Please note:

To view the Spring 2024 Academic Calendar, go to www.sfu.ca/students/calendar/2024/spring.html.

Contemporary Arts Courses

CA 104 - Music Fundamentals (3)

This course is designed to provide a basic understanding of the elements of music and teaches the skill of reading music notation. An introduction to music theory and exposure to the application of music materials in a wide spectrum of music literature will be accompanied by practical exercises. The course is designed for students with no formal music training. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Students with credit for FPA 104 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 117 - Modern Art History (3)

An introduction to the visual arts of the nineteenth century. Formal and thematic approaches to the arts will be introduced, with attention to the social, institutional, national, and international contexts of art. Students with credit for CA (or FPA) 167 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 118 - Contemporary Art History (3)

A study of the visual arts from the twentieth century to the present, with attention to the artists, artworks, movements, and discourses that re-defined the functions and meanings of art. The debates of modernism, postmodernity, postcolonialism, feminism, and the avant-garde will be systematically explored. Students with credit for CA (or FPA) 168 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 120 - Introduction to Dance Forms: Contemporary and Popular (3)

A studio course devoted to the development of movement skills through specific styles of dance. The content of the course changes every term including techniques in Bhangra, Afro-Caribbian, Hip Hop and Contemporary. May repeat for credit. May be of particular interest to students in other departments.

CA 122 - Dance Training and Movement Systems I (5)

First of two studio courses in contemporary dance, ballet and other movement techniques. This is one of four courses required for entry into the dance major and minor programs. Prerequisite: Prior approval as a result of an audition. Corequisite: CA 122 and CA 129 must be taken concurrently. Students with credit for FPA 122 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 123 - Dance Training and Movement Systems II (5)

Continues and expands on the work undertaken in CA (or FPA) 122. Emphasizes work in contemporary dance, ballet, and other movement techniques with attention to theoretical approaches to contemporary dance. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 122. Corequisite: CA 123 and CA 124 must be taken concurrently. Students with credit for FPA 123 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 124 - Improvisation Tools and Scores (3)

Movement improvisational skills will be explored in a variety of solo, duet, group forms through structured movement themes and scores. Emphasis will be on sensory awareness, elements of movement, and composition. Prerequisite: Declared dance major, extended minor, or permission from instructor.

CA 127 - History of Dance: From the 20th Century to the Present (3)

Study of the development of modern dance and the reformation of the ballet from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. Emphasis will be placed on seminal dance artists and the impact their work has had upon the art form in western theatre dance. This course may be of particular interest to a range of students in departments across the University. Prerequisite: 12 units. Students with credit for CA (or FPA) 227 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.

CA 129 - Movement Fundamentals (3)

This studio/theory course is an exploratory movement laboratory designed for first year dance majors/minors. This course incorporates techniques of body awareness, centering, and structural realignment. This course may be of interest to dancers, actors, kinesiologists, and athletes with an extensive movement background. Prerequisite: Declared dance major, extended minor, or permission from instructor. Students with credit for FPA 129 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 130 - Fundamentals of Film (4)

Introduces students to the basic components of filmmaking through lectures, film screenings and creative projects in the various media that combine to form cinema. A laboratory fee is required. Students should be advised that course activities may require additional costs. Prerequisite: Prior approval through formal application. Students who have completed CA (or FPA) 132, 133, 134 or 230 may not take this course for further credit. Students with credit for FPA 130 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 131 - Filmmaking I (4)

An introductory course in film production, emphasizing creative use of the medium. Each student is expected to conceive, direct and edit a short film, as well as participate in the making of class exercises and other students' films. A laboratory fee is required. Students should be advised that film production will probably incur significant costs in addition to lab fees. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 130 and prior approval. Students with credit for FPA 131 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 135 - Introduction to Cinema (3)

An introductory course designed to facilitate a fundamental understanding of film technique, style and form in order to develop the skills with which to analyze films of all genres. Through lectures and screenings it will provide an overview of the social, aesthetic and technical development of motion pictures, introducing tools for the formal analysis of the elements of cinema: cinematography and lighting, art direction, performance, editing, sound and the screenplay. The formal and historical elements of documentary, avant-garde and dramatic films will be addressed. The course will involve the screening and discussion of several complete feature films and shorts, as well as excerpts from others. Students with credit for FPA 135 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 136 - The History and Aesthetics of Cinema I (3)

This course will examine the early development of cinema from 1890 until about 1945, with particular emphasis on the fundamental principles of film as an art form. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Students with credit for FPA 136 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 137 - The History and Aesthetics of Cinema II (3)

This course will examine selected developments in cinema from 1945 to the present, with attention to various styles of artistic expression in film. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Students with credit for FPA 137 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 140 - Contexts in Creative Music and Sound Practice (3)

Looks at the issues involved in being a creative musical artist in the 21st century. Topics include historical context, race and gender, the role and influence of politics, music and identity, appropriation, art music, functional music, and hybrid practices. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 142 - Music Appreciation in the 21st Century (3)

21st Century Music Appreciation aims to develop a critical ear and advanced listening skills. The course will take a post-modern approach to appreciation in that it will present a diversity of music from many cultures, styles, and periods in an effort to discover similarities, differences, and defining characteristics. Students with credit for FPA 142 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 143 - Sound Fundamentals I (3)

A practical introduction to the foundations of sound and music from a variety of perspectives including but not limited to acoustics, psychoacoustics, western music harmony and ear training as well as the basics of sound synthesis and digital audio editing. Emphasis will be working towards a practical application in a creative/expressive context. Prerequisite: Acceptance into the major, or permission of instructor. Corequisite: CA 145 or permission of instructor.

CA 144 - Sound Fundamentals II (3)

The continuation of CA 143. Prerequisite: CA 143. Corequisite: CA 146.

CA 145 - Creative Sound Studio I (3)

An introduction to the methods of creative composition in diverse contexts. A hands-on sound and music-making experience through the exploration of digital audio workstations, composing for performance featuring objects and DIY instruments, approaches to music annotation/scoring/scripting, as well as exposure to new work and artists via in-depth analysis and discussion. Students will be required to attend a weekly area-wide seminar where the practice of composition will be discussed. As CA 145 is a limited capacity studio course, first seats are reserved for accepted Music and Sound Majors but additional seats are available. If you are not a Music and Sound Major, but wish to take this course with the intention of considering the Major, please contact the SCA Undergraduate Academic Advisor at sca_adv@sfu.ca. Corequisite: CA 143.

CA 146 - Creative Sound Studio II (3)

The continuation of CA 145. Students will be required to attend a weekly area-wide seminar where the practice of composition will be discussed. Prerequisite: CA 145. Corequisite: CA 144.

CA 149 - Sound (3)

Introduction to acoustics, psychoacoustics, sound synthesis, audio sampling and signal processing, and sound production in general as relating to music, film sound, radio, new media, art installations and live performance. Students who have taken CA (or FPA) 184 cannot take CA (or FPA) 149 for further credit. Students with credit for FPA 149 may not take this course for further credit. Quantitative.

CA 150 - Introduction to Acting (3)

An approach to the elements of acting for non-theatre performance majors. Work will include development of individual powers of expression - vocal, physical, intellectual, imaginative, and emotional. Students with credit for FPA 150 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 151 - Live Acts I (3)

The first of four performance studio courses in the Live Acts cluster. A practical introduction to the foundations of live performance making from a variety of perspectives. With a rotating topic each term, students develop the foundational skills for creating original, contemporary live art. Prerequisite: By audition.

CA 152 - Live Acts II (3)

The second of four performance studio courses in the Live Acts cluster. A continued exploration of the foundations of live performance making from a variety of perspectives. With rotating topics each term, students develop the foundational skills for creating original, contemporary live art. Prerequisite: CA 151.

CA 153 - Acting II: Playing with Form (3)

The second Performance acting course. Work focuses on a range of established dramatic forms and techniques, with or without text. Prerequisite: CA 152. Students who have taken CA (or FPA) 289 as a special topics acting course cannot take this course for further credit.

