Dean Krawchuk, creator of 22 Sins to Salvation

22 Sins to Salvation explores our sticky relationship with sin in this Butoh dance inspired piece of theatre. Sin to drive out sin!

Who: Performance by Dean Krawchuk and Shimshon Obadia, with direction by Janelle Sheppard, and music by Jordan Leibel.
What: Theatre performance – 22 Sins to Salvation
When: Thursday Aug 29 l 7 PM
Where: University Theatre, ADM 026, 3333 University Way, UBC’s Okanagan campus, Kelowna

WARNING: MATURE CONTENT

Dean Krawchuk, a Performance Major in Creative Studies, was awarded $2,500 from the FCCS Undergraduate Student Research Award fund to create a theatre piece based on the life of the Russian monk, Grigori Rasputin.

“The impetus behind this project started when I was writing a play about Rasputin for one of my Creative Writing courses.” says Krawchuk, “I was compelled by his character and how a simple peasant managed to become a very powerful figure in Russian history.”

Through this research Dean stumbled upon The Khlysty, an underground religious sect that was rumoured to tie Rasputin with the dark arts. The Khlysty was known for using sin to drive out sin in order to gain salvation, and a majority of their meetings took place in forest clearings, in brothels or cellars.

“One of the things I wanted to accomplish prior to my final year of studies was to create a show that I can add to my repertoire and continue to perform in various incarnations in the future.”

22 Sins to Salvation will be performed in Butoh style, a Japanese form of theatre that started in the 1960’s.  Dean and his two collaborators, Shimshon Obadia and Janelle Sheppard were able to attend a private Butoh workshop on Whidbey Island this summer in preparation for the performance.

“It was a definite asset having some financial assistance for this show,” notes Krawchuk, “I am grateful to FCCS for providing me with support to create this project.”

22 Sins to Salvation, hosted by Theatre26, will take place on Thursday, August 29th in the University Theatre.

The University Theatre serves as a venue for the Department of Creative Studies for study, rehearsal and public performances, both for the campus community and the general public.  Theatre26 is a small company of BFA students in Interdisciplinary Performance that work to run the theatre throughout the school year.

Keep up to date on upcoming events in the University Theatre on the FCCS web site or on the Theatre 26 Facebook page.

Karis Shearer, co-director of Editing Modernism On and Off the Page

Editing Modernism On and Off the Page is the theme of this year’s week-long Textual Editing and Modernism in Canada (TEMiC) Summer Institute, being held for the first time at UBC’s Okanagan campus.

The summer institute, which runs July 29th to August 2, 2013, focuses on editorial theory from Canada and abroad. It’s co-directed by Karis Shearer, assistant professor of English at UBC Okanagan (UBCO), and Dr. Dean Irvine, associate professor of English and Director of EMiC at Dalhousie University.

The Editing Modernism On and Off the Page institute introduces participants to the current field of editorial theory — both from Canada and around the world — and focuses on editing the page, both print and digital, as well as oral or audio text.

The institute offers a series of afternoon workshops, too, centering on creative production, including printmaking and bookmaking. These workshops complement the theoretical focus of the morning sessions. In addition, TEMiC features public talks by visiting speakers such as Jason Camlot (Concordia), Jentery Sayers (Victoria), Kate Hennessy (SFU), Constance Crompton (UBCO) and Anderson Araujo (UBCO).

Blending creative and critical approaches, the summer institute on editorial theory is co-sponsored by the multi-million dollar SSHRC cluster grant Editing Modernism in Canada (directed by Dean Irvine), the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, and a UBC Okanagan Conference/Workshop Grant. TEMiC is part of the Editing Modernism in Canada Project (EMiC), which facilitates collaboration among researchers and institutions from regions across Canada and from the UK, France, Belgium, and the United States.

Poetry Off the Page Literary Reading
On August 1st, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., renowned Canadian poets — including UBC alumni George Bowering, Frank Davey, Daphne Marlatt, Fred Wah, and FCCS’s own Sharon Thesen — offer public readings in the University Centre (UNC) Ballroom as part of the “Poetry Off the Page” literary event.

