LSM Newswire

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Harbourfront Centre Courses & Workshops

Enjoy, learn, make friends and have the time of your life at Harbourfront Centre's Courses & Workshops!

TORONTO, Tuesday, August 12, 2008—Harbourfront Centre is excited to offer a diverse and engaging line-up of contemporary culture courses throughout the fall and winter months. Adults can learn to paint; explore the world of circus arts; tour the city's culinary neighbourhoods; join a book club, and much more! Harbourfront Centre's Courses & Workshops are affordable and provide a perfect environment for adults to learn, and expand their social circle with like-minded individuals at Toronto's leading arts and cultural centre. Courses & Workshops begin on September 15, at Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay West. Register early as class size is limited. To register or for more information, the public can call

416-973-4093 or visit harbourfrontcentre.com/learn.



Fall/Winter 2008 Courses & Workshops



Visual Arts & Design

• Drawing for Fashion Design (5 Mondays, September 15 to October 20, excluding Thanksgiving Monday)

• Expressive Arts (8 Mondays, September 15 to November 10, excluding Thanksgiving Monday)

• Creativity Kickstart (October 4)

• Parent Workshop: Engaging Kids with Contemporary Arts (October 4 & December 4)

• Artist Books (5 Mondays, November 3 to December 1, inclusive)

• Sewing 101 (5 Mondays, November 3 to December 1, inclusive)

• Painting (6 Tuesdays, November 4 to December 9, inclusive)

• Fashion 101 (5 Tuesdays, November 4 to December 1)



Media Studies

• Creating your own Website (5 Mondays, September 15 to October 20, excluding Thanksgiving Monday)

• Demystifying the Digital Camera (September 27)

• Podcasting (October 4-5)

• Digital Photography Manipulation (November 15-16)



Performing Arts

• Circus (4 Mondays, Session 1: September 15 to October 6; Session 2: November 3 to 24)

• Hip Hop (5 Tuesdays, September 16 to October 14, inclusive)

• Flamenco Dance (5 Thursdays, September 18 to October16)



Literary Arts

• Authors at Harbourfront Centre (8 Tuesdays once a month, September to April)



Seasonal

• Make Your Own Holiday Cards (November 15)



Urban & Cultural Studies

• Artistic Architecture in the Public Space (6 Wednesdays, September 17 to October 22)

• Explore Toronto's Culinary Neighbourhoods (September 20: Little India; September 27: Kensington/Chinatown; October 4: Little Italy;

October 11: Danforth)

• Film & Food Club (3 Fridays, October 3 to 17, inclusive)

• Surreal in the City (6 Wednesdays, October 29 to December 3, inclusive)

• Urban Portraiture (6 Tuesdays, November 4 to December 9, inclusive)



Craft Studio Courses

• Introduction to Jewellery (8 week year-round course, 3 hrs/week, evening/weekends available)

• Intermediate Jewellery (8 week year-round course, 3 hrs/week, evening/weekends available)

• Textiles (5 week year-round course, 3 hrs/week, evenings; 1-day year-round workshop, 6 hours)

• Glass Blowing (Friday to Sunday from September to May, 20 hours in total)

• Ceramics (8 week year-round course, 3 hrs/week, evenings)



FOCUS: Borders

Harbourfront Centre travels beyond Borders. Is the world smaller than you think? What would a world without borders look like? Can culture be a universal language? What are the limits of your personal space? Through to September, Harbourfront Centre wants you to read between the lines and consider borders through all of our programming—borders within countries, borders within relationships, open borders, psychological borders, shifting borders and more. Harbourfront Centre—culture without borders.

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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Call for $10,000 grant applications open

Music teachers in Canada sing the praises of MusiCan

TORONTO, April 29 - Today, MusiCan celebrates a recent survey that proves with a
fistful of money and a lot of heart, significant growth in music education is
possible. The survey reported that recipient school students have been given the
ability to explore different genres of music, seen the creation of new musical
ensembles and many recipient schools have indicated an increased number of public
performances since being awarded a grant. MusiCan, the charitable arm of the
Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), plans to continue its
mission to elevate music education in Canadian schools, and is now accepting
applications for 2008-2009 Band Aid grants. Schools will find more information on
application criteria, including downloadable Application Forms for Band Aid grants
at www.musican.ca.

