Written by: Lucia Llano
As emerging artists, it is often that we find ourselves promoting our work and constantly seeking support for our art. However, how often do we see a theatre show, a dance performance or visit an art gallery? How often do we actually support our fellow art students?
Written By: Nima A.K.
Tanavoli, Parviz. Poet and Nightingale. Design for Rug, 1974.
Parviz Tanavoli was born in 1937 in Tehran, Iran, and currently lives in Vancouver, Canada. He studied sculpture in Milan at the end of 1950s and continued his studies in Minneapolis in the early 1960s. He soon became an important figure in contemporary sculpture; however, his work also includes painting, drawing, weaving, and prints. His art revisits Persian traditions and combines them with modern art. Tanavoli’s main motive is Heech, a word meaning “nothing”.
Written by Clara Ziane, with photos by Kateryna Vatsyk
On October 18th, 2016 at 6:00pm sharp, the doors of the Winters Dining Hall open onto AMPD’s third ever World Cabaret.
The School of the Arts, Media, Performance, & Design is a true home away from home for hundreds of international students, who come from around the world and enrich the faculty in countless ways. For that reason, it became one of AMPD’s top priorities to make these students’ journeys at York unforgettable!
In the fall of 2015, AMPD launched the International Student Engagement Program, which aims to provide international students with a real support system, as well as a network in Canada. The program started off with the first World Cabaret, which gave international students a stage to showcase their talents and be awarded a $50 Bookstore gift card. Artists and performers were selected by a team of Student Ambassadors and Mentors (SAMs) upon auditioning for the event. Past performances have included music, theatre, bubble shows, spoken words, and dance. In addition, art exhibits and film viewings have also been part of the cabaret.
The International Student Engagement Program has grown since our first event. The attendance at the World Cabaret has doubled in one year, and events have been added. For the first time this year, AMPD organized an international student orientation to facilitate the transition of students who had just arrived in Canada. In addition, the faculty and Winters College co-host a bi-weekly world café in the Junior Common Room, where students can enjoy yummy treats and a free cup of coffee or tea while mingling with their peers.
As students of AMPD and Winters College, it is important for us to show our appreciation for the cultures of our peers; as well as to give them equal opportunities to showcase their talents and be rewarded for their work.
More events will be taking place this semester as part of the International Student Engagement Program! Stay tuned!
Written by Dani De Angelis
Last year, I realized that the issue that a lot of VISA students – nay, AMPD students – struggle with is that we don’t give ourselves enough time to connect with our own art styles. We’re often feeling stressed and overloaded and trying to manage our lives within the “College Triangle Diagram.”
For many AMPD students, I would argue that this should be a square, since we often neglect giving ourselves free time to create what we want to explore creatively. We stifle the brilliant ideas and moments of inspiration that pop up so that we can focus on whatever grade-related task is at hand. That got me thinking, and it led me to I develop an important reminder that I personally try my best to live by:
Experimenting with your creativity outside of class time can be difficult as far as time allocation goes, but even if you find two minutes to doodle, you’re engaging your otherwise neglected inner artistic passions. If you can manage to reserve an hour to cultivating your creativity in whatever manner and medium you choose, you’re even better off. This is super critical, and I feel as if I can’t adequately stress how critical it is. At the end of the degree, you’ll have developed the skills, techniques, and familiarity with the arts to keep you going, but there is no professor or assignment telling us what we should be doing with our art and ideas, is there? There are no grades, there is no GPA to maintain. It’s all up to you. So where do you go with that muse that you’ve suppressed? How can you make sure it’s expressed – loud and proud?
Use your assignments as stepping stones in your own art. Maybe a particular technique doesn’t have much use for you, but every class you take changes the way you think about art – your art – and how you wish to express yourself and your unique style. Even if it’s not your area of interest, you’re still being tested and pushed from your comfort zone, which I find inspires crucial creativity.
As art critic John Ruskin put it, “When Love and Skill work together, expect a Masterpiece.” At the end of the day, it’s your passion for art that keeps you here. What will you do to nurture it?
Written by Sophie Mercer
Ngozi Paul, Kristen Thomson, Alex Ivanovici, Amelia Sargisson (Photo by Guntar Kravis)
This is a not-so-subtle nudge to go and see a great piece of theatre before it’s too late.
Written by Sophia Sam
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
7:00pm (Doors open @ 6:30pm)
The Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema
506 Bloor St. West, Toronto
(P.S it’s FREE) Read More
Written by Megan Apa
The playGround Festival is a collection of short plays created, developed, designed, directed, and featuring student artists. Everyone from the artistic directors to the production team backstage are students here at York University. The playGround Festival is a place for students to have the opportunity to mount their own work. It is a place for young creators to push beyond personal boundaries and develop their own authentic voices. For many, playGround is just the first step towards the professional theatre world beyond school. The ideas and relationships that are fostered here on this stage have often continued beyond York onto professional stages.