CA 160 - Introductory Studio in Visual Art I (3)

A hands-on studio course modeled on the progressive development of artistic practice from simple mark-making to full scale installation. Through a process of continuous transformation, an original idea is developed in a sequence of methods, materials and scales. Some research is required. A course materials fee is required. Students with credit for FPA 160 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 161 - Introductory Studio in Visual Art II (3)

A continuation of the work begun in CA (or FPA) 160, with emphasis on particular problems in the visual arts worked through a series of projects, culminating in the Campus Project, a site-specific public work designed, built and installed at the end of the term. Some research is required. A course materials fee is required. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 160. Students with credit for FPA 161 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 170 - Introduction to Production Technology (3)

An introduction to the processes, tools and technology used in the production and presentation of the contemporary arts. Course requirements will include hands-on assignments in the production of theatre, dance, and music events. Students will work directly with equipment and materials, and are expected to be involved in work on productions and exhibitions outside of lecture and lab hours. Laboratory fee required. May be of particular interest to students in other areas and departments. Students with credit for FPA 170 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 171 - Introduction to Stage and Production Management (3)

An introduction to the management, and organization of the performing arts. This course will provide a grounding for students who wish to become further involved in the administration of the performing arts and may include practical experience outside of regular seminar hours. May be of particular interest to students in other areas and departments. Students with credit for FPA 171 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 174 - Transforming Objects (3)

Explore how objects transform in relationship to body, space, and story. Techniques may include: mask-making, costume, puppetry, and toy theatre. Students will engage design concepts through iteration, rapid prototyping, and project scaling, as well as individual and collaborative materials based performances.

CA 186 - Art and the Moving Image (3)

Introduces the many ways artists have employed moving images across artistic disciplines. By the completion of the course students should have a good sense of both the historical innovations and traditions in moving-image arts as well as the use of moving images in the contemporary art scene. Students with credit for FPA 186 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 210W - Art and Visual Culture: Materials, Forms, Histories (3)

A course based on exemplary readings designed to introduce students to a wide range of theories and methods of visual analysis and historical interpretation of works of art. Prerequisite: 21 units including six in CA (or FPA) history/theory courses and CA (or FPA) 168 or CA 118. Students with credit for CA (or FPA 210) may not take this course for further credit. Writing.

CA 216 - Selected Topics in Cinema Studies (3)

This course will cover a specific topic within the field of cinema studies not covered in depth in regularly scheduled courses. This course can be repeated once for credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: One of CA 135, 136, 137, 186, 235, 236, 316 (or 337), 318 (or 335), 416 (or 436), or 30 units. Students with credit for CA 237 under the same topic may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 217 - Introduction to Performance Studies (3)

Traces the interdisciplinary origins of performance studies and brings its concepts and methods to bear on dance, music, theatre, performance art, and media performance. Prerequisite: 45 units including one history/theory course within the School for the Contemporary Arts. Students with credit for CA (or FPA) 311 under this topic may not take this course for further credit. Students with credit for CA (or FPA) 317 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 220 - Dance Training and Movement Systems III (4)

A continuation of the work in CA 123, this course focusses on a range of movement forms and approaches to dance studio practice. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 122, 123, 124, 129 and prior approval by interview. Students with credit for FPA 220 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 221 - Dance Training and Movement Systems IV (4)

A continuation of the work in CA 220, this course focusses on a range of movement forms and approaches to dance studio practice. (studio). Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 220. Students with credit for FPA 221 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 228W - Dance Aesthetics (3)

An introduction to aesthetic theory as it applies to dance. Lectures will address, among other things, the nature of aesthetic experience, as well as issues pertaining to critical judgment, communication, taste, and high and low art. Students with credit for FPA 228W may not take this course for further credit. Writing.

CA 229 - Selected Topics in Dance I (3)

A specific topic in dance which is not otherwise covered in depth in regular courses. The work will be practical, theoretical, or a combination of the two, depending on the particular topic in a given term. May repeat for credit. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 220 or prior approval.

CA 230 - Filmmaking II (5)

The first of two courses (CA (or FPA) 231-5 is the second) which form an intensive study of the craft of filmmaking, with an emphasis on production planning, creative development and the shooting and editing of short films. In-class exercises and film screenings will lead to the production of several original films. Each student will be expected to play major creative and technical roles in these productions. A laboratory fee is required. Film production may require personal funding in addition to the lab fees. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 131, and CA (or FPA) 136 or 137, and prior approval. Corequisite: CA 233. Students who have taken CA (or FPA) 330 for credit may not complete this course for further credit. Students with credit for FPA 230 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 231 - Filmmaking III (5)

This course continues the work begun in CA (or FPA) 230-5 Filmmaking II. Students will acquire proficiency in film technique through lab exercises, readings and film screenings. As well, all students will participate in the completion of short original films which were begun in CA (or FPA) 230. Emphasis is placed on the development of means for creative expression supported by technical skills. Laboratory fee required. Students should be advised that film production will probably incur significant costs in addition to lab fees. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 230 and CA (or FPA) 233. Students with credit for FPA 231 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 232 - Film Sound (3)

Through lectures, demonstrations and studio work, students will be introduced to several aspects of location sound recording and audio post production for film and video. Topics will include synchronization systems and techniques, editing, music scoring, mixing and both analog and digital sound technology. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 131. Students with credit for FPA 232 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 233 - The Techniques of Film (2)

Covers the technical aspects of basic film production skills: camera, lighting, sound, editing, lab processes. Laboratory fee required. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 131 and prior approval. Corequisite: CA 230. Students with credit for FPA 233 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 235 - Experimental Film and Video (3)

A survey of the key works and ideas that have informed contemporary moving image art practice nationally and internationally. Beginning with antecedents in painting and photography, the course will move forward from the early European avant-garde to the lyrical and structural works of the seventies, the issue-based work of the eighties, and finally the gallery-based practices of the present day. Intended for all students with an interest in the moving image as an art form. Prerequisite: One of CA (or FPA) 117 (or 167), 118 (or 168), 135, 136 or 137 or 30 units. Students with credit for FPA 235 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 236 - Cinema in Canada (3)

Examines the achievements of dramatic, documentary and experimental filmmaking in Canada from the earliest days until the present. Special attention will be paid to the cinemas of Quebec and western Canada, and to the cultural, political and theoretical traditions that have shaped contemporary cinema in Canada. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Prerequisite: 3 units in film or cinema studies (CA (or FPA) 135, 136, 186, 235, 216 (or 237), 316 (or 337), 318 (or 335)) or 30 units. Students with credit for FPA 236 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 238W - Screenwriting I (3)

This course introduces the methodologies of writing for the screen in various styles, including dramatic, documentary and experimental forms, with an emphasis on structure and the creative expression of visual ideas. Students will perform a variety of writing assignments and each will be expected to complete one or more short original scripts. Prerequisite: One of CA (or FPA) 136, 137 or 253 and prior approval. Students with credit for CA (or FPA) 332 or 238 for credit may not take this course for further credit. Students with credit for FPA 238W may not take this course for further credit. Writing.

CA 240 - Soundbox I (3)

A collaborative creation-performance course in which students design and produce creative projects collectively in varied small/large group configurations. Forces involved can include any mix of instruments/objects/electronics designed toward collective live performance, sound sculpture/installation, or any other type of sound-based experience. May be co-taught across other SCA areas as an interdisciplinary model. Prerequisite: CA 140, 144, 146.

CA 241 - Creative Coding Lab (3)

An introduction to coding software for creative outcomes. Students will be introduced to basic algorithmic concepts used to generate and process music, sound, and fixed- and moving-image. Sensors and audio/video analysis will be introduced. The course will also include introduction to practical applications in generative art processes. Prerequisite: CA 143 or permission of instructor.