Applications will be accepted from May 1 - August 1, 2008.
The Band Aid musical instrument grants provide Canadian public schools - elementary,
secondary and separate - $10,000 towards the purchase of new musical instruments.
Past grant recipients continue to report positive effects of the increased inventory
size and quality of musical instruments available at their schools,
and an increased time spent on instruction instead of instrument repair.

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Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Deux nouveaux professeurs émérites à l’UQAM

Montréal, le 6 février 2008 – L'UQAM a récemment décerné le statut de professeur émérite à deux professeurs de la Faculté des arts qui se sont démarqués par leur contribution exceptionnelle dans leur domaine respectif. : : Martine Époque, professeure retraitée du Département de danse et André G. Bourassa, professeur associé à l'École supérieure de théâtre.

Statut de professeur émérite

Le statut de professeur émérite est accordé à des professeurs qui ont terminé leur carrière à l'Université, et qui désirent maintenir une activité sur le plan de l'encadrement aux études avancées, de la recherche et de la création. En plus d'avoir un mérite universitaire exceptionnel, les professeurs choisis doivent avoir contribué de façon particulière au rayonnement de l'Université.

Martine Époque

Grâce à Martine Époque, figure-phare de la danse actuelle québécoise, et à sa vision bien spécifique de la danse, l'enseignement de la danse contemporaine a vécu un véritable essor. En 1968, elle fonde la troupe de danse Nouvelle Aire qui permet de former un grand nombre de danseurs québécois de calibre international tels Louise Bédard, Paul-André Fortier, Ginette Laurin, Louise Lecavalier et Édouard Lock. Ses chorégraphies, saluées pour leurs grandes qualités artistiques dans plusieurs pays, ont marqué l'histoire de la danse contemporaine.

Professeure à l'UQAM depuis 1980, Martine Époque a exercé une influence marquante à la Faculté des arts. En 1985, son implication mène à la création du Département de danse qu'elle dirige pendant de nombreuses années. Pionnière dans le domaine des recherches alliant danse et technologies, elle crée une série d'œuvres chorégraphiques multimédia.

Elle participe également, avec des collègues, à la fondation de plusieurs laboratoires de recherches dont le Laboratoire d'applications et de recherches en technochorégraphie, le LARTech, dont elle assume depuis la direction; le Centre interuniversitaire en arts médiatiques, le CIAM; et l'Institut de recherche/création en arts et technologies médiatiques, Hexagram. Ses travaux sont reconnus internationalement et régulièrement exposés dans le cadre de présentation des réalisations exemplaires de cet institut. Au cours des dernières années, elle compte parmi les chercheurs les plus actifs et les mieux financés de la Faculté des arts et de l'UQAM.

André G. Bourassa

André G. Bourassa a publié une quantité phénoménale d'articles et d'ouvrages fondamentaux qui portent notamment sur le surréalisme, la littérature, le théâtre et l'histoire du théâtre, dont « Refus global » et autres écrits (coauteur Gilles Lapointe, 1990) et Les nuits de la « Main » (écrit avec Jean-Marc Larrue, 1993). En 1979, il reçoit le prix France-Canada pour son livre Surréalisme et littérature québécoise. De 1979 à 1997, il fonde et dirige un projet d'édition critique des écrits de Paul-Émile Borduas.

Grâce à ses écrits, grâce à l'amplitude et l'éventail de sa carrière, tant nationale qu'internationale, grâce à ses réflexions très actuelles sur la pratique théâtrale et sa contribution québécoise à la constitution d'une mémoire du théâtre, André G. Bourassa est devenu un ambassadeur de notre littérature.

