SCA | Quick News | June 6, 2025
Chambers wins the Dean's Medal!
The SCA's Justine A. Chambers, who is not only an SCA alumnus but also an Assistant Professor in our Dance area, is being awarded the Dean’s Convocation Medal (which recognizes the "highest level of academic excellence" in their program) at the upcoming Convocation ceremony on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, starting at 2:30 PM in the Convocation Mall at SFU Burnaby. Read a nice profile of Chambers about her MFA work, The Brutal Joy, HERE. Also, don't miss Chamber's contribution to Mascall Dance's Lurch, which runs June 18, 20 & 21 at 8:30 PM in Studio T here at SFU's School for the Contemporary Arts (149 W. Hastings St., Vancouver), presented as part of the 2025 edition of the Dancing on the Edge festival (other SCA folks performing as part of the festival include SCA alumnus Vanessa Goodman's Tuning (a collaboration with Alexis Fletcher, Ted Littlemore, and Ryan Jackson); the SCA's Stefan Smulovitz and SCA alumni Sarah Hutton in Jennifer McLeish-Lewis' To Fetch a Pail of Water; and SCA alumnus Jenn Edwards' The Centre of Time).
Maier on the road
The SCA's Stefan Maier is playing a number of shows in Europe, including on June 7 (on a bill with Rebecca Lane and Clara de Asís) in Porto, Portugal, at Sonoscopia (Rua de Silva Porto 217, 4250-376 Porto, Portugal), on June 11 (on a bill with Heather Frasch & Biliana Voutchkova and Weston Olencki) at Berlin's Morphine Raum (Köpenicker Str. 147, 10997 Berlin Hinterhof 1. Etage), and – just announced! – on September 30 at Eglise Saint-Eustache (75001 Paris, France) as part of the Festival D'Automne (on a bill with Stephen O’Malley and Hampus Lindwall), presenting a new commissioned collaborative work with Ragnhild May.
Sophia's Forest reviewed
Read The Vancouver Sun (HERE) and The Tyee (HERE) on City Opera Vancouver's presentation of Sophia's Forest, which ran in our Studio T from May 29 – 31, 2025, which also had the SCA's Wladimiro A. Woyno Rodriguez as Projection and Scenic Designer, plus several SCA students and alumni working behind the scenes, as well.
TPE nominated
Nice to see Turning Point Ensemble, which has the SCA's Owen Underhill as Artistic Director and conductor, nominated for Classical Artist or Ensemble of the Year in the 2025 Western Canadian Music Awards. See all the nominees HERE.
Invisible Mothers Research Event
SCA alumnus Donna Szoke, who is an Associate Professor in Studio Art at Brock University, is participating in the Invisible Mothers Research Event, which runs online on June 11, 2025, from 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM (BST), presented by the Centre for Health and Medical Humanities at the University of Kent. More HERE.
Tuning In: Soundscape Recording
SCA alumnus Nancy Tam is running a two-day workshop, "Tuning In: Soundscape Recording," on July 12 & 13, 2025, starting at 10:00 AM at VIVO Media Arts Centre (2625 Kaslo St., Vancouver). More HERE.
Soft Currents for Pedestrian Protest
SCA alumnus Vanessa Goodman (Action at a Distance) is performing Soft Currents on Sunday, June 8, 2025, starting at 2:00 PM at the Vancouver Art Gallery (750 Hornby St., Vancouver), presented as part of the book launch for Pedestrian Protest, an artist book and documentation of Evann Siebens and Keith Doyle's eponymous 2021 multimedia installation at the VAG's Offsite location. More HERE.
Braiding the Land
Featuring choreography from SCA alumnus Starr Muranko, Braiding the Land, an evening of works from Raven Spirit Dance (which has Muranko as Co-Artistic Director and SCA alumnus Jeanette Kotowich as Artistic Associate), runs Friday, June 13, 2025, from 8:00 PM (doors at 7:00 PM) to 9:15 PM at the Maury Young Arts Centre (4335 Blackcomb Way, Whistler). More HERE.