CA 242 - Ensemble in Residence Lab I (3)

Focuses on compositional projects specific to the school’s current Ensemble in Residence. A compositional understanding of performance practice will be explored through the students’ own projects, including chamber music performance, instrumental techniques, orchestration, notation, integration with optional amplification and electronics (if relevant), rehearsal and annotation techniques. Prerequisite: CA 146.

CA 243 - Gamelan I (3)

Practical and theoretical study of music for gamelan ensemble, based on, but not limited to, traditional Javanese music. This course is designed as an introduction to the study of the music of non-Western cultures and as a method of developing ensemble musicianship. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite: Prior approval.

CA 245 - Creative Sound Studio III (3)

Project based composition tutorials, putting into practice personal tools accumulated in music/sound labs. Projects can engage any combination of resources/approaches, including DIY performance, fixed media, installation, live electronics, the Ensemble in Residence, or in collaboration with students in other disciplines. Students will be required to attend a weekly area-wide seminar where the practice of composition will be discussed. Prerequisite: CA 140, 144, and achieving a B (or higher) in CA 145 and CA 146.

CA 246 - Creative Sound Studio IV (3)

The continuation of CA 245. Prerequisite: CA 245.

CA 247 - Fixed Media Lab (3)

An introduction to the practice, techniques and concepts underlying contemporary electronic music fixed media composition, with an emphasis on facilitating a personal creative approach. Process-focused exercises will develop creative fluency in studio composition working with digital audio workstations, field recording, studio recording and editing techniques, digital audio processing, and sound synthesis. Exposure to new work and artists working in studio-related practices will serve as context and backdrop. Prerequisite: CA 140, 144, 146 or permission of instructor. Quantitative.

CA 249 - Selected Topics in Music I (3)

A specific topic in music which is not otherwise covered in-depth in regular courses. The work may be practical, theoretical or a combination of the two, depending on the particular topic in a given term. May repeat for credit. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 140 and/or prior approval. Students with credit for FPA 249 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 250 - Acting III: Composing Through Materials (3)

The third Performance acting course. Work focuses on composition, employing a range of existing and original materials. Prerequisite: CA 153. Corequisite: CA 254. Students with credit for FPA 250 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 251 - Live Acts III (3)

The third of four performance studio courses in the Live Acts cluster. A continued exploration of the foundations of live performance making from a variety of perspectives. With rotating topics each term, students develop the foundational skills for creating original, contemporary live art. Prerequisite: One of CA 123, 131, 146, 152, 161, 171.

CA 252 - Live Acts IV (3)

The fourth of four performance studio courses in the Live Acts cluster. A continued exploration of the foundations of live performance making from a variety of perspectives. With rotating topics, students develop the foundational skills for creating original, contemporary live art. Prerequisite: One of CA 123, 131, 146, 161, 171, 251.

CA 253 - Co-Lab (4)

Emphasizes compositional skills and the rigorous exploration of movement, text, and design. Co-Lab provides directors, performers, writers, sound artists, designers, filmmakers, and choreographers opportunities to devise, rehearse, and perform new public facing performances or events to audiences over the term. May repeat once for credit. Prerequisite: One of CA 123, 131, 146, 152, 161, 171.

CA 254 - Body I (2)

Body I introduces 'the body' as a primary material of performance. With rotating topics, students develop the foundational skills for creating original, contemporary live art. Prerequisite: One of CA 123, 131, 146, 152, 161, 171.

CA 255 - Body II (2)

Further explores 'the body' as a primary material of performance using a variety of perspectives on embodied practice as aesthetic experience. With rotating topics each term, students develop the foundational skills for creating original, contemporary live art. Prerequisite: One of CA 123, 131, 146, 152, 161, 171.

CA 256 - Environments I (3)

The first of two courses focused on the experiential production of space, Environments I introduces students to contemporary practices, concepts and methods specific to creating site specific and responsive performance. Prerequisite: One of CA 123, 131, 146, 152, 161, 171.

CA 257W - Context I (3)

The first of two courses in the Context cluster. With a grounding in performance studies, this course explores histories and theories of the avant-garde, live art, and theatre. With a rotating topic each term, students develop the foundational skills for analyzing, researching, and writing about contemporary performance. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

CA 260 - Studio in Visual Art I (3)

This course permits students to work extensively in a mature critical studio environment on a combination of freely chosen and assigned projects in various contemporary media. Reading will be required. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 118 (or 168) and 161. A course materials fee is required. Students with credit for FPA 260 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 261 - Studio in Visual Art II (3)

Continues work done in CA (or FPA) 260-3. Work will combine freely chosen and assigned projects in a variety of contemporary media. Readings will be required as an integral part of studio work. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 260. A course materials fee is required. Students with credit for FPA 261 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 262 - Methods and Concepts: Drawing-based Practices (3)

A studio course introducing drawing practices as they relate to practical, conceptual, aesthetic and historical issues in contemporary art. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 160. A course materials fee is required. Students with credit for FPA 262 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 263 - Methods and Concepts: Painting-based Practices (3)

A studio course introducing painting practices as they relate to practical, conceptual, aesthetic and historical issues in contemporary art. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 160. A course materials fee is required. Students with credit for FPA 263 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 264 - Methods and Concepts: Sculptural Practices (3)

A studio course introducing sculptural practices as they relate to practical, conceptual, aesthetic and historical issues in contemporary art. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 160. A course materials fee is required. Students with credit for FPA 264 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 265 - Methods and Concepts: Photo-based Practices (3)

A studio course introducing photographic practices as they relate to practical, conceptual, aesthetic and historical issues in contemporary art. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 160. A course materials fee is required. Students with credit for FPA 265 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 269 - Methods and Concepts: Selected Topics (3)

A studio course introducing topics in art-making practices as they relate to practical, conceptual, aesthetic and historical issues in contemporary art. May repeat for credit. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 160. A course materials fee is required.

CA 270 - Production Ensemble I (6)

Students having a basic familiarity with elements of production and design participate in an in-depth theoretical and practical exploration of staging, audio and lighting for theatre, dance and music production. Assignments will be conducted in class and through practicum work on productions. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 170.

CA 271 - Production Ensemble II (6)

Students having a basic familiarity with elements of production and design participate in an in-depth theoretical and practical exploration of stage and production management for theatre, dance and music production. Students in this class will develop skills necessary to provide technical support for the school's productions. Assignments will be conducted in class and through practicum work on productions. Maybe of particular interest to students in other departments. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 170. Quantitative.

CA 276 - STT-Video Projection for Performance and Installation (3)

Introduction to various software and hardware for digital image making and content editing. Creation of multi-media installations and performances using video projection. Cultivation of skill-sets to identify and visualize student ideas, such as visual research and proposal packages. Prerequisite: CA 174, CA 170 or permission of instructor.

CA 285 - Interdisciplinary Studio - Composition/Collaboration (3)

An introduction to the techniques of artistic composition as experienced in a collaborative interdisciplinary studio environment. The emphasis is on the creation, analysis and critique of new compositions created in collaborative groups by students in dance, music, theatre, film/video and visual art. Prerequisite: One of CA (or FPA) 122, 130, 145, 150, 160, 170. Students with credit for FPA 285 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 289 - Selected Topics in the Contemporary Arts (3)

A specific topic in the historical and contemporary arts which is not otherwise covered in depth in regular courses or which is not appropriately placed within a single arts discipline. The work will be practical, theoretical, or a combination of the two, depending on the particular topic in a given term. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. May repeat for credit when offered with different topics. Prerequisite: 15 CA (or FPA) units.

CA 304 - Professional Practices in the Contemporary Arts (3)

Focus on understanding working life in the arts and culture sector as related to students’ own creative and scholarly practices. Prepares students for internships and practicums by building knowledge of potential working environments and approaches. Additional topics include career and job search as well as development of artistic projects. Prerequisite: 30 units in Contemporary Arts.

CA 305 - Explorations in Contemporary Arts I (3)

Exploration of a disciplinary or interdisciplinary research topic with School for the Contemporary Arts faculty. Focuses on studio-based project(s), and attention will be paid to theoretical and historical contexts. This course can be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: 30 units in CA (or FPA).