En plus de ses publications, il participe activement à la fondation de l'Association québécoise des professeurs de français, de la revue Lettres québécoises, de l'Association d'histoire du théâtre du Québec et du Canada et de la Société d'histoire du théâtre du Québec (SHTQ). Il dirige ensuite la revue l'Annuaire théâtral de la Société québécoise d'études théâtrales, l'ancienne SHTQ, qui décerne annuellement le « Prix André G. Bourassa » au meilleur article soumis à la revue.

Professeur à l'École supérieure de théâtre de l'UQAM depuis 1979, M. Bourassa est très impliqué au sein de son département et de l'Université, notamment dans le développement de nouveaux programmes d'études. Il a, entre autres, collaboré à la création du doctorat pluridisciplinaire en études et pratiques des arts. Retraité depuis 2001, il demeure rattaché à l'Université à titre de professeur associé.

- 30 -

Source : Huguette Lucas, M.A

(08-049) Conseillère en relations avec la presse

Tél. : 514 987-3000, poste 6832

lucas.huguette@uqam.ca



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Tuesday, January 22, 2008

RCM to confer Fellowships on R.Murray Schafer, Steven Staryk and John Perry

Composer R. Murray Schafer, Violinist Steven Staryk and Pianist John Perry to Receive Honorary Fellowships from The Royal Conservatory of Music
Convocation Ceremony for Class of 2007 to be held Saturday, January 26

Toronto, January 22, 2008 - Internationally acclaimed Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer, Canadian-born violinist Steven Staryk and American pianist John Perry will be named Honorary Fellows of The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) at the Convocation Ceremony which will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, January 26 at the Toronto Centre for the Arts in North York. This year's honourees join a distinguished group of colleagues including the late Oscar Peterson, Mario Bernardi, Mme. Aline Chrétien, Adrienne Clarkson, Maureen Forrester, Teresa Stratas, A.Charles Baillie, David Mirvish, Thomson Highway and Robertson Davis.

In conferring the honorary fellowships, Dr. Peter Simon, President of The Royal Conservatory of Music said, "These three extraordinary artists have made a substantial contribution to the development of music and music education in Canada, earning them the affection of the music community, the recognition of their peers and the respect of this country. All three have very strong links with the Conservatory, having studied and taught here. Thanks to their contribution, the Conservatory continues to have an immense impact on the cultural and social life of our entire nation."

RCM graduates from as far away as Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Moose Jaw, Winnipeg, Montreal and Fredericton, as well as from communities across Ontario, travelled to Toronto to take part in the Convocation ceremonies. Each of the RCM graduates receives an ARCT certificate, becoming an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music, an internationally recognized certificate for teaching or performing.

This year's Convocation Ceremony will also feature a special performance by a 15-year old violinist Bora Kim, a student at the Conservatory's Young Artists Academy (YAPA) and a recipient of the RCME Gold Medal for Excellence in Theory.

Founded in 1886, The Royal Conservatory of Music is the largest and oldest independent arts educator in Canada, serving more than 500,000 active participants each year. To provide an even wider reach for its programs, the Conservatory has launched the Building National Dreams Campaign to restore its Victorian home and to build a state-of-the-art performance and learning centre.

Opening in 2008, the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning will be one of the world's greatest arts and education venues and a wonderful resource for all Canadians. Designed by Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects (KPMB), this stunning facility will feature new academic and performance space, including an acoustically perfect 1,140-seat concert hall, new studios and classrooms, a new media centre, library and rehearsal hall. Technologically sophisticated, it will be the heart of creative education in Canada.

Biographical Sketches of Honorary Fellows:

Pianist John Perry earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at the Eastman School of Music. Mr. Perry has achieved considerable acclaim as a touring and recording artist and has won numerous prizes in international competitions. He has performed extensively throughout Europe and North America. Mr. Perry records for labels including Telefunken, Musical Heritage Society, CBC, Fox and ACA, which recently released his recording of three major American works for piano solo: Paul Cooper's Sinfonia, Sam Jones' Sonata for Piano, and the Piano Sonata of Donald Keats. As a respected chamber musician, Mr. Perry collaborates with some of the world's finest instrumentalists.

