Stories from the Creative Edge
Theatre
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...
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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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Canadian comedy star & Phoenix alum Chris Wilson joins Air Farce
Looking for a fun —and funny — way to celebrate Canada 150? Spend July 1 with Department of Theatre alumnus Chris Wilson on CBC TV’s Air Farce Canada 150 special. Wilson, best known as one-half of the multiple award-winning comedy duo Peter N’ Chris, is one of two new...
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Patrick Du Wors is the only Canadian accepted at 2017 World Stage Design in Taiwan
When it comes to outstanding alumni, it’s hard to beat award-winning theatrical designer Patrick Du Wors. Not only has he made a name for himself on both national and international stages, he was recently hired as the new assistant professor of design for the...
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Experiences of migrant youth explored in new play
How can theatre activate the experiences of migrant youth, while at the same time providing a window into the experiences they face while assimilating into a new culture, new society and new city? Questions like this are at the heart of a new Applied Theatre...
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Applied Theatre offers hope to many
Most people likely see theatre as a form of entertainment, but for anyone working with global refugees and internally displaced persons, theatre can also offer a sense of hope and community. Consider the global impact of the work of UVic applied theatre PhD student...
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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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Event in Victoria’s queer history inspires new play & course
A new play written by Department of Theatre professor Jennifer Wise and performed by Theatre students celebrates a little-known event in Victoria’s gay history. Wise's A Queer Trial tells the real-life story of John Butt, an openly gay Victoria man who, in 1860, was...
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Phoenix play proves that politics never really changes
Politics is a difficult game: there’s pressure to appease voters and deal with multitudes of issues and complaints, all while being sandwiched between different levels of government regulations. But while this all may sound terribly current, the latest Phoenix...
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Research and creative practice on view at Ideafest 2017
Ideafest — UVic's week-long free festival of world-changing ideas — is once again ready to welcome thinkers, innovators, artists and audiences to a fascinating range of events across campus. This year’s festival features hundreds of speakers, presenting on topics...
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Phoenix play Gut Girls offers a way of protesting gender inequality
When the cast and crew of the Department of Theatre play Gut Girls joined thousands of others at Victoria's Women's March on January 21, it was a case of life and art once again coming together. While the emancipation message of Gut Girls is told through the lives of...
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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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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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Long Service Awards mark 335 years at UVic
When UVic’s annual Long Service Awards were presented at the University Club back in October, a surprising number of Fine Arts faculty and staff were among the recipients—and, if you add up all their years of service, it totals a remarkable 335 years at UVic. In the...
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It’s beginning to look a lot like a Phoenix alumni holiday season
Looking for some seasonal theatre over the holidays? Our always busy Department of Theatre alumni have you covered with a wide range of holiday offerings! Here's what's coming up in Victoria over the next few weeks: This Little Light - Dec 10-23 • Belfry Theatre, 1291...
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Phoenix Theatre celebrates 50 years with style
While the martlet is the mythical bird most associated with UVic, there is another legendary winged creature deeply tied to the university’s history: the phoenix. And this month sees Phoenix Theatre marking 50 years of great theatre, and great theatre education. “Our...
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Shannan Calcutt is serious about her clowning
For most people, Las Vegas is a place of escape and relaxation. But for celebrated Department of Theatre alumna Shannan Calcutt, what happens in Vegas keeps her in Vegas. Calcutt (BFA ’97) has spent the past decade starring in Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity at the New...
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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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Charles Ross knows the sound of one-man globetrotting
Back in 2001, Charles Ross wrote his own ticket to travel the world. Since then, he has created two more — he just calls them blockbuster one-man shows. A hilarious homage to the original three Lucasfilm movies, Ross' One-Man Star Wars Trilogy has been performed on...
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Mi’gmaq filmmaker Jeff Barnaby kicks off Indigeneity & the Arts series
Fine Arts is proud to kick off its new Orion Series on Indigeneity and the Arts with a public presentation by acclaimed filmmaker, author & composer Jeff Barnaby. While at UVic, Barnaby will be hosting a free screening some of his short films starting at 7pm...
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A September full of events
Welcome to a new semester, a new academic year and a totally fresh series of events in Fine Arts! Even though it's only September and the academic year has just begun, we're already looking at a busy month of concerts, readings, guest lectures, exhibits, plays and...
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Phoenix at the Fringe 2016
Anyone concerned about post-degree prospects for Fine Arts students should consider the ongoing success of students in our Department of Theatre. For 50 years now, Phoenix Theatre has been producing some of Canada's finest theatre artists by instilling in them the...
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Paths to Reconciliation
Situated on traditional Coast and Straits Salish territory, UVic is recognized for its commitment to and expertise in innovative programs and initiatives that support Indigenous students and communities. We recognize the special role the university can play in...
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Celebrating 50 years of great theatre
This fall, UVic's Department of Theatre will celebrate 50 years of creating great theatre—and great artists. Along they way, the Phoenix has also created some incredible moments on their stages. Generations of students (literally, they have several second-generation...
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Summer in the city
While our classrooms and studios may be quiet this summer, that doesn't mean our Fine Arts faculty, students and alumni are lazing in the summer haze. While many spend their time researching or working on creative projects, summer is traditionally a busy time in the...
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Theatre grad Jasleen Powar steps into the intercultural spotlight
Most students wait until after graduation to start making their mark on the world, but Jasleen Powar already has something to sing about. Graduating with a BFA in theatre on June 15, the 24-year-old Powar has been making waves as Vancouver rapper Horsepowar, thanks to...
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Connor Gaston’s The Devout sweeps Leo Awards
Hearty congratulations go out to the Fine Arts alumni team behind the locally shot 2015 feature film The Devout—including writer/director Connor Gaston and producers Daniel Hogg and Amanda Verhagen—which won seven major awards out of 14 nominations at the annual Leo...
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Faculty comings and goings
A number of longtime faculty members are retiring this year, including Theatre’s Allan Stichbury (design), Visual Arts' Vikky Alexander (photography) and Writing’s Lynne Van Luven (creative nonfiction), as well as the School of Music’s Louis Ranger (trumpet) and...
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2016 Youth Poet Laureate Ann-Bernice Thomas speaks her mind
Ann-Bernice Thomas doesn’t even hesitate when asked the most surprising aspect of being named the City of Victoria’s 2016 Youth Poet Laureate. “All the attention,” she says with a quick laugh. "Considering I didn't really hear anything about last year's poet, it's...
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