Theatre Articulation 2013 UFV Performance Theatre Chilliwack North Campus 45635 Yale Road, Chilliwack, BC Agenda 10:00 Meet and Mingle - Coffee, Tea, Muffins, etc. 10:15 Call to Order 1. Agenda Approval 2. Articulation 2012 Minutes 3. Roundtable Reports from individual institutions 4. Teacher Education Programs - Drama (Gordon Hamilton - ABCDE rep) 5. Discussion arising from Reports or other in-meeting issues 12:15 Lunch 1:00 Resume Meeting 6. Equity directors at educational institutions (Kathryn Shaw, Langara) 7. Policies and Procedures manuals (Mike Taugher, VIU) 2:30 End of Meeting Record of Attendance Bruce Kirkley (Chair) University of the Fraser Valley Heather Davis-Fisch University of the Fraser Valley Ian Fenwick University of the Fraser Valley Stuart Aikins Capilano University Gillian Barber Capilano University Mat Herrmann Capilano University John Fitzgibbon British Columbia Council on Admissions & Transfer Gordon Hamilton Association of British Colombia Drama Educators Robin Nichol Thompson Rivers University Kamloops Heidi Verwey Thompson Rivers University Kamloops Mike Taugher Vancouver Island University Trena Hollands Douglas College Amanda Larder Douglas College Danica West Douglas College Daniel Dolan Studio 58 / Langara Kathryn Shaw Studio 58 / Langara Lloyd Arnett Trinity Western University Robert Gardiner University of British Columbia Tom Scholte University of British Columbia Neil Cadger University of British Columbia Okanagan Bruce Kirkley, UFV, Chair • Motion to approve 2013 agenda – Bruce Kirkley, seconded Ian Fenwick; ABCDE Report moved to #2 on agenda; approved • Articulation meeting minutes from 2012 passed around • Reminder to send reports/updates electronically before meeting ABCDE, Gordon Hamilton • Teachers back to doing extra-curricular activities; teachers doing productions good for getting students back into programs; • Reported on provincial drama festivals, 18 zones across province, 9 zones active with regional festivals, showcase of chosen shows at Douglas college, 12 shows, 3 of the 12 are youth written shows, students participate in workshops during the 3 days; glad to have it back, looking forward to future years; • Teachers still facing issues with class sizes, up to administrator - putting 40 kids in class, a lot of kids for a small space; can negotiate with administrator depending on who/if supportive of arts. Still fighting for programs. Competing with sports - one or the other, not both. Not all schools have fully qualified drama teachers - TOC or English teachers. Still faced with outflow of drama retirees, not enough coming in. All student teachers in district hired as TOC or into temporary contracts. Need more drama teachers in schools; • Drama teachers need another teachable subject; there hasn’t been movement on theatre being one teachable subject. Ministry determining this as far as known, need pressure on ministry. High school drama teacher - SM, director, costume maker, etc. - one man show - less people being trained in that aspect. Theatre production is becoming a lost art in high schools. Not a lot of schools offering it because not enough teacher interest/teachers qualified; • There are jobs for qualified drama teachers, not enough that are qualified. In district there are no more available qualified people, all hired; • Material - www.bcdramateachers.com have links to some university programs, please send information to [email protected]; • ABCDE not allowed to give access to list of drama teachers online. Issue was confidentiality. Gordon has list of all drama teachers in province; • ABCDE has membership of over 200, used to have over 400, people aren’t joining PSA, some belong to English or Math PSA, and not all join drama PSA; • The festival at Douglas offers possible scholarship for those who come to festival. Sears - donated over 22k to support festival - Douglas doesn’t pay for facilities during those 3 days. Sears started scholarship fund. They give out over 10k in scholarships. Students can apply for $5k scholarship. Can help with financial aid; • Always need help and support during the festival - seeing some of the top actors from the schools. A university representative could benefit universities by getting the school name out. $150 for table, or can barter for service and have presence; • Capilano commented that some programs have offered to have teachers come and talk to students about becoming drama teachers - none took them up on the offer; • Next ABCDE conference in Vernon, trying to reach out and get interest. It’s expensive coming down for conference, can only do so much for $100. Different districts allotted different amounts for pro-d. Vancouver school district does Dramarama - doesn’t come to conference. Conference will be October 25 or 26; • When looking at regional festival looking for a space is an issue, looking at either public space - belongs to community, possible charges. Try to minimize cost for schools. Douglas held on to provincial festival; • Regional festivals from November to March. Minimum of 4 participating schools in the zone to put on festival. Sears had roaming