He has also attained an international reputation as a teacher, presenting master classes throughout the world. His students have been first prize winners in major competitions including the Rubinstein, Music Teachers' National Association, Naumburg Chopin National competition, Beethoven Foundation competition, Federated Music Clubs, the Young Keyboard Artists Association, American Music Society Competition and Young Musicians Foundation.

John Perry is a faculty member of the Colbourn School for Performing Arts, a frequent guest faculty member at the Banff Centre, artist-faculty member of the Aspen Music Festival, the Sarasota Festival and the Holland Music Sessions. During the academic year, he is a faculty member of the Thornton School of Music, the University of Southern California and The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

R. Murray Schafer
has earned a reputation as one of Canada's most important composers and music educators. His works have ranged from orchestral compositions and choral music to musical theatre and multi-media productions. He has won national and international acclaim not only for his musical compositions, but also as a dramatist, educator, environmentalist, literary scholar and visual artist. Born in Sarnia, Ontario, Mr. Schafer suppressed a youthful urge to become a painter to study music at The Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of Toronto and obtained a piano degree from the Royal College of Music in London, England. During his stays in Vienna and London between 1956 and 1961, he taught himself journalism, languages, literature, music and philosophy.

His diversity of interests is reflected by the enormous range and depth of such works as Loving (1965), Lustro (1972), Music for Wilderness Lake (1979), Flute Concerto (1984), and the World Soundscape Project, as well as his 12-part Patria music theatre cycle. His most important book, The Tuning of the World (1977), documents the findings of the World Soundscape Project, which united the social, scientific and artistic aspects of sound and introduced the concept of acoustic ecology.

His many honours include the Fromm Foundation Award in 1972, the Canadian Music Council Medal in 1972, a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1974, the William Harold Moon Award in 1974, the Composer of the Year Award from the Canadian Music Council in 1976, the Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music in 1977 (for String Quartet No. 2, Waves). In 1980, he received the Prix Honegger for String Quartet No.1 and in 1987 he became the first recipient of the triennial Glenn Gould Prize for Music and its Communication. In 1993, he received the Canada Council for the Arts Molson Prize and in 1999 he became the recipient of the Louis Applebaum Composer's Award. In 2005, he won the Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts. R. Murray Schafer also holds honorary doctorates from universities in Canada, France and Argentina.

A renowned teacher, acclaimed orchestral and chamber musician, and international soloist, Steven Staryk is considered a leading Canadian-born violinist of his generation. He has won the respect of his peers and of the critics for his virtuosity and orchestral leadership.

Mr. Staryk made his recital debut for CBC radio at 14 and at 17 he performed Paganini's Concerto No. 1 with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra at Massey Hall. In 1956, he was runner-up in the International Competition for Musical Performers in Geneva. He was runner-up again at the Carl Flesch International Competition in London.

Following the competition in London, he became concertmaster of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of 24 - the youngest in its history. This earned him the title of the "king of concertmasters" from the prestigious Strad magazine. He went on to serve as concertmaster of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, Amsterdam Chamber Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Staryk is also a well known master teacher and has taught at the Amsterdam Conservatory, Northwestern University and the American Conservatory in Chicago. He became the youngest full professor at Oberlin College Conservatory in Ohio. He served as a head of the string department at the Vancouver Academy of Music and taught at the University of Victoria.

His other teaching positions include the University of Ottawa, the University of Western Ontario, The Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of Toronto. His teaching career culminated with the University of Washington in Seattle, which conferred on him its distinguished Teaching Award, the first ever given to a professor in its School of Music.

Mr. Staryk was a member of the Oberlin String Quartet, a founding member of Quartet Canada, led the CBC String Quartet and formed the Staryk-Perry Duo with pianist John Perry. Steven Staryk also served as the first Canadian adjudicator for the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1982.

Media Contact:
Jack Kado, Director of Public Relations
Tel. 416-408-2824 ext. 461; email: jack.kado@rcmusic.ca



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