CA 306 - Practicum in Contemporary Arts I (3)

Intended for advanced students to gain hands-on learning experience with an arts organization. This can include artist run centres, film festivals, media arts or performance venues, galleries, museums, and arts publications. The student's time in the practicum should total 80 hours, to be carried out over the course of a term. Students are also required to reflect on their learning through participation in a Canvas course. Practicums can involve research, writing, organizing events, curating exhibitions and programs, studio apprenticeships, public relations, media production, archiving, and related activities. A written report is produced by the student at the conclusion of the practicum. This course cannot be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: 45 units.

CA 307 - Internship in Contemporary Arts I (4)

Intended for advanced students to gain practical experience in a work-related setting relevant to their studies through part-time, paid positions in the arts and culture sector. The student's time should total 100 hours. Projects can involve research, writing, organizing, public relations, media production, archiving, and related activities. This course is Pass/Fail. Prerequisite: 45 units and permission of Internship Coordinator.

CA 308 - Contemporary Arts Field School I (Theory/History) (4)

A scholarly exploration of artistic traditions and practices in the country being visited, with special attention to cultural, theoretical, historical and political contexts. This course can be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: A minimum of 30 units and approval of Field School Director.

CA 309 - Contemporary Arts Field School II (Studio) (4)

Students receive training in selected forms of dance, film, video, theatre, music, visual art and other forms of art production in the country being visited, with the opportunity of interacting with local people, artists and academics. This course can be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: A minimum of 30 units and permission of Field School Director.

CA 312 - Selected Topics in Contemporary Arts (3)

Investigates a selected thematic topic in art and performance studies such as: postcolonial theory and the arts; perception and embodiment; art activism and resistance; or urban art and culture. This course can be repeated twice for credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: 45 units.

CA 312W - Selected Topics in Contemporary Arts (3)

Investigates a selected thematic topic in art and performance studies such as: postcolonial theory and the arts; perception and embodiment; art activism and resistance; or urban art and culture. This course can be repeated twice for credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: 45 units. Writing.

CA 314 - Readings in the History of Art, Performance and Cinema (3)

Investigates a selected topic in the history of art, performance and cinema. This course can be repeated twice for credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 117 (or 167), 186, and 210W (or 210).

CA 315 - Sound Art: History and Concepts (4)

This lecture course investigates sound art as an interdisciplinary practice that draws its history and concepts from contemporary visual art, installation art, performance art, experimental music, and their various confluences. We will study historical precedents of experimental sound work as well as think critically and creatively about the themes and concerns that inform contemporary practices. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for CA 312 Special Topics in Art and Culture Studies under the title "Sound Art" may not take this course for further credit.

CA 316 - Intermediate Selected Topics in Cinema Studies (4)

An intermediate course in critical studies in cinema addressing a variety of topics. This course can be repeated once for credit if the topic is different. Students with credit for CA (or FPA) 337 may take this course for further credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: Nine units in CA (or FPA) courses including CA (or FPA) 136 or 137.

CA 318 - Theory and Cinema (4)

This course is concerned with the systematic understanding of the general phenomenon called Cinema rather than with the properties or techniques of individual films. Various theoretical positions will be assessed and compared in terms of cinematic practice and its ideological functions. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Prerequisite: Six units from among CA (or FPA) 136, 137, 216 (or 237), 236. Recommended: CA (or FPA) 210W (or 210). Students who have credit for CA (or FPA) 234 may not take this course for further credit. Students with credit for CA (or FPA) 335 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 319W - Critical Writing in the Arts (3)

Examines aspects of critical writing associated with the historical and contemporary arts and encourages students to participate as writers in the artistic and cultural debates of their day. Forms examined will include but not be limited to reviews, articles, descriptive synopses for exhibition and festival programs, curatorial essays, project proposals and artists' statements. Prerequisite: 60 units including at least six units in CA (or FPA) history/theory courses. Students with credit for CA (or FPA) 319 may not take this course for further credit. Students with credit for FPA 319W may not take this course for further credit. Writing.

CA 320 - Dance Training and Movement Systems V (4)

The first of three upper division courses which build upon the movement vocabulary and practice of contemporary dance. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 221. Students with credit for FPA 320 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 321 - Dance Training and Movement Systems VI (4)

Continues and expands upon the work undertaken in CA (or FPA) 320. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 320. Students with credit for FPA 321 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 322 - Intermediate Ballet I (3)

Explores the vocabulary and movement range of classical ballet technique at the intermediate level. Further attention will be given to the understanding of body placement, balance, flexibility and strength. Practical studio experience is offered within the context of specific theoretical principles. May repeat for credit. Prerequisite: Acceptance into the dance major or extended minor program, or prior approval.

CA 323 - Intermediate Ballet II (3)

Continuation of CA (or FPA) 322, with an emphasis on expanding the vocabulary and movement range of classical ballet technique at the intermediate level. Further attention will be given to the understanding of body placement, balance, flexibility and strength. Practical studio experience is offered within the context of specific theoretical principles. May repeat for credit. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 322 or prior approval.

CA 324 - Approaches to Composition (3)

Focused on learning different movement based compositional methods used to make new work. Students will apply new compositional ideas, expanding and setting material in space and working with different approaches of music, light and sound. Students will work with peers from production and design and other areas to create specific projects. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 124, 228W, and 285. Students with credit for FPA 324 may not take this course for further credit. Quantitative.

CA 326 - Repertory I (5)

One of two courses which provide advanced level dance students the opportunity to work as an ensemble rehearsing and preparing for a series of public performances. Choreography will be created and/or selected by a faculty director. This course can be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Acceptance into the dance major or extended minor, and prior approval. Corequisite: Students must be concurrently enrolled in a technique course at an appropriate level. These courses include CA 220, CA 320, CA 322, CA 420, and CA 421.

CA 327 - Repertory II (5)

One of two courses which provide advanced level dance students with the opportunity to work as an ensemble rehearsing and preparing for a series of public performances. Choreography will be created and/or selected by a faculty director. This course can be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Acceptance into the dance major or extended minor and prior approval. Corequisite: Students must be concurrently enrolled in a technique course at an appropriate level. These courses include 220, 320, 322, 420, and 421.

CA 329 - Selected Topics in Dance II (3)

A specific topic in dance which is not otherwise covered in depth in regular courses. The work will be practical, theoretical or a combination of the two, depending on the particular topic in a given term. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 221 or prior approval.

CA 332 - Film Production Seminar (3)

Facilitates an in-depth understanding of the organizational aspects of film production, with emphasis on pre-production planning. The class will study methods of proposal writing, pre-production and production, developing production packages for short film and video projects. This course is strongly recommended for all students intending to take CA 430. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 231 or prior approval. Students with credit for FPA 332 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 334 - Selected Topics in Film and Video Production (3)

This course will cover a specific topic within the field of film and video production not covered in depth in regularly scheduled courses, such as optical printing techniques, film and video editing, experimental film and video production, or documentary film and video production. Students may repeat this course for further credit under a different topic. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 231 and prior approval.

CA 338W - Screenwriting II (3)

This course will present advanced theory and techniques for writing dramatic, experimental and documentary film and video scripts. Additional topics covered include script analysis, production breakdown, and the writing of treatments and proposals. Prerequisite: One of CA (or FPA) 238 or 353 or 457 and prior approval. Strongly recommended for all students developing projects for production in CA (or FPA) 430. Students with credit for FPA 338W may not take this course for further credit. Writing.

CA 339 - Directing and Acting for Film and Video (3)

This course acquaints intermediate level students with techniques of dramatic film performance. Students will be expected to perform as both actors and directors on scene work in class. Topics covered include auditioning, script analysis, role preparation, rehearsal, blocking for the camera, and directing techniques. This course is not a duplicate of CA (or FPA) 339 Selected Topics in Film. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 231, or CA (or FPA) 251 with prior approval. Students with credit for FPA 339 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 340 - Creative Ensemble Lab (3)

Studio-based performance ensemble. An immersion in practices of live performance, focusing upon listening, interaction, and creating music for small groups or the entire ensemble, both through collaboration and individually. Offerings will focus upon a single model per term; models include hybrid acoustic/electronic ensembles, laptop ensembles, improvisation ensembles. May be taken twice for credit. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.