adjudicator, pitching for interior - offering to pay for roaming adjudicator. Need just one venue, have a regional rep. for each zone. Usually try for someone in every zone; • TRU reported they tried to set up meeting for a festival but no one would meet with them. Outlying areas seem very interested, but in Kamloops no interest; • UBC noted that lack of notice is an issue, all know what recruitment possibilities are, should collaborate more together, work on ways to support; • Gordon noted that provincial festival happens first week in May - open invitation to faculty members to watch performances. Invitation to set up booths for Universities; • Sharon Conrad is in contact with reps for regionals, can get information out [email protected]; • Important for universities to contact them with information, bring people out. If have someone teaching drama education please forward so teachers can get free membership; • UFV sends out students to talk to kids in high school drama classes locally, it’s someone who can relate to kids, have been in program, can tell what program is about and what can be offered. Need contact with school and drama teacher in the area; • Suggestion to have post-secondary liaison day to talk about theatre programs, and invite 5/6 schools to come out. 2012 Theatre Articulation Minutes • Motion to approve, Stuart Aikins, seconded Heidi Verwey; approved. Round-table Reports Langara College, Kathryn Shaw • Last season: 6 productions 500 Days to Mars; Attempts on Her Life; Government Inspector; Spring Awakening; How Should You Be; Balm in Gilead (Dir. Bob Fraser) surprise hit, completely transformed studio into café; overall had a good season, did well at box office; • Next season - Midsummer Night’s Dream; Risky Nights; Grease; Innocence Lost; • Making best of working in basement. Building new building at Langara, new theatre was first in line, but decision was to build for sciences. Ministry won’t fund it, so have to fund raise. Now need to self-fund a building they were told would be funded by province. Department chronically underfunded. What they’re doing with students is fantastic. Trinity Western University, Lloyd Arnett • Drama program at TWU was also first on building list, but have fallen off again; • Trinity, had a good year: Go Back for Murder, Picture This!, New Generations, Emma; also had play readings from playwriting class, theatre sports; • Next season: Never Can Tell, Crimes of the Heart, New Generations, Much Ado About Nothing; • New president at TWU, current unable to continue; • More students accepted to grad schools; • Current building is being rehabilitated; • One thing hoping to find time to talk about: restoring better relationships with professional theatres; Pacific Theatre allows students to usher and see shows for free. Cost of live theatre getting higher and higher. UFV Directors’ Festival, Ian Fenwick • Record breaking festival with over 4100 tickets sold; • Wonderful work from all universities participating; exceptional number of student written work this year; • 2 productions going to Harrison Festival of the Arts; • UFV alumni brought 2 productions to festival; • Supported by Friends of the Theatre community group, Student Union Society, and Criminology Department; • Invitation to everyone to encourage students to bring shows to next year’s festival. UBC, Tom Scholte/Robert Gardiner • Enrolments: 35 BA Majors, Design 55 Majors, 10 PhD candidates; • Season: The Duchess, sales 99%; Sorrows of Young Werther, sales 62%; Dancing at Lugnasa, sales 39%; Rhinoceros; Blood Relations, sales 39%; last year had 55% overall capacity, this year 66.2%; • Moved to 3 week runs, (Thurs-Sat; Wed-Sat; Wed-Sat). Trying to build up word of mouth. Seeing if upward trend in sales continues; • BFA acting auditions turnout low - usually 60-80, only had 30-40. Not sure why there’s been a drop off, and especially not sure why not a gradual drop – still managed to put together good first year class; • Ongoing struggle to address teaching staff/resources, a lot of challenges; • Next season: The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Pride and Prejudice, Seeds, The Seagull, Ubu Roi; series of conferences with Punjabi groups and 2 Punjabi plays; • Working on 1st year admittance, need to get through process of senate; • Pressure from UBC President to recruit international students; • 50th anniversary of Freddy Wood Theatre next year. UBC Okanagan, Neil Cadger • Very small, have 2 ½ faculty for interdisciplinary program, one faculty cross pointed, have sessional instructors, students work on devised shows; • Theatre is a 200 seat lecture theatre, huge stage, enlarged when moved in, booked completely by lectures. If show at 7:30, only able to move into space at 7:20. As a consequence, doing shows everywhere, creating site specific theatre; • Program has no technicians. Students run theatre, students do everything, works primarily on mentoring system - students who ran last year’s shows mentor new students. Students also doing marketing, social media. Work study students run everything; • Whole year was experimenting with what people want to see.