Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2026 - CA 152 D100

Live Acts II (3)

Class Number: 4231

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 5 – Apr 10, 2026: Mon, Wed, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    GOLDCORP

  • Prerequisites:

    CA 151.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

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.

COURSE DETAILS:

LIVE ACTS II: 15 Beginnings

“Over the years we began to work many times, directionless except for our starting point.” Matthew Ghoulish, Small Acts of Repair.


You enter the studio with a few good friends and ideas, but how do you begin? This course provides possible jump-starts in performance making: cracking open a playscript, digging through your neighbor’s sock drawer, gut feelings, photos from the archive, the attitude of a sculpture, lines misremembered, a joke heard from across the room, a long walk in the rain. We’ll begin many times over—examining how other practitioners start their own projects while tracking the elusive nature of all beginnings—collecting and returning to our own impulses. In the end, students amass practical and poetic beginnings to return to throughout their careers. 


Prerequisite: CA 151, or by permission of instructor. 

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

  • Develop practical techniques and concepts for sustainable studio practices in performance.
  • Examine interdisciplinary processes for creating original performance work. 
  • Explore personal impulses and preferences for creative research.

Grading

  • Attendance & General Participation 20%
  • Studio Work 40%
  • Midterm 20%
  • Final 20%

NOTES:

This is a process driven, creative research lab; each participant is responsible for the production and maintenance of its trajectory. This requires full attendance and participation in scheduled classes and presentations. 

Materials

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.