Global Contemporary Performance: Sibiu International Theatre Festival
THTR 440S | 3 credits
Arts Research Abroad funding is available for this program. 70%-100% of program fees and flight costs will be covered for qualifying Arts students from the Vancouver campus.
This course is led by Patrick Rizzotti & Leora Morris, Faculty of Arts
- Travel dates: June 20, 2023 – July 3, 2023 (pre-trip zoom sessions in May-June)
- Format: In-person with pre-trip prep online
- Locations visited: Romania (12 – 14 Days)
- Approximate program fees: $3000.00 - $3500.00 (plus tuition and flights)
- Funding: 70%-100% of program fees and flight costs will be covered for qualifying Arts students (Vancouver). Other qualifying students will receive a $1,000 Go Global Award We encourage students who are not eligible for the ARA funding to apply for the Global Pathfinder Award. See Program Fees and Costs for more details
We will prepare for and attend the 10-day FITS (Festival International Theatre Sibiu) in Sibiu, Romania. While there, students will have a chance to immerse themselves in an international performing arts festival where they will see, study, and discuss specific performance works created by artists from around the world. For ten days each June, the small Romanian town of Sibiu hosts the world’s 3rd largest performance festival, FITS (Festival International Theatre Sibiu), featuring roughly 500 works of theatre, dance, circus, opera, and music from 70 countries. Many of the works at FITS profoundly influence and transform the landscape of contemporary performance - and many of these artists never tour their work to Vancouver (or even North America!). This course will place students in a direct, live encounter with artworks from around the world in one ten-day sprint. In addition to analyzing the work onstage, students will be encouraged to consider how the context of creation (including the artist’s biography, and the political, social, and artistic landscapes of their place of origin) informs the artwork, and how the international festival context impacts the student’s experience and evaluation of the piece. This collision of artistic work from around the world will broaden students’ experience of contemporary performance and allow them to see their own personal practices and/or performance conventions more clearly and in context.
After 2 zoom orientation sessions, students will convene in Romania in mid-June, where they will continue to participate in 3 – 4 hours of teaching and attend performances daily. Teaching sessions will involve analysis and discussion of the previous evening’s performance and group presentations about the artist whose work we will be seeing that day. There may also be opportunities to engage with workshops with guest artists, guest speakers, panel discussions, etc. While students will be required to see 8 common productions, they will also have the time and opportunity to see many other independent performances if they would like to.
General Global Seminar requirements
To participate in a Global Seminar, students must:
- Be in good-standing in their faculty (I.e. not be under academic or non-academic discipline)
- Have full-time status in the year leading up to the Global Seminar
- Have completed 2nd year requirements before the start of the program (i.e. 3rd or 4th year standing)
- Have at least a 70% academic average in your last full-time academic session before applying
- Maintain a 70% academic average leading up to the program
- Meet any program specific requirements listed below including pre-requisites before participating
Final selection will be done by the lead faculty program directors. Spots in the program may be limited.
Students who wish to participate in the summer after graduating may be eligible on a case-by-case basis.
Program-specific requirements
Students with third-year standing or above (or with permission of instructors) in any program at UBC are eligible to apply. We strongly encourage students from the following departments and disciplines to submit
- Theatre (BA and BFA in Acting, Design/Production)
- Film (BA and BFA)
- Visual Art (BFA/BA)
- Creative Writing (BA and BFA)
- Media Studies (BMS)
- Modern European Studies (BA)
- Music - specifically opera (BMus)
Approximate program fees: $3000.00 - $3500.00*
ARA funding will offset 70%-100% of the program fee + flight costs for Arts students from the Vancouver campus.
*The final fee depends on the number of students in the seminar. Students do not pay the Go Global fee when applying to a Global Seminar. The Go Global fee is built into the Program Fee and is payable upon acceptance to the program.
