Douglas College is joining a four-school effort to offer a bachelor of performing arts degree - the first of its kind in Canada.
Capilano University, Douglas College, Langara College and Vancouver Community College have joined forces to offer the degree starting in May 2012.
The program is designed for students and working professionals with a significant background in dance, music, film arts, stagecraft, theatre, arts and entertainment management, musical theatre or digital media.
It's a nine-month program that focuses on collaboration, entrepreneurship and creative development.
"It's the kind of real-world training that is too often neglected in performing arts programs," said Marcus Youssef, project manager for the program and artistic director of Neworld Theatre in Vancouver, in a press release. "Nowhere else in the country have four academic arts institutions partnered to offer a cross-disciplinary performing arts degree that has, at its heart, a commitment to collaboration and self-generation. These are elements which we believe are crucial to young artists' future success."
Students will work and study with artists and faculty from a variety of disciplines. They will be required to form a company to create and produce an original, cross-disciplinary performance event defined by company members' interests and creative experience.
"The program offers students from a wide variety of backgrounds the unique opportunity to create original multidisciplinary shows while developing the entrepreneurial skills necessary to make a self-directed performing arts career feasible," Youssef said.
Students will be drawn from both the certificate and diploma programs offered by the four partner schools, as well as applicants from other institutions across the country.
Meg Stainsby, the steering committee chair and dean of language, literature and performing arts at Douglas College, said the degree offers extra value for students.
"One of the program's most important aspects is its ability to offer a degree to the many performing arts students who receive their professional training in diploma and certificate programs," she noted. "It will open up a whole new world for many of them in terms of their future prospects."
The students will begin classes in May 2012 at Capilano University. Early applications are now being accepted; the final application deadline is Jan. 10.
For more information see www.capilanou.ca/bpa.