Requiem for Radio: Full Quiet Flutter
SCA alumnus Amanda Dawn Christie is presenting Requiem for Radio: Full Quiet Flutter on Friday June 6, 2025, at 8:00 PM at Salle Bernard LeBlanc (140 Rue Botsford, Bureau 20, Moncton, New Brunswick). More HERE.
Vancouver Short Film Festival at ours
Come watch some short films at our place! The Vancouver Short Film Festival runs June 13 – 15, 2025, here at the SFU School for the Contemporary Arts (149 W. Hastings St., Vancouver), with screenings in the Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema, an Opening Gala in the Djavad Mowafaghian World Art Centre, a Stunt Training workshop in Studio D (Room 2270), and a Festival Distribution Strategy workshop in Room 4390. Full info HERE.
Apply to Launch Pad 2026
With works by SCA alumni currently on display, including by Snack Witch Joni Cheung, Noor Ghazal (نور غزال), and Francisco Berlanga, the City of Vancouver's arts team is calling for submissions to the Public Art Program: Launch Pad 2026. Here's the deal from them:
Are you a recent grad of an art school or apprenticeship? Here's your chance to showcase your 2D artwork on a billboard along Vancouver's Arbutus Greenway! The City of Vancouver invites you to apply for their Public Art Program: Launch Pad 2026.
- Selected artists will receive an artist fee
- Printing and installation costs covered
- Submission Deadline: July 7, 2025, at 4pm PST
- Open to Vancouver-based artists and those from the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, sḵwx̱wú7mesh, or səlilwətaɬ Nations.
Learn more and apply now HERE.
Soji-George at Crit Night
Nice to see Olumoroti Soji-George, an SCA alumnus who's also the Curator / Director of Gallery Gachet and the Co-Director of The Black Art Centre, participating in "Crit Night" at Emily Carr University of Art + Design. More HERE.
Snack Witch's Hit List
Read SCA alumnus Snack Witch Joni Cheung's "hit list" on Akimbo's Akimblog HERE.
Support Pale Fire
Support your scene! Pale Fire, an art gallery started by Amy Kazymerchyk that also runs a backroom salon, which they describe as "a sanctuary that welcomes Vancouver’s art community to celebrate the gallery’s artists and their exhibitions," is having a fundraiser to "obtain a non-traditional liquor primary license," both to keep the salon running as well as the gallery. Share some support if you can. Find out more HERE. And watch a "video portrait" by Brandon Thomas Ng of the salon on Pale Fire's Instagram.
PTC Fringe Prize
The good team at Playwrights Theatre Centre (PTC), which includes SCA alumni Melanie Yeats (Creative Managing Director) and Davey Samuel Calderon (Artistic Producer & Dramaturg), have called for applications to their PTC Fringe Prize. The application deadline is Tuesday, July 3, 2025, at 5:00 PM (PT). Here's what you can win:
- 13 months of dramaturgical support with PTC Dramaturg, Davey Samuel Calderon
- Minimum 3 weeks of free rehearsal space to bring your vision to life
- Production mentorship for producers or producing teams — including grant writing, production planning, and fundraising support
- Artist passes to the 2025 Vancouver Fringe Festival
- A guaranteed spot on the Fringe Mainstage in September 2026 — no lottery, no fees!
More HERE.
Wound Parallax and the Culture of Sensing
Listen to "Wound Parallax and the Culture of Sensing," an audio/video playlist by Manja Ristić that seeks to explore "deeper notions of connectivity, entanglements, and interrelatedness," featuring Bodyscan by SCA alumnus Alexandra Spence. Listen HERE.
Slow Social: Around Sound
Music on Main just shared this great video on YouTube about their collaborative "Slow Socials" programing done with The Only Animal, which has SCA alumnus Barbara Adler as Artistic Director, who's also featured in the video (backed by music from SCA alumnus Toni-Leah C. Yake). Watch the video HERE. And find out more about MoM and The Only Animal's collaboration HERE.
