2011 Fine Arts Conference Just Around the Corner!

Welcome back everyone,

Summer is winding down and the Fine Arts Conference is just around the corner!  This year's conference has an incredible line up of sessions are sure not to want to miss!

The Conference, "Designing Inspir[ed] Learning", takes place the evening of Thursday, October 27th through to Saturday October 29th, 2011 in Calgary. Two fantastic keynotes will be addressing how the arts develop a critical capacity to read the world. Both Friday and Saturday are filled with workshop sessions for Art, Drama, Music, Dance and Interdisciplinary.

Registration is online through the Calgary Regional Consortium. Please follow the link to register 

http://www.crcpd.ab.ca/index.php/site/conferences

You can apply for grants to attend the conference at the ATA site below. The grants can only be used to attend a specialist council conference.

http://www.teachers.ab.ca/For%20Members/Programs%20and%20Services/Grants%20Awards%20and%20Scholarships/Pages/The%20ATA%20Educational%20Trust.aspx

For more information, click on the ATA FAC Council Link on this site.

Fine Arts Conference Early Bird Registration Deadline June 30th

This year's conference proves to be another amazing line up of artists willing to share their talents with teachers --come out and be inspired and take new ideas back to the classroom!  For more information, click on the ATA FAC Council Link on this site.

Puppet Power Conference 2013--Call for Proposals

The Fearless Face of Puppetry

Puppet Power Conference 2013Presented by WP Puppet Theatre Society

Calgary, Alberta, Canada,
Spring 2013, Specifics TBA

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

In 2007 WPTS presented the “Puppets as Agents of Social Change” conference. Now we want to “dig deeper” by examining the potential of puppetry to frame the questions, understand the complexity of the problems and fearlessly face the current global or local issues in our world.

The Puppet Power 2013 Conference Committee is seeking stories of challenges that have been faced and overcome or challenges still in progress, which feature PUPPETS as the protagonists. We are now accepting proposals for keynote talks, hands on workshops, lecture/demos, and multi-media presentations that address the question:

How do you use puppets to address, question and
explore the tough issues facing us in today’s world?

Deadline for first proposal call is October 31^st 2011

Full proposal call and submission guidelines: www.wppuppet.com

Public Education -Edmonton Meeting

http://www.chumirethicsfoundation.ca/files/pdf/MorinvillePublicEducationPoster20110505.pdf

Madd Dash is Just Around the Corner--Don't Miss Out!!

Calling All Artists!

Calling All Drama Teachers!!

Hello Everyone!
Thanks for all your feedback via e-mail or the blog (mostly e-mail)...don't be shy share your thoughts on the blog!!

Speaking of sharing...

Feb- Calagry Teacher Convention Drama Lessons Lunch Exchange--Thursday 12-1pm
I would like to invite you to have lunch with fellow drama teachers during convention.  To attend, you must bring a lesson or unit plan to share.  Please RSVP to:  natasha.joachim@cssd.ab.ca by Tuesday Feb 15, 2011 and attach your lesson or unit plan.  I will make copies ahead of time for all those who have RSVP'd.  I will also send you details of the when and where.  Can't attend lunch but still want to share?  Then post your lesson, resource etc.  on the blog --lets work smarter not harder and share the many great things we are doing in our classrooms.

Upcoming...Drive Ins - recycling an old idea...
Teachers workshopping and exchanging ideas --registration cost?  Bring a lesson plan and be ready to play, be inspired and take away ideas you can integrate into your program right away!!

Host Presenters and Schools Confirmed so far...
March -- St. Rose - Naomi McQuaid
April--Tom Baines - Rob Dougherty
May--St. John Fine Arts --Natasha Joachim

**Stay tuned for dates, times and details of each session!

Calling all of Alberta to set up Drive Ins...
Right now I am getting started in Calgary but would love to see this happening all over the province.  If I can help you organize one at your school please contact me :)  Need no help --then just do it and share what you are doing on the blog!!

Madd Dash -Quality Fine Arts PD!! May 7, 2011 - Don't Miss Out!!

Reminder: Important Meeting with Education Minister on Proposed Changes to Fine Arts Curriculum

Don't forget tomorrow's important public meeting with the Minister of Education Dave Hancock
@ 7 p.m. at Central Memorial High School Theatre, located at 5111 – 21st Street S.W. in Calgary.

The Minister will be speaking to the “Inspiring Education” strategy and how Fine Arts programming will be represented in the new curriculum. At the meeting, Minister Hancock and a small panel of education representatives will discuss the proposed Draft Framework and future changes to Alberta’s Fine Arts curriculum.

For more information please visit: http://www.saveourfinearts.ca/

See you all there!

Happy New Year!!

Hello Everyone and Happy New Year!

I hope everyone is well rested, inspired and ready rock out their school productions and the rest of the school year. There is lots to update you on so stay tuned...

First, and foremost, this blog has been created to begin authentic dialogue with other Drama specialists/enthusiasts and I encourage you to help create, shape and expand this blog.

Second, I want to encourage you to attend a public meeting with the Minister of Education Dave Hancock on Tuesday, January 25th, 2011 @ 7 p.m. at Central Memorial High School Theatre, located at 5111 – 21st Street S.W. in Calgary. The Minister will be speaking to the “Inspiring Education” strategy and how Fine Arts programming will be represented in the new curriculum. At the meeting, Minister Hancock and a small panel of education representatives will discuss the proposed Draft Framework and future changes to Alberta’s Fine Arts curriculum. For more information please visit: http://www.saveourfinearts.ca/

Third, one of the best ways (I think) to enjoy the coldest and what seems to be the longest month of the year is by taking in One Yellow Rabbit's High Performance Rodeo. I had the pleasure to perform in the10-minute play festival for a second time and it was great to see many of you come out to see the 10 minute performances created over a 24hr period by Downstage, Ellipsis Tree Collective, Ground Zero Theatre, Dirty Laundry, Swallow-a-Bicycle and Ghost River Theatre. Every year the festival boasts a stellar line-up and this year proves no different.

My top 4 picks not to miss in this festival would have to be: Catalyst Theatre's Nevermore, Craddock and Cukow's Bash'd: A Gay Rap Opera, Downstage's In The Wake, and One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre's Smash Cut Freeze. There are so many other incredible shows and performances to take in for the rest of the festival so please visit www.hprodeo.ca/ for more info & tickets! The festival runs until the end of January!

Finally, please take a look at this FREE opportunity with Calgary Opera to see Scammed! The secrets of the hustle on January 21, 2011 @ 7pm with Calgary Opera at the Arrata Opera Centre. Calgary Opera's .  Admission is free. To RSVP, please call Calgary Opera's box office at 403-262-7286.

More to come...
Natasha:)