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 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 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 Alex Colle
I was a pretty streaky writer for a long time. My problem was not writer’s block. My problem was having an inspiration to write.
Stageplay dialogue for 20% of my mark? That’s an inspiration.
I have a really good idea in my head? That’s not an inspiration.
Friend asks for a favour? Inspiration.
I’m bored and have nothing else to do? Nope.
This blog post? Yes.
The point is, although I love to write creatively, I was never confident enough to pick up a pencil – or open a laptop – and create an interesting piece of literature. I was under the impression that what I would write would be mediocre, and that there was no point in making something that was not going to find any success.
Boy, was I ever wrong. Playwriting at York taught me that. 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.
Ryan Borochovitz is a fourth-year Theatre Studies student with one foot out the door and into the real world. Sad Ibsen Theatre, a company that he founded while in his third year at York University, will be taking their work to Red Sandcastle Theatre in Toronto this January. We sat down with Ryan to talk about his company’s debut performance: Exiles, by James Joyce. This interview was conducted by Megan Apa.
How did Sad Ibsen Theatre come to be? How did you pick that name?
I suppose, in the early days, it was more of an effort to brand myself than any kind of serious thought about starting a company. One of these early projects to which I had attached this logo was Like a Bicycle, a short absurdist play that I wrote for last year’s playGround Festival. When George [Kiriakopulos], who directed that play, saw the logo, he asked me what it was about. That got us talking about our long-term theatre goals, one thing lead to another, and pretty soon we were talking about starting up our own company. We already had a name and a logo, all we needed to do was keep making theatre. And that’s really all there was to it. Starting a theatre company, despite being a ton of work, is a lot simpler than it used to be. Nowadays, everyone can, and is encouraged to, start their own if they want to get their work out there.