CA 341 - Music and Culture (3)

The relationship of music and culture, with emphasis on traditional and contemporary music in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Indigenous cultures of North America. Specific cultural areas may be selected for intensive study in any particular term. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Prerequisite: 45 units.

CA 342 - Ensemble in Residence Lab II (3)

The continuation of CA 242. Prerequisite: CA 242.

CA 343 - Gamelan II (3)

Continuation of CA (or FPA) 243, with increased emphasis on the theoretical and ethnomusicological aspects of gamelan. May be taken twice for credit. Prerequisite: CA 243.

CA 344 - Thinking and Writing About Sound (3)

An in-depth investigation of selected social, political, philosophical, and theoretical issues associated with contemporary music and the sonic arts. Topics such as sound and technology, popular music and the mass media, or critical issues in non-western and Indigenous music might also be considered. This course can be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: CA 140 or permission of instructor.

CA 345 - Creative Sound Studio V (4)

The continuation of CA 246. Prerequisite: CA 246.

CA 346 - Creative Sound Studio VI (4)

The continuation of CA 345. Prerequisite: CA 345.

CA 347 - Live Electronics Lab (3)

A detailed study of historic and current systems and techniques of live electroacoustic performance, and their applications for creative use. Students will create personal electroacoustic performance systems/stations, working towards a focus upon gestural and expressive performance in both solo, duo, and ensemble situations. May be taken twice for credit. Prerequisite: CA 247 or permission of instructor. Quantitative.

CA 349 - Selected Topics in Music II (3)

A specific topic in music which is not otherwise covered in depth in regular courses. The work may be practical, theoretical or a combination of the two, depending on the particular topic in a given term. This course can be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 245.

CA 350 - Performance as Research I (3)

The first of two courses dedicated to the development of a new work of performance led by a faculty member or visiting artist. Introduces themes and concepts, develops process and materials for a presentation in the subsequent term. Integrates the techniques acquired in context and studio courses. May repeat once for credit. Prerequisite: CA 252 and declared status in the theatre and performance major or honours, or by prior approval.

CA 351 - Acting VI: The Artist in Ensemble Process (3)

The sixth and final Performance acting course features student-led creation of original in-class performance(s). Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 252, 253, 350, and 354. Corequisite: CA 355. Students with credit for FPA 351 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 352 - Mainstage Playmaking (3)

The third playmaking course involves the director-led deconstruction/adaptation of a major dramatic text, or the development of an original composition. Provides the basis for the Mainstage presentation in the subsequent term. May repeat for credit. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 251.

CA 353 - BlackBox Performance (4)

Students continue playmaking research through the creation of an ensemble-generated series of public presentations. Integrates and implements the techniques acquired in studio courses. May repeat for credit. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA 253), or prior approval.

CA 354 - Social I (2)

The first of two courses in the Social Studio stream. Students will be introduced to contemporary practices, methodologies and ethical considerations at play at the intersection of performance and social practice. Prerequisite: One of CA 221, 231, 246, 252, 261, 271, 285.

CA 355 - Social II (3)

The second of two courses in the Social Studio stream. Building on CA 354, students will continue research and experiment with contemporary methodologies at the intersection of performance and social practice. Prerequisite: CA 354.

CA 356 - Environments II (3)

The second of two courses focused on the experiential production of space, Environments II introduces students to contemporary practices, concepts and methods specific to creating site specific and responsive performance. Prerequisite: CA 256.

CA 357W - Context II (3)

The second of two courses in the Context cluster. Work will include reading, writing and experiments in live performance creation. With a grounding in performance studies, this course offers a variety of frameworks and approaches to the histories and theories of the avant-garde. live art, and theatre. With a new topic each term, students develop skills for analyzing, researching, and writing about contemporary performance. Prerequisite: CA 257W. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

CA 359 - Selected Topics in Theatre (3)

A specific topic in theatre not otherwise covered in-depth in regular courses. The work may be practical and/or theoretical. Prerequisite: CA 250, or prior approval.

CA 360 - Studio in Visual Art III (4)

An open critical studio course. Students are required to have a program of work prepared at the beginning of the term. This program will constitute the basis of the student's work in the course, and will be the subject of continuing critical discussion. This discussion will be integrated with theoretical studies in the parallel seminar course, CA 366. Those students who have satisfactorily completed the lower division requirements for the major may apply for entry into the third year studio/seminar stream. Admission is by portfolio assessment and course achievement review in the spring term before third year. A course materials fee is required. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 117 (or 167), 118 (or 168), 210W (or 210), 261 and status as an approved Visual Art Major. Corequisite: CA 366. Students with credit for FPA 360 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 361 - Studio in Visual Art IV (4)

An open critical studio course. It will continue and extend work done in CA (or FPA) 360. Students are required to have a program of work prepared at the beginning of the term. This program will form the basis of the student's work in the course, and will be the subject of continuing critical discussion. This discussion will be integrated with theoretical studies in the parallel seminar course, CA 367. A course materials fee is required. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 360 and 366. Corequisite: CA 367. Students with credit for FPA 361 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 362 - Methods and Concepts: Drawing-based Practices (3)

Presents drawing practices as they relate to practical, conceptual, aesthetic and historical issues in contemporary art. Additional assignments will be required for students taking the course at this level. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 160. A course materials fee is required. Students with credit for FPA 362 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 363 - Methods and Concepts: Painting Practices (3)

Presents painting practices as they relate to practical, conceptual, aesthetic and historical issues in contemporary art. Additional assignments will be required for students taking the course at this level. (studio). Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 160. A course materials fee is required. Students with credit for FPA 363 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 364 - Methods and Concepts: Sculptural Practices (3)

Presents sculptural practices as they relate to practical, conceptual, aesthetic and historical issues in contemporary art. Additional assignments will be required for students taking the course at this level. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 160. A course materials fee is required. Students with credit for FPA 364 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 365 - Methods and Concepts: Photo-based Practices (3)

Presents photo-based practices as they relate to practical, conceptual, aesthetic and historical issues in contemporary art. Additional assignments will be required for students taking the course at this level. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 160. A course materials fee is required. Students with credit for FPA 365 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 366 - Seminar in Visual Art I (3)

A seminar course to be taken by all students in CA 360. It deals with visual art topics of an historical, critical and theoretical nature that concern practicing artists in the contemporary context. Students will be required to present research papers. Each research subject will be studied in connection with the student's own artistic work. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 117 (or 167), 118 (or 168), 210W (or 210), 261 and status as an approved Visual Art Major. Corequisite: CA 360. Students with credit for FPA 366 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 367 - Seminar in Visual Art II (3)

A seminar course to be taken by all students in CA 361. It deals with visual arts topics of an historical, critical and theoretical nature that concern practicing artists in the contemporary context. Students will be required to present research papers. Each research subject will be studied in connection with the student's own artistic work. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 366. Corequisite: CA 361. Students with credit for FPA 367 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 369 - Methods and Concepts: Selected Topics (3)

A studio course presenting topics in art-making practices as they relate to practical, conceptual, aesthetic and historical issues in contemporary art. This course may be taken more than once for credit under a different topic. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 160. A course materials fee is required.

CA 370 - Production Ensemble III (6)

Provides students with training and an historical and contemporary context for their related practicum roles as production heads and stage management and design personnel. Issues will be drawn from the School's current production season and from national and international forums in related fields. Assignments will be conducted in class and through practicum work on productions. May repeat for credit. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 270 and 271 or prior approval.