Poetry Off the Page marks the 50th anniversary of the Vancouver Poetry Conference that was held at UBC’s Vancouver campus in 1963.

A number of the activities during the summer institute, including the poetry readings, are open to the public. The full schedule (public events are marked as such) can be found here: http://editingmodernism.ca/training/summer-institutes/temic/schedule/

Follow us on Twitter…
TEMiC Summer Institute: @TEMiC2013
Poetry Off the Page Event: @offthepage2013

For more information, please contact: karis.shearer@ubc.ca

The Department of Critical Studies at the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences 2013, at the University of Victoria — June 1-8, 2013.

Jodey Castricano and Anderson Araujo posing with “The Copper Cowgirl, BA” at the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences conference, Victoria BC

This was a banner year for Critical Studies scholars at the 2013 Congress at the University of Victoria during the first week of June.

The 2013 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences included about 70 associations representing 8,000 to 10,000 delegates and guests. Including leading academics, internationally recognized researchers, policy makers, and practitioners, the assembly shared findings, refined ideas and built partnerships that will help shape the Canada of tomorrow.

Many Critical Studies faculty members and a number of graduate students participated in this year’s Congress.

Professor Anderson Araujo gave a talk entitled “Modernist Spectacles in the Mostra della Rivoluzione Fascista.”   Araujo’s talk concerned the Mostra della Rivoluzione Fascista (Exhibition of the Fascist Revolution) in Rome from 1932 to 1934, commissioned by Benito Mussolini to showcase the art and cultural politics of Italian Fascism. The talk showed that the fusion of fascist culture, politics, and spectacle promoted in the Mostra informed much of the modernist fascination with Fascism in the 1930s.

At the Canadian Comparative Literature Association, the panel “Compare and Contrast: Teaching Literature at the Edges of Critical and Cultural Studies” was presented by graduate students Natasha Rebry, Lindsay Balfour, and Jannik Eikenaar. They discussed their experiences teaching upper-level courses cross-listed between English and Cultural Studies, focusing on the challenges of defining and working in interdisciplinary frames.

FCCS masters student Max Dickeson presented his first paper at ACCUTE, a conference organized by the Association of Canadian College and University Teachers of English. His paper entitled “ ‘The Living Dead Aren’t Reducible At All’: The Spectral Humanity of the Zombie in Daryl Gregory’s Raising Stony Mayhall” was well received.

Jessica Carey and Jodey Castricano presented a co-authored paper at Congress in the Joint Session with ACCUTE/International Gothic Association. The paper, “A Strange Harvest: Organ Transplants and The Monstrous Lives of the Not-Quite-Human,” explored xenotransplantation and human cloning from The Island of Dr Moreau to Never Let Me Go.

Constance Crompton presented a paper with Lorraine Janzen Kooistra from Ryerson University’s department of English, entitled “Critical Making for a Public Readership: Digital Pedagogy in the NINES Classroom.” It was about how to empower students to think of themselves as legitimate producers of knowledge, by using digital publishing tools to show them there is an audience for their scholarship.

Denise Kenney spoke on a panel called Eco-Criticism on the Edge. The presentation, “Performance Practice and the More-Than-Human World,” was co-presented with Dr. Karen Bamford of Ount Allison University and Dr. Theresa J. May of University of Oregon. They discussed body-based work in relationship to place and to the notion of belonging. This SSHRC funded Eco-Art Incubator project explores arts at the intersection of human activity (the sensory body) and a fragile dryland region undergoing radical urban and agricultural development.

Bernard Schulz-Cruz presented a paper at the Canadian Association of Hispanic Studies, entitled ” ‘La otra familia’: Intentos de normalización en el cine mexicano con imágenes gay. ¿Valen la pena?” (“The Other Family: Attempts of Normalization in Mexican Cinema with Gay Images: Are They Worth It?”).

Margaret Reeves presented a paper on “Political Sovereignty in Mary Wroth’s The Countess of Montgomeries Urania” to the annual meeting of the Canadian Society for Renaissance Studies, a meeting she helped to organize as a member of the CSRS Executive.

The conference is not only a productive learning experience for faculty but a place to reunite with colleagues from across Canada.