Funding: This is an Arts Research Abroad (ARA) funded program. The ARA program aims to ensure that upper-level international research courses are accessible to academically qualified students, and that scholarly preparation and aspiration rather than financial means are the deciding factors for student participation. Funded by a generous gift from donors, the Faculty of Arts, and Go Global, the ARA program sponsors advanced research-intensive courses involving international travel. For Arts students at the Vancouver campus, 70% of the program cost will be offset for academically qualified students; and up to 100% of the cost may be offset for academically qualified students who demonstrate financial need (as determined by Enrolment Services).
Students are responsible for covering the costs of tuition, incidental travel costs, visa/passport fees, etc.
Students can only be considered for one major International Learning Award throughout their degree e.g. ARA (Arts Research Abroad) funded Global Seminars, Undergraduate Research Conference.
Program fees Include:
- Accommodation
- Program- related travel in-country; (e.g. buses)
- Excursions and entrance fees
- Some group meals
- On-site guest lectures
Program fees do not Include:
- Flights*
- UBC tuition for credits
- Visa/country entrance fees
- Health or travel insurance
- Personal spending money*
*Some examples of incidentals are: personal mobile communication, personal transportation that is not related to the learning outcomes of the program, additional meals that are not already identified as part of the Program Fee, immunizations, Visas, etc.
Travel to Romania is a separate cost. You are responsible for arranging your own travel. You should not book your flight until you are notified to book.
Shared dorms or apartment rentals. There may be 2 to 4 students per room.
Students apply through the Go Global Gateway. Go to “search experiences” from the top menu, search “GSP,” then press “apply search.” Scroll down to the program you wish to apply to and select Apply for “Summer” to initiate an application.
After the deadline, students’ applications will be reviewed by Go Global and the faculty program directors. You may be asked to participate in an interview as part of the selection process.
Tuesday December 13, 2022 (11:59pm PST)
To withdraw from your program, you must contact Go Global by email to request a withdrawal. You will not be charged until you officially accept your spot in the program. Refunds cannot be issued after the program fee is charged to your SSC account.
In the case of withdrawal, Go Global Award funding must be returned in full.
If you have questions, please connect with your Go Global advisor or email Go Global at go.global@ubc.ca.
UBC is committed to preparing students for safe and successful international experiences. In order to achieve this, any student participating in a Go Global Program must complete the following:
- All UBC Student Safety Abroad requirements
- Go Global Program-specific pre-departure requirements
Failure to successfully complete these and any other requirements may result in withdrawal from the Go Global Program.
We encourage you to read the Global Affairs Canada travel report for your destination country before applying: https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories.
Global Seminars and COVID-19
Students and faculty are required to comply with the entry requirements of the host country, regulations of transportation carriers, and any local public health orders in the destination. These rules may require COVID-19 vaccination for entry or to participate in certain program activities, testing requirements, masking requirements, and/or isolation in case of infection. Alternatively, where isolation due to infection is not required by local health authorities and students are sharing accommodations isolation may be a challenge. We encourage you to review local requirements before applying and before departure. Check out the Global Affairs Canada Advisory (https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories) under Entry Requirements for your Global Seminar destination to learn more. Keep in mind that program conditions can vary and these rules can change before or during your trip.
Once it becomes closer to the departure date, the group will be informed of all updated local requirements and COVID-19 safety plans for the Global Seminar.
If you are considering applying for a Go Global program and identify with having a disability or pre-existing health condition (mental or physical) which could impact your participation, or if you require academic accommodations, you can contact the following offices and meet with an Accessibility Advisor before the start of the program:
- The Centre for Accessibility (Vancouver) 604 822-5844
- Disability Resource Centre (Okanagan) 250 807-8053
In-person and Virtual Drop-in advising hours
- Tuesday: 1:00 - 3:00 pm
- Wednesday: 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Go Global offers both in-person and virtual drop-in advising through Zoom during the times listed above.
Please use Go Global's new Ask Us Webform and we will respond to your inquiry.