CA 371 - Production Ensemble IV (6)

Provides students with training and an historical and contemporary context for their related practicum roles as production heads and stage management and design personnel. Issues will be drawn from the School's current production season and from national and international forums in related fields. Assignments will be conducted in class and through practicum work on productions. May repeat for credit. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 270 and 271 or prior approval.

CA 374 - Stage Lighting (4)

Explores contemporary stage lighting for theatre, dance and opera. Participants will review the principles of theatrical lighting instruments and control systems and will experiment with the components of lighting design in a variety of studio projects. This course will require a practicum in an actual performance. Laboratory fee required. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 270 or prior approval. Students with credit for FPA 374 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 375 - Stage Design (4)

Explores the numerous complex processes and practices needed to create two and three dimensional designs for stage and performance. Students will engage in a series of creative projects, research, analysis and presentations to enable them to develop and realize their design solutions. Laboratory fee required. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 270 or prior approval. Students with credit for FPA 375 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 381 - Thriving as a Cultural Entrepreneur (3)

Focus on skills and knowledge required to thrive as a creator/entrepreneur in contemporary society. Exploration of the life cycle of various creative enterprises and the development of a personal plan to realize the student's goals. Additional topics to include an introduction to strategic and financial planning, brand development, contracts and business culture. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for FPA 381 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 386 - Film Music: An Overview of the Relationship between Music and Moving Pictures (3)

This course examines the role of music in the viewer's experience of moving pictures. Beginning with the early 1900s, the lectures will introduce important composers, directors, films, genres and historical periods. Specific films and other works will be analyzed. Prerequisite: 60 credit hours. Students who have taken this course previously as special topics may not take it again for further credit. Students with credit for FPA 386 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 389 - Selected Topics in the Contemporary Arts II (3)

A specific topic in the historical and contemporary arts which is not otherwise covered in depth in regular courses or which is not appropriately placed within a single arts discipline. The work will be practical, theoretical, or a combination of the two, depending on the particular topic in a given term. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. May be repeated twice for credit when offered with different topics. Prerequisite: 30 units of CA (or FPA) courses.

CA 390 - Filmmaking IV (4)

This course includes a series of technical workshops, screenings and seminars along with the completion of creative student projects. A laboratory fee is required. Project costs may require personal funding over and above the lab fee. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 231 or approval of instructor. Students with credit for FPA 390 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 393 - Filmmaking V (4)

Students are encouraged to challenge conventional notions of digital media and to explore the creative possibilities associated with contemporary media applications. This project-based course includes a series of technical workshops, screenings and group seminars. Students will initiate and complete a project of their own choosing; collaborations are encouraged. A laboratory fee is required. Students should be advised that project costs may require personal funding over and above the lab fee. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 390 or approval of instructor. Students with credit for FPA 393 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 400 - Directed Studies (Studio) (3)

An opportunity for advanced students to carry out an independent project which is planned and completed in close consultation with the supervisory instructor. Before enrolment, the student must submit a written proposal outlining the project in detail to the chosen supervisor for approval. Directed studies courses may not be used as a substitute for existing courses. May repeat for credit. Variable units: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Prerequisite: 60 units plus a minimum standing of completion of second year in any of the programs offered in the School for the Contemporary Arts, and prior approval.

CA 401 - Directed Studies (Theory/History) (3)

This course is intended to provide opportunity for advanced students to carry out an independent project which is planned and completed in close consultation with the supervisory instructor. Before enrolment, the student must submit a written proposal outlining the project in detail to the chosen supervisor for approval. Directed studies courses may not be used as a substitute for existing courses. May repeat for credit. Variable units: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Prerequisite: 60 units plus a minimum standing of completion of second year in any of the programs offered in the School for the Contemporary Arts, and prior approval.

CA 405 - Explorations in Contemporary Arts II (5)

Exploration of a disciplinary or interdisciplinary research topic with School for the Contemporary Arts faculty. Focuses on studio-based project(s), and attention will be paid to theoretical and historical contexts. Prerequisite: 30 units in CA (or FPA). Students with credit for FPA 405 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 406 - Practicum in Contemporary Arts II (4)

Intended for advanced students to gain hands-on learning experience with an arts organization. This can include artist run centres, film festivals, media arts or performance venues, galleries, museums, and arts publications. The student's time in the practicum should total 120 hours, to be carried out over the course of a term. Students are also required to reflect their learning through participation in a Canvas course. Practicums can involve research, writing, organizing events, curating exhibitions and programs, studio apprenticeships, public relations, media production, archiving, and related activities. This course can be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite: 60 units.

CA 407 - Internship in Contemporary Arts II (4)

Intended for advanced students to gain practical experience in a work-related setting relevant to their studies through part-time, paid positions in the arts and culture sector. The student's time should total 140 hours. Projects can involve research, writing, organizing, public relations, media production, archiving, and related activities. This course is Pass/Fail. Prerequisite: 60 units and permission of Internship Coordinator.

CA 408 - Contemporary Arts Field School III (Theory/History) (4)

A scholarly exploration of artistic traditions and practices in the country being visited, with special attention to cultural, theoretical, historical and political contexts. Prerequisite: A minimum of 30 units and approval of Field School Director. Students with credit for FPA 408 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 409 - Contemporary Arts Field School IV (Studio) (4)

Students receive training in selected forms of dance, film, video, theatre, music, visual art and other forms of art production in the country being visited, with the opportunity of interacting with local people, artists and academics. Prerequisite: A minimum of 30 units and approval of Field School Director. Students with credit for FPA 409 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 412W - Advanced Seminar in Art and Performance Studies (4)

Provides an in-depth investigation of a selected theoretical, historical or thematic topic in art and performance studies. This course requires independent research leading to a substantial paper, as well as directed reading preparation for seminars. Topics will vary from term to term. The course may be repeated four times for credit if the topic is different. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Prerequisite: Eight upper division units; and one of CA (or FPA) 210W (or 210), 316 (or 337), 318 (or 335), or 357W. Writing.

CA 414 - Advanced Topic in the History of Art, Performance and Cinema (3)

An in-depth investigation of a selected topic in the history of art, performance and cinema. This course can be repeated four times for credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 117 (or 167), 186, 210W (or 210) and 45 units.

CA 416 - Advanced Seminar in Cinema Studies (4)

Features intensive study and analysis of selected topics in film theory, history, criticism and aesthetics. Examples include: work of specific directors or periods; theories of narrativity; particular aspects of national cinemas, etc. This course can be repeated once for credit if the topic is different. Students with credit for CA (or FPA) 436 may take this course for further credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 316 (or 337) or CA (or FPA) 318 (or 335).

CA 420 - Dance Training and Movement Systems VII (4)

The third upper division courses which build upon the movement vocabulary and practice of contemporary dance. Can be repeated twice for credit. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 285 and CA (or FPA) 321.

CA 421 - Choreographic Lab (4)

Continues and expands on strategies undertaken in CA (or FPA) 324. Focused on guest artist or faculty research - this course is a process-oriented laboratory for artistic exploration. Students will engage in artistic research led by the guest or faculty artist and culminate in a showing at the end of the term. Repeatable two times for credit. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 124, 285, 324 and (326 or 327).

CA 424 - Making/Artistic Research (3)

Students are encouraged to focus their efforts on an individual practice and to develop new work mentored by faculty and guest artists. The research from this course will be carried over to the spring term senior projects in CA 425. Part of the class will focus on documentation and approaches to building personal profiles. This course can be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite: CA 324.

CA 425 - Intensive Studies in Performance: Senior Projects (5)

Senior students continue the movement-based research initiated in CA 424. An extended final project will be developed, mentored by faculty and guests, culminating in a showing. Fourth year students will focus on choreography; other students will participate as collaborators or performers. This course can be repeated for credit three times. Prerequisite: CA 220, 324.

CA 426 - Dance/Movement Analysis (3)

An introduction into the theory and practice of movement analysis based on recognized theories of analysis. Experiential work may be included in the course and a dance or similar movement background is necessary. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 124 or 150 and 285. Students with credit for FPA 426 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 427 - Advanced Ballet I (3)

An extension of classical ballet technique on an upper intermediate level. Understanding of basic principles is assumed and attention will be focused on combinations of movement, musicality and performance. May repeat for credit. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 323 or prior approval.