Each year, the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies awards prizes to outstanding students with a major in each program area. The successful students receive a $1,000 prize and are chosen on the recommendation of the Faculty.

This year’s recipients were acknowledged at the FCCS Graduation Reception, which followed Convocation on June 6, 2013.

These students are the embodiment of academic excellence and commitment to global citizenship, which characterizes the student experience in FCCS.

2012-13 FCCS Award Recipients:
Creative Writing Prize: Lee Hannigan
Cultural Studies Prize: Rumnique Nannar
English Prize: Meghan Ross
French Prize: Terry Wattie
French and Spanish Prize: Kathryn Albright
Spanish Prize: Shalan Thomson
Interdisciplinary Performance Prize: Kevin Jesuino
Visual Arts Prize: Dylan Ranney

Meghan Ross was also awarded the BA Medal in Arts, an award given to the top graduating student in the Bachelor of Arts. Kevin Jesuino was the top graduating student in the Bachelor of Fine Arts, and was awarded the BFA Medal in Arts.

Left to right: Wisdom Tettey, Shalan Thomson, Kathryn Albright, Rumnique Nannar, Lee Hannigan, Meghan Ross. Front row: Dylan Ranney

“We are very proud of these students and their laudable accomplishments,” says Wisdom Tettey, Dean of the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies. “They are poised for a bright future and we are confident that they will be capable leaders in various fields of endeavour. While they may pursue diverse passions and goals, they share one thing in common — worthy trustees of our collective future.”

Dr. Natasha Rebry

This year also marks FCCS’s first Interdisciplinary PhDs: Natasha Rebry and Fresia Sanchez.

“The Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies provided a close-knit community and stimulating intellectual environment that made completing my dissertation an enjoyable experience,” says Natasha Rebry, the first student in FCCS to complete her PhD at UBC Okanagan. “I will forever appreciate the support, challenges and guidance offered by the faculty and my fellow students.”

This academic year, Dr. Rebry will be rejoining us as a faculty lecturer and will offer a new interdisciplinary course in Victorian Studies: “Victorian Urban Landscapes”

Art on the Line 2013

The Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies has been busy with many events and projects.  As we look forward to the upcoming events starting this fall, let’s reflect on this past year…

Students in Creative Studies worked very hard throughout the year planning their annual fundraiser, Art on the Line, and graduating visual arts students showcased their work to an audience of more than 400 people at the opening reception of the BFA Graduation exhibition.

James Luna Performative Lecture

Throughout the winter months, FCCS hosted several visiting artists and scholars. Internationally recognized artists Marlene Creates and James Luna and renowned scholar Ato Quayson spent time on campus working with faculty and students as well as offering public talks and workshops demonstrating their expertise in their fields.

The Visiting Author Series brought five acclaimed Canadian writers and poets to the Okanagan to present their work to enthusiastic audiences at the Okanagan Regional Library.

Theatre26 Students

For the first time the recently created University Theatre, run by Theatre26, presented student performances as well as a variety of events by performance and theatre groups from the Okanagan and beyond.

The Cultural Studies program collaborated with the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art on the AlterKnowledge Discussion Series. The series brought together faculty, students, and members of the broader community to discuss a variety of topics of social importance.

This year, the Spanish Film Series, now called the Hispanic Film Series, expanded to include films from all over Latin America. The series is in its sixth year of running, and is co-presented by Okanagan College and the Spanish Program and the Latin American & Liberian Studies Program at UBC Okanagan.

15/15 Seminar Series

Graduate students in FCCS organized the 15/15 Seminar Series in which pairs of graduate students from the Faculty co-presented their current research and invited discussion about their work.

We are fortunate to offer these opportunities to the local community to engage with renowned artists, writers and scholars and appreciate the support of all of the students, staff, faculty and community members who came out to these events! We look forward to the continued showcase of these and new events for the upcoming year.

Keep up to date on FCCS events and news stories on our new website, or like us on Facebook.

Left to right: Brit Bachmann, Corie Waugh, Lucas Glenn, Kevin Jesuino, Wisdom Tettey

Four current BFA students in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies were nominated for 2013 Okanagan Arts Awards, recognizing their contributions and support of the arts in the Valley.