Apply to vActory
Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (VACT), which has SCA alumnus Derek Chan (陳嘉昊) as Managing Artistic Director, are calling "all emerging Asian artists" to apply for vActory, "a mini-performance series designed to catalyze innovative creation and foster artistic exchange." The application deadline is June 30, 2025. Here's the deal:
- $2500 presentation fee for a 15-20 minute original performance (to be allocated based on your project’s needs).
- Dramaturgical and Process support from Artistic Director Derek Chan.
- Production support from vActory’s Production Coordinator and Designer
- Creative and Tech Residency time through What Lab.
- Access to technical equipment through vAct and What Lab.
- Marketing and Publicity support through vAct.
- Opportunities for community engagement and feedback.
More HERE.
Magdy's 60 second reviews
SCA alumnus Doaa Magdy, founder of Horror in Seconds, a festival dedicated to short horror films by BIPOC creators, has added 60 second movie reviews to their busy activities. Watch the first review HERE.
Resonance Beneath the Maple Tree
SCA alumnus Alexandre Klinke / Playback Head is performing Resonance Beneath the Maple Tree, the 10th Anniversary of the great label Hotham Sound Recordings, on Saturday, June 21, 2025, from 4:00 PM – 7:30 PM, at the Salty Pear Studio Gallery (279 Rainbow Road, Salt Spring Island). More HERE.
Adler in Kúme
SCA alumnus Barbara Adler, who's also the Artistic Director of The Only Animal, is participating in the exhibition Kúme, which runs June 7 – August 23, 2025, at the Salmon Arm Arts Centre (70 Hudson Ave. NE, Salmon Arm, BC). More HERE.
Finn talks sh*t with Tara Cheyenne
SCA MFA student Sarah Finn is the guest on the latest episode of Talking Sh*t with Tara Cheyenne, the podcast from SCA MFA student Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg. Listen HERE.
Don't Think about the Pink Dolphins
SCA alumnus Anthony Lee's short film, Don't Think about the Pink Dolphins, is screening as part of the Houston Asian American Pacific Islander Film Festival, which runs May 30 – June 15, 2025. See a trailer for the film on Lee's Instagram HERE.
Ginson, Valentine-Lewis, and Strom on The Place of Objects
SCA alumni Mandy Ginson and Andrea Valentine-Lewis and SCA PhD student Jordan Strom all contributed to exhibition catalogue, The Place of Objects: The John David Lawrence Collection, produced in support of the exhibition Written in Clay: From the John David Lawrence Collection, which is at the Vancouver Art Gallery (750 Hornby St., Vancouver) from May 25 – November 9, 2025. More HERE.
Boombox's June Mixed Bill
SCA alumnus Erika Mitsuhashi is participating in the June Mixed Bill, running June 11 – 13, 2025, at Boombox (44 W 4th Ave, Vancouver), with support from partnering sponsor Company 605. More HERE.
The Seventh Fire at Yirramboi
Produced by Neworld Theatre, SCA alumnus Lisa Cooke Ravensbergen's The Seventh Fire was presented at so-called Melbourne, Australia's Yirramboi Festival, which ran May 1 – 11, 2025. Neworld Theatre shared some quick reflections from Christine Quintana, who's the Collaborating Dramaturg for the work, on their Instagram. Read them HERE.
U on crediting
SCA alumnus Sarah U 余衍晴 shared an informative slideshow on their Instagram about "different standards and norms around crediting." See it HERE.
Cleave talks the slow labour of transformation and more
The Queer Arts Festival and SUM gallery shared a short video on their Instagram with SCA alumnus Sena Cleave talking about their practice. As part of the Queer Arts Festival's PORTALS programing, Cleave is participating the Curated Visual Art Exhibition: PORTALS at Centre A (Unit 205 – 268 Keefer St., Vancouver), which opens with the festival's ArtParty! event on Saturday, June 21, from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM, and running to August 23, 2025. Watch it HERE. Other SCA folks participating in the Portals programming includes SCA alumni Kaila Bhullar, Liz Oakley, Niloufar Samadi, and Taryn Walker, and the SCA's Suze Shore as part of the Community Art Show, opening June 14 from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM at the SUM gallery (#425 – 268 Keefer St, Vancouver), and running to June 28, 2025. See all of the Portals programming info HERE.
