who, before his...
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A fresh crop of book prize nominations
Fall is traditionally book prize season and, as with most years, our Department of Writing has a fresh crop of alumni and faculty currently up for prizes.
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Tim Lilburn becomes first Canadian to receive international award
Distinguished poet and respected Department of Writing professor Tim Lilburn has become the first Canadian to receive the European Medal of Poetry and Art. Commonly referred to as the “Homer Medal,” Lilburn was presented with the 2017 prize by visiting Beijing poet...
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Doc screening features Canadian theatre & TV legends
The Department of Theatre is dipping into the world of film for a special screening of Robin & Mark & Richard III. Better still, the filmmakers — Canadian theatrical legends themselves — will be on hand for an exclusive session only for Fine Arts students and faculty....
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Your guide to Fine Arts Fringers
No question, the annual Fringe Fest is one of Victoria's best-loved festivals of any kind. Now in its 31st year, the Victoria Fringe Festival offers 330 performances of 58 shows by 350 artists in nearly a dozen venues around town — as well as a number of free...
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UNO Fest thick with Fine Arts talent
From the underground to the mainstream, Intrepid Theatre’s annual UNO Fest is a hotbed of contemporary solo theatre and performance. Originally launched by Theatre alumna Janet Munsil in the basement of Victoria’s Bedford Hotel in 1997, UNO Fest is celebrating 20...
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Research and creative practice on view at Ideafest 2017
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Minor in Digital and Interactive Media in the Arts announced
Starting in May 2017, the Faculty of Fine Arts will begin offering a new minor in Digital and Interactive Media in the Arts (DIMA). DIMA will allow you to combine current electives with new training in interactive media as part of your UVic Bachelor degree. "Our minor...
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Joan MacLeod explores faith and family in “Gracie”
A young girl is born into a world full of faith and family, and as she grows from a child to a teenager, she faces increasing pressure to conform. But what if that 15-year-old is born into a tightly controlled fundamentalist polygamous community — will she dare to...
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Alumni Week runs February 6-12
Help celebrate the impact of grads at UVic's 10th annual Alumni Week. More than a dozen free events — including talks, awards and workshops — highlight this event, running February 6 to 12, both on-campus and off. This year we focus on the vital impact of the...
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Early 2017 media roundup
2017 is shaping up to be a busy year for Fine Arts faculty and alumni in the media. A number of stories have run in various media outlets in the last weeks of 2016 and early 2017, featuring representatives in all of our departments. Here's a quick roundup of who's...
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Phoenix frequent among 2016 Critic’s Choice winners
The 16th annual Victoria Critics' Choice Theatre Awards were announced on CBC Radio's On The Island at the end of December and, as always, there were plenty of Fine Arts alumni among the 2016 nominees and winners. We've got a breakdown of the awards below, but you can...
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Top 10 Fine Arts stories of 2016 – part two
With five departments offering concerts, theatrical productions, readings, exhibits, symposiums and lectures featuring the talents of our teaching faculty plus visiting artists, academics and other professionals, Fine Arts remains one of the most community-engaged...
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MFA Heather Clark takes travel writing on the road
When it comes to learning how to be a travel writer, you can’t get much more hands-on than doing it on the road. And if that road happens to be in Nicaragua, says graduating master’s student Heather Clark, better still. Clark, a veteran tour guide and former...
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Going solo pays off for TJ Dawe
After years of success on the Fringe Festival circuit and touring around the world, alumnus TJ Dawe brings his one of his earlier, and now published plays, back to the Phoenix stage as part of the Alumni Festival. The Slipknot runs 8pm daily to Saturday, Oct 22, with...
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Southam Lecturer Vivian Smith talks gender & journalism
We may be living in the 21st century, but that doesn’t mean we’ve achieved gender equality in Canada. Nowhere is this more evident than in the field of journalism, as Vivian Smith well knows. The 2016 Southam Lecturer for the Department of Writing, Smith is drawing...
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