CA 428 - Advanced Ballet II (3)

An advanced course. Students must have a thorough background in the vocabulary and techniques of classical ballet. Attention will be given to movement sequences from the ballet repertoire. May repeat for credit. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 427 or prior approval.

CA 430 - Filmmaking VI (6)

The first half of a two term project in advanced film and/or video production. Students are expected to participate in the realization of one or more projects during the two terms. Students seeking entry into this course are required to present a completed script (for a drama) or detailed proposal (for a documentary or experimental film) prior to enrolment. The exact nature of each student's participation will be determined in consultation with the instructor. This course is open only to approved film majors. Students should be advised that film production will probably incur significant financial costs in addition to required lab fees. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 149, 186, 231, 285 and 10 units in film or cinema studies (CA (or FPA) 135, 136, 137, 186, 235, 236, 216 (or 237), 318 (or 335), 316 (or 337), 416 (or 436)) plus prior approval. Students with credit for FPA 430 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 432 - Filmmaking VII (6)

This course is intended for completion of film and video projects begun in CA (or FPA) 430. Particular emphasis will be given to advanced film craft in the post-production phase. The exact nature of each student's participation will be determined in consultation with the instructor. A laboratory fee is required. Students should be advised that film production will probably incur significant costs in addition to lab fees. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 430. Students with credit for FPA 432 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 440 - Soundbox II (3)

A collaborative creation-performance course in which students design and produce creative projects collectively in varied small/large group configurations. Forces involved can include any mix of instruments/objects/electronics designed toward collective live performance, sound sculpture/installation, or any other type of sound-based experience. May be co-taught across other SCA areas as an interdisciplinary model. Prerequisite: CA 240 or permission of instructor.

CA 445 - Senior Project I (5)

Students will undertake larger scale projects in a music/sound creative practice, as the culmination of their undergraduate composition studies. Prerequisite: CA 346.

CA 446 - Senior Project II (5)

The continuation of CA 445. Prerequisite: CA 445.

CA 448 - Solo Performer and Electronics Lab (3)

A practical introduction to composing for instrument and electronics. Students compose short works for an acoustic instrument combined with live signal processing, fixed media, and interactive systems. Analysis of existing works will be included. Prerequisite: CA 247. Students with credit for CA 349 Selected Topics in Music under the same title may not take this course for further credit.

CA 449 - Installation/Sound Art Lab (3)

An advanced studio course in creating sound art installations, as well as more general applications and explorations of sound art creation. These may involve generative processes, hardware hacking, Arduino prototyping, as well as sound, movement, and visual analysis. Prerequisite: CA 241 or permission of instructor.

CA 450 - Performance as Research II (5)

Building on research completed in CA 350, CA 450 is a course culminating in a public facing performance or event led by a faculty member or visiting artist. Integrates and implements the techniques acquired in studio courses. May repeat once for credit. Prerequisite: CA 350 or prior approval.

CA 451 - Creative Research (3)

Offers fourth year theatre and performance students an opportunity to review and frame their performance practice as a unique method of inquiry. Students establish the context of their individual practices while experimenting with bespoke methods of creation, reflection, and potential presentation/production models for their capstone projects. Prerequisite: CA 253, CA 355, CA 356, CA 357W.

CA 452 - Capstone Projects (5)

Supports the production and presentation of capstone projects from the theatre and performance area. These projects are student-led and grounded in their unique creative research on emergent and individualized methodologies for contemporary performance making. Projects supported range from collaborative ensemble creations to solo performances. Prerequisite: CA 451.

CA 453 - Directing/Performance (4)

A course in the fundamentals of directing culminating in public performances of student directed projects. Allows the alternate option of a public Mainstage performance with a professional director. Integrates and implements the techniques acquired in studio courses. May repeat for credit. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 253, and prior approval from the instructor.

CA 457 - Context of Theatre III (4)

An analytical approach to a selected body of dramatic work and/or performances. Includes an intensive consideration of practical dramatic techniques such as story structure and dramaturgy. Prerequisite: Prior approval from the instructor. Students with credit for FPA 457 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 460 - Studio in Visual Art V (4)

This course permits students to work in an open studio situation. Students propose an independent program of work in the media of their choice at the beginning of the term and develop it in critical dialogue with the instructor(s). A course materials fee is required. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 361, 367 and status as an approved major in visual art. Students with credit for FPA 460 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 461 - Studio in Visual Art VI (5)

Permits students completing the visual art major to work in an open and critical studio situation. Students continue to develop a body of work begun in CA (or FPA) 460 for their graduating exhibition at the end of the term. Preparation and installation of the exhibition is part of the course requirement. A course materials fee is required. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 460 and status as an approved major in visual art. Students with credit for FPA 461 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 462 - Honours Studio in Visual Art (5)

Individual studio work at an advanced and intensive level with a commitment to participation in group critiques. Students propose an independent program of work and develop this in critical dialog with instructor(s). Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 361, 367 and admission into the Visual Art Honours Program. Students with credit for FPA 462 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 470 - Production Ensemble V (6)

Provides senior students with training and an historical and contemporary context for their related practicum roles as production heads and stage management and design personnel. Issues will be drawn from the School's current production season and from national and international forums in related fields. Assignments will be conducted in class and through practicum work on productions. May repeat for credit. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 370 or 371 and prior approval.

CA 471 - Production Ensemble VI (6)

Provides senior students with training and an historical and contemporary context for their related practicum roles as production heads and stage management and design personnel. Issues will be drawn from the School's current production season and from national and international forums in related fields. Assignments will be conducted in class and through practicum work on productions. May repeat for credit. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 370 or 371 and prior approval.

CA 485 - Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Contemporary Arts (5)

A studio course focusing on creative collaborations between artists of different disciplines. The emphasis is on the creation, analysis and critique of new compositions created in collaboration between senior students in dance, film, music, theatre and visual art. Prerequisite: One CA (or FPA) studio course at the upper level, a CGPA of 3.0 and an overall average of 3.5 in CA (or FPA) courses. Students with credit for FPA 485 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 489 - Interdisciplinary Project in Contemporary Arts (5)

This course permits students to explore the relationships among the arts by undertaking creative projects involving more than one art form. Students will work under the close supervision of one or more faculty and will be required to discuss their work on a regular basis with others involved in the course. This course can be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: 45 CA (or FPA) units.

CA 811 - Interdisciplinary Graduate Seminar I (5)

Critical study of contemporary issues in the fine and performing arts, with emphasis on concerns common to diverse artistic disciplines and the interaction between art and society. Students with credit for FPA 811 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 812 - Interdisciplinary Graduate Seminar II (5)

Continuation of CA (or FPA) 811. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 811. Students with credit for FPA 812 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 813 - Interdisciplinary Graduate Studio (5)

A selected topics studio course with an emphasis on interdisciplinary artistic projects. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 811. Students with credit for FPA 813 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 821 - Research Methods in Contemporary Arts (5)

Develops thinking across the media arts in a comparative perspective, synthesizing the historical and theoretical approaches of art history, cinema studies, performance studies, and computer-based media studies. Establishes bases for understanding the relationships among art forms that incorporate reproducible and digital media. Investigates some of the useful emergent methods for making comparisons among media, across history, and across cultures. Students with credit for FPA 821 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 822 - Research Colloquium in Contemporary Arts (5)

The research colloquium, a core course taken in the final term of the MA program, focuses on professional development in careers in the arts or PhDs. Through intensive peer review, students revise their extended essay (CA 829) for publication. They identify their audiences, choose appropriate journals, and other venues for publication, and prepare to submit their work, and plan their responses to journal decisions. We discuss permission, contracts, and other intellectual-property issues. Students practice job and grant applications, prepare CVs and cover letters, and work on their public profiles. Students also explore extending their research into curating and public programming. We devote time to public presentation skills for a variety of venues including the final symposium, in which they present their research to the public. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 829. Students with credit for FPA 822 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 823 - New Approaches in Visual Art and Culture (5)