Gray in a Another Green World
SCA alumnus Jesse Gray is part of the exhibition Another Green World: Works from the Collection, running June 20 – August 10, 2025, at UBC's Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery (1825 Main Mall, Vancouver). More HERE.
Karpus' PSO routine
SCA alumnus Rebecca Karpus performed as part of Pole Sport Organization's 2025 Canada West & After Dark Pole Championship, which runs May 3 – 4, 2025. Watch Karpus' routine on her Instagram HERE.
Jorge wins!
SCA alumnus Josette Jorge won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Performer in the Children's or Youth category for Ruby and the Well. Congratulations, Josette! More HERE.
Big Top Art School
Big Top Art School, a great project initiated and operated by Andrew Dadson and SCA alumnus Alex Tedlie-Stursberg, is a "free, low barrier, drop-in art school taking place under a pop-up tent at Oppenheimer Park field house," is back in action, meeting Sundays from 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM until October, 2025. More HERE.
Talking & Dancing with Tara Cheyenne
SCA MFA student Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg is presenting a "Talking & Dancing Workshop" from June 9 – 12, 2025, from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM at 1422 William St., Vancouver. More info and registration HERE.
RSA Summer Intensive
Shay Kuebler and Radical System Art are running their RSA Summer Intensive from July 3 – 5, 2025, in our studios here at 149 W. Hastings St., Vancouver. More HERE.
Rahi in Toulouse
Following a 10-day residency, SCA PhD student George Rahi is performing on June 17, 2025, at the Church of the Gesù (22bis rue des Fleurs, 31000 Toulouse, France, presented as part of the Toulouse les Orgues fesstival. More HERE (in French).
Puzzlehead at Red Gate
SCA alumnus Katayoon Yousefbigloo's Puzzlehead is playing July 10, 2025, at Red Gate (1965 Main St., Vancouver). More HERE.
Countertechnique workshop
Hosted by Penelope Boyse, Charles Slender-White is offering a Countertechnique workshop from June 23 – 27, 2025, in our Courtyard Dance Studio (Room 4525) here at the School for the Contemporary Arts (149 W. Hastings St., Vancouver). For more information and to register, email Penelope Boyse at pennyboyse@gmail.com.
Bayati's World Ender
Working with SCA folks on and off the stage, including Lauren Moorhouse, Maraya Franca, Megan Battad, Zack Faulks, Tamlin Vetter, Hailey Gil, and Katie Voth, SCA alumnus Colleen Bayati's World Ender is running July 24 – 26, 2025, at Presentation House Theatre (333 Chesterfield Ave., North Vancouver). More HERE.
Tremors Festival is on
Rumble Theatre's Tremors Festival, running June 6 – 8, 2025, at Progress Lab (1422 William St, Vancouver BC), opens tonight! The festival includes SCA alumnus Howard Dai's Dream Machine, his "interactive work-in-development." Also, SCA alumni Jacob Zimmer (Collaborator for Christine Genier's Dear Star Trek), Brianna Bernard (Lightning Designer for Kern Albert & Donna-Michelle St. Bernard's Panoptikon), and June Fukumura (Dramaturg for Nod by Paige Louter) are part of the programming, too, while Conor Wylie (Lead Producer), Christian Ching, and June Hsu (Venue Technicians) are part of the Festival Team. More HERE.
June signifies
As well as Pride Month (although Vancouver's main Pride events are in August) and, as of 2025 in Vancouver, Italian Heritage Month, June is also National Indigenous Peoples Month. Check SFU's Office for Aboriginal Peoples' site for events at SFU HERE.
Still Depths' Like Hell
Watch the video for Like Hell by Still Depths, featuring SCA Music & Sound student Justin Perdomo, which is up today on YouTube. Watch it HERE. Also, catch Still Depths live tonight – June 6, 2025 – at the The Pearl (881 Granville St., Vancouver), opening for Preoccupations. Get tickets HERE.