The annual Okanagan Arts Awards were created by the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan six years ago to celebrate excellence in the arts in the Okanagan.

The students were nominated in two of the award categories: Kevin Jesuino was nominated for the Supporter of the Arts Award; Brit Bachmann, Lucas Glenn and Corie Waugh were nominated in the category of Arts Association Award for their creation of Zine One11.

“All of us in the faculty of Creative and Critical Studies are very proud of these BFA students,” says Neil Cadger, head of the Department of Creative Studies. “It is really great to see that they are being recognized for their contributions to the local arts scene. The scene has grown through their efforts. I hope we can manage to sustain what they have started.”

Kevin Jesuino has been involved in the local arts community and is committed to engaging with and being of service to the creative community. He has been working at the Alternator Gallery for Contemporary Art for the last year. Jesuino has also been involved organizing and promote many events in the community including the Ecotone Festival, and many of the events in the University Theatre put on by the Theatre Course Union at UBC’s Okanagan campus.

“Kevin and I were hanging out one day and I just put two and two together,” says Lucas Glenn. “ARTSCO was asking for awards, and Kevin had been doing a great job cultivating the arts all year round. He is the most involved facilitator I have known in the Okanagan, and he does an exceptional job promoting and getting people excited about the arts. Seems like the man for the award, to me.”

Studio One11 is a small artist co-op affiliated with the Alternator Gallery for Contemporary Art. The co-op’s drive is to promote zine culture and self-publishing in the Okanagan by creating hand-made books filled with their artwork and the artwork of other local artists.

“The Zine One11 team has inspired a whole new generation of local independent art/magazine/book makers and it has also encouraged a younger demographic of locals to participate, become involved and interact with the local arts and cultural centre,” says Jesuino, who nominated the group for the award.

“The project itself also exemplified the type of work I like doing myself: team collaboration and using everyone’s best skills to create a final product. It’s great to see a collective this young working together and stirring things up here in Kelowna.”

This year the Arts Awards were held March 2 at the Kelowna Community Theatre for a large audience that included 45 nominees, plus local arts supporters. The Castanet 2013 Supporter of the Arts Award was given to Robert MacDonald, and the Central Okanagan Foundation Arts Association Award went to Creator’s Art Centre.

It’s official — with a new sign installed this week, the Fine Arts & Health Building is now identified as the Creative and Critical Studies Building!

To join the Department of Creative Studies in one building, the faculty and staff in the Department of Critical Studies and the FCCS Dean’s office moved during the summer of 2012 into the Fine Arts & Health Building.

Now we are pleased to announce that the building name has officially been changed to Creative and Critical Studies — abbreviated to CCS — and our shiny new sign was installed this week.

The call is out to all visual artists in the Okanagan to contribute their artwork for the 11th annual Art on the Line fundraiser.

Presented by the Visual Arts department in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies (FCCS), Art on the Line is a popular auction of sorts based on a vast selection of juried artwork donated by students, faculty, community members, and noted local artists.

Art on the Line submissions help fund the fourth-year BFA students’ graduation art show.

Contributors are asked to drop off artwork by the submission deadline — January 10, 2013 — outside the 4th Year Studio at FIN226 (second floor of the Fine Arts Building). Please ensure submissions are labelled correctly and that paper or fragile submissions are properly protected and/or framed. (The FCCS office will be closed from Dec. 22 to Jan. 2.)

Questions about submissions and gala tickets can be addressed to Melissa at melissa.mchugh@ubc.ca or Elysse at epbujold@gmail.com.

This academic year, Art on the Line will be held January 26th, 2013, at UBC’s Fipke Centre. The event traditionally includes visual mediums such as drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, and mixed media.

With a selection order based on a random lottery system, Art on the Line ticket holders are entitled to one piece of original juried art. After the last ticket holder chooses from the large selection, the remaining artwork becomes available for purchase.

There will be 100 tickets sold for Art on the Line at $175 each. One ticket admits two people and entitles the holder to one piece of original juried art, appetizers courtesy of the Bike Shop Cafe and Catering Co., and live music by The Malarkeys.

Non-ticket holders can pay $10 at the door to enter the Art on the Line fundraiser.