Empire follows Art, and not vice versa as Englishmen suppose. - William Blake, annotations to Sir Joshua Reynold's Discourses (ca. 1798-1809) For WJ.T. Mitchell, pictures have lives and loves. Instead of seeing images as inert objects that convey meaning, he urges us to see them as animated beings with desires, needs, appetites, demands, and drives of their own. In the past three decades, literature on visual culture has burgeoned in art history, cultural studies, critical theory, philosophy and anthropology, and recently it has taken on a "performative turn." For art history, which is traditionally concerned with the interpretation of art objects, the artists who make them and the interests of patrons, the interdisciplinary field of visual culture has opened up new ways of thinking about images of all kinds. In a culture in which the production and dissemination of images has grown exponentially, it has never been more necessary to pay attention to how images work and what they do. While histories of images tend to locate intentionality in the maker or the patron, this seminar seeks to bring forward the intentions of the image, how, for example, its formal material characteristics, modes and contexts of circulation and use, reproducibility and referentiality, solicit responses: how images seem to take on, in Mitchell's words, "lives of their own." For your paper, you can choose as your main object of study a work of art, a landmark exhibition, or a famous image drawn from popular culture. This image or event will be the subject of student presentations at the end of the term. The topic must be a visual phenomenon about which there is a substantial discourse in print, preferably in both scholarly and popular sources. The final paper will be based on your presentation and should address some of the critical issues and readings discussed in class. Students with credit for FPA 823 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 824 - New Approaches in Moving-Image Studies (5)

Examines what are understood as the arts of the moving image: film, video, and other time based audiovisual media. A survey of emerging approaches in cinema studies relates these developments to the longer history of the discipline and the intermedial art forms that informed it, including theater, public spectacles, photography, painting, music, and sound recording. Additional topics include: how the practice, aesthetics, and reception change when cinema moves to television, both move to digital formats, and all these platforms move to handheld and social media; medium specificity in the moving-image arts in light of "media convergence"; what new forms emerge when moving images shift from the institution of cinema to museum and online contexts; new approaches to national cinemas and documentary; and cognitive and neuroscientific theories of moving images. Students with credit for FPA 824 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 825 - New Approaches in Digital Art Studies (5)

This course will focus on the history and practice of digital art, with an emphasis upon the artistic outcomes of the new methodologies and practices within this field. Digital technology has fundamentally changed the process and products of contemporary creativity in art-making. Although a great deal of contemporary art involves some aspect of digital technology, this course will examine those artists and art-works in which digital technologies play an intrinsic part in the creative process, as well as the realization. A range of processes - from interactive systems through to algorithmic approaches (stochastic, deterministic, chaotic) - will be examined, with particular reference to artistic goals, approaches, and results. Students with credit for FPA 825 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 826 - New Approaches in Performance Studies (5)

Traces the interdisciplinary origins of performance studies and brings its concepts and methods to bear on dance, music and sound arts, theatre and performance arts, and media performance while introducing cross-disciplinary ideas from emergent areas such as neuroscience, cognitive science, and gaming, for example. Course assignments will involve case studies as forerunners for further research. Students with credit for FPA 826 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 827 - Practicum in Contemporary Arts (5)

This course is an elective in the MA program. Students are placed with an arts organization in order to carry out a specific project of finite length. The student's labor time in the practicum should total approximately 120 hours, to be carried out over the course of a term. Projects are initiated by the student in consultation with the supervisor at the organization and the MA program supervisor. Projects can involve research, writing, organizing events, curating exhibitions and programs, public relations, media production, archiving, and related activities. The student submits a proposal that indicates the project's purpose, schedule, plans for documenting and reporting, and planned outcome. Final outcomes will vary depending on the placement. The MA program coordinator and the supervisor at the organization approve the project. In some cases, the project must be approved by the Ethics Review Board. SFU’s code of conduct and academic dishonesty policies apply to students while on practicum. The MA program coordinator assigns a grade in consultation with the supervisor at the organization. May be repeated once for credit. Students with credit for CA 830 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 828 - New Approaches to Sound and the Arts (5)

Scholarly research on sound ranges from studies on listening, more-than-human soundscapes, audio media archaeology, sound art, and sonic cultures. These works question and expand upon longstanding issues concerning the onto-epistemologies of sound, the status of the voice, the role of music in everyday life, the politics of sound, and sound's relationship to the imagination and other sensory domains. This seminar will entail an examination of current debates and changing methodologies in sound studies, especially as they pertain to the contemporary arts.

CA 829 - Extended Essay in Contemporary Arts (5)

Students will complete the final capstone project of the MA in contemporary arts. The extended essay builds on knowledge students have gained in course work. Students conduct in-depth research into a topic in contemporary arts and develop and polish an original argument, with the goal of producing a publishable article. The length of the essay should be that of a typical journal article, around 5000-7000 words. Students may also write a catalogue essay to accompany an exhibition. Students research the extended essay with the supervision of two faculty members. They prepare the essay for publication in the Research Colloquium, CA 822. Grading: The faculty supervisors jointly assign a grade of satisfactory/unsatisfactory. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 821 and two of the following: CA (or FPA) 823, 824, 825, 826, or 828. Students with credit for FPA 829 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 830 - Internship in Contemporary Arts (5)

An elective in the MA program. The internship provides students with hands-on, practical experience in a work-related setting relevant to their studies through part-time, paid positions supporting organizations in the arts and culture sector in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. The course enables students to apply their academic training in a professional context, build community connections, and establish the foundations of an arts-related career post-graduation. Enrollment in the course is contingent on individual students being matched with an appropriate organization. Learning objectives are established at the start of the internship in consultation with the MA program coordinator, who also oversees final evaluation of the course. Students complete a maximum of 120 work-related hours over the course of a term, which includes a site visit and the completion of site visit form. Students submit a short reflection paper at the end of their placement. Internships may not require the supervision of a registered or licensed professional, and the completed work experience hours are not required for professional certification. This course is graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory. Students with credit for CA 827 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 877 - Selected Topics in Contemporary Arts (5)

Study of particular artistic techniques or issues. The topic varies from term to term.

CA 883 - Studio in Contemporary Arts I (5)

Intensive studio work, concentrated in a particular art discipline, but with opportunity to involve interdisciplinary materials and techniques. Students with credit for FPA 883 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 885 - Studio in Contemporary Arts II (5)

Continuation of CA (or FPA) 883. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 883. Students with credit for FPA 885 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 887 - Selected Topics in Contemporary Arts (5)

Study of particular artistic techniques or issues. The topic varies from term to term.

CA 888 - Directed Study in Contemporary Arts (1)

Independent research and reading on topics selected in consultation with the supervising instructor. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Students with credit for FPA 888 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 889 - Directed Study in Contemporary Arts (5)

Students with credit for FPA 889 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 890 - Professional Practices Seminar I

A non-credit course for graduate students working in contemporary arts that foregrounds professional aspects of the discipline. Includes workshops on academic writing, research skills development, pedagogy, proposal and grant writing, peer critique, artistic production and management, academic and public dissemination of work, and presentations of works in progress. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

CA 891 - Professional Practices Seminar II

A non-credit course for graduate students working in contemporary arts that foregrounds professional aspects of the discipline. Includes workshops on academic writing, research skills development, pedagogy, proposal and grant writing, peer critique, artistic production and management, academic and public dissemination of work, and presentations of works in progress. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: CA 890.

CA 892 - PhD Qualifying Examinations

Qualifying examinations. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

CA 895 - PhD Thesis Prospectus

Thesis Prospectus. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: CA 892.

CA 898 - Master of Fine Arts Graduating Project (10)

Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Students with credit for FPA 898 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 899 - PhD Thesis (18)

Thesis. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: CA 895.