September 19, 2016

BC Teachers! Register Now for Stand Out! Arts Integration Professional Development Workshops

ArtStarts is thrilled to announce a new professional development event for BC teachers taking place at the ArtStarts Gallery in Vancouver on the October 21, 2016 province-wide Pro-D day.

Stand Out! Putting Learning on the Centre Stage through the Performing Arts is a full-day professional learning experience for K-12 teachers.

This event will engage your creativity while exploring arts integration as an approach to teaching. Take part in two hands-on, skills-based workshops in the arts that aim to nurture your creative confidence:

• Page and Stage with Dia Davina
• Physical Theatre in the Classroom with Susan Bertoia

The workshops will be followed by a plenary conversation, facilitated by educator Leanne Ewen, on how we can immediately put these newly learned art skills into action in the classroom.

About the workshops:

Page and Stage with Dia Davina

Spoken word poetry can be integrated into classrooms as a medium for students to explore and express their identities, to hone public speaking skills, and to be exposed to and learn a unique approach to literary arts. Through hands-on writing and performance activities, this workshop offers educators insight into the experience students have when exploring new art forms in educational settings. Cultivating an atmosphere of curiosity and enthusiasm requires safe spaces for students to step into new activities; in this workshop, Dia will model the creation of safe space, allowing educators to experience how this environment supports artistic exploration. Educators will come away with direct experience with writing and performance activities and the skills to confidently incorporate performance poetry into their classrooms. Cultivating curiosity and encouraging active engagement, Dia Davina will lead activities and discussions for educators to explore playful and valuable approaches to teaching performance poetry.

About Dia Davina: Bringing a fresh, new voice to the scene, Dia Davina has taught and performed for youth audiences across Canada since 2012. Their unparalleled ability to connect with youth and their moving, earnest and dynamic performance has made them a unique and sought after poet and arts educator. With a rare combination of vulnerability, candor and humour, Dia is a poet able to stare into the dark corners of our hearts and find the light.

Physical Theatre in the Classroom with Susan Bertoia

Theatre is an incredibly empowering medium of expression. Your body and your imagination are all it takes to be present and make great performances. In a safe and non-judgmental space, work with experienced theatre artist Susan Bertoia, and learn how you can utilize methods from theatre to illuminate your classrooms and allow the curriculum to come alive. Using the “tableau” as a building block for the workshop, you’ll explore stage composition, actions, character relationships, focal points, perspectives and light. Discover engaging strategies for creative flow that will empower your students to utilize theatre as an avenue for learning and communicating ideas. You’ll not only learn how to awaken your body to communicate Big Ideas, but also values within the Core Competencies.

About Susan Bertoia: Susan is a highly sought-after theatre artist because of her unique and fun approach to theatre classics: Commedia dell’Arte, mask and physical theatre. She holds a BFA from UBC and has advanced studies in commedia and physical theatre from institutions abroad. Susan also serves as a speech arts adjudicator and as an artist in residence at many schools in BC. As a performer, she has worked with the Arts Club Theatre, Western Canada Theatre, Firehall Theatre, Richmond Gateway and Boca Del Lupo. Her devised work is extensively movement-based. Accolades include a Jessie Award for Outstanding Performance and a Gordon Armstrong Theatre Artist Award. Susan is also the Artistic Director of Bella Luna Productions.

Stand Out! takes place on October 21, 2016 at the ArtStarts Gallery and Resource Centre, lcoated at 808 Richards Street in downtown Vancouver.

Early Bird pricing is available until September 30, 2016. Space is limited, so register now!

For more details and to register, visit artstarts.com/october

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