Courses
(Non)conformity in Theatre History
This course is a survey of (non)conformity in the history of Western theatre. We will investigate the selected plays and performances on a historical and sociopolitical palette to see how (non)conformity was conceived in each period.
Read More3D Animation Studio 2: Intermediate Blender
In partnership with Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) - this course builds on the skills from 3D Animation Studio 1: Introduction to Blender exploring advanced modeling techniques, character rigging, and visual effects (VFX).
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Advanced Methods in Portrait Drawing with Graphite
This class is for students who have a good grasp of portrait drawing but would like to challenge themselves in developing their facial drawing skills.
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African Indigenous Designs in Textile Arts
This course involves the manipulation of lines to create innovative designs that would be used for decorations. It also includes the adaptation of African indigenous motifs, signs, symbols, patterns, and art forms to develop African designs.
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Alfred Hitchcock's Pure Cinema and Film Noir
Alfred Hitchcock defined the concept of pure cinema, during his career in the time of silent films, developing ways to tell stories using only pictures. He stated that he was putting pieces of film together like notes of music in a melody.
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Ancient Greek Classics for Writers of Prose and Poetry
What do Succession, Breaking Bad, the wildly successful Percy Jackson series, the best-selling novels Circe and Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, and the classic novel, The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood all have in common? They were all inspired by the ancient Greek classics.
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Arabic Script and the Art of Calligraphy
This course delves into the intricate beauty and spiritual significance of Arabic calligraphy, examining its profound ties to the Qur’an, Islamic arts and architectural design.
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Art and Culture on the Silk Roads
Learn the history of the Silk Roads through artifacts and narratives, exploring how this network of long-distance trade routes facilitated the expansion of exchanges among diverse cultural groups connected along these routes.
Read MoreArt Now: An Introduction to Contemporary Visual Art
Art Now will examine contemporary visual art through a thematic framework. Students will gain exposure to a wide range of artists and practices while developing skills with which to unpack and analyze contemporary works of art.
Read MoreArtist Book: From Start to Finish
Over the four weeks, you will engage in the process of creating your own hardcover and bound artist book, working from idea to finished product. Come with your own ideas, or be inspired by contemporary artists presented in class.
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Artist Books: Four Techniques in Four Weeks
Artist books can be intimate, share ideas and hold memory. You will learn introductory book binding and folding methods to make your own artist books.
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Barrel House, Boogie Woogie, Honky Tonk and Stride
This series of lectures accompanied by live piano performances illustrate the rich history and evolution of piano music from the “Gay Nineties” to the blues traditions of New Orleans that were popular through the “Dirty 30s” and continue to be a soulful influence on the music today.
Read MoreBasic Design Principles
In partnership with Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD) - This studio course introduces students to fundamental design principles. These principles that underpin two dimensional space will be explored using typography, photography, and drawing.
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Basic Observational Drawing with Graphite
Using graphite, you will explore the elements of drawing through mark making, line, shape, texture and volume. We’ll study basic perspective, work towards understanding positive and negative space and understand how light and shade is applied on various forms and surfaces.
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Beginner Guitar
You will learn to develop the basic guitar skills to set you on the path of achieving your musical goals.
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Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald
Two rival big bands with two legendary singers. Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald were at the top of their game and though their styles were polar opposites, the two became friends
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Buffy Sainte-Marie and Gordon Lightfoot
Buffy Sainte-Marie and Gordon Lightfoot both placed in the top five of CBC’s recent list of Greatest Canadian Songwriters of All Time. Explore their lives and their music to discover why these artists and their works continue to endure as legendary.
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Capture Better Smartphone Photos
Learn to capture stunning photos with your smartphone. Improve your composition skills and learn to capture and control the light.
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Cashing in on Your Photography
Photography is a fun and enjoyable hobby, but it can be a potential way to make money as well. Learn how your photo skills can translate into a side gig or even a full-time business.
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Cattail Hat Weaving
In this course, the skill of basketry will be employed in hat-making to create a beautifully woven broad-brimmed hat.
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Classics of Film Noir
What is film noir and why are we still fascinated by it? You will view clips from 6 classic film noir films from the key era of 1944 to 1958, starting with Double Indemnity, The Killers, Gilda, The Big Sleep, Out of the Past, and ending with Orson Welles' film, The Touch of Evil, all considered key films of the classic period.
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Classics of Film Noir II
In this follow-up to the Film Noir course offered this past fall, we will view clips from six classic film noir films from the years 1941 to 1949, starting with The Maltese Falcon, followed by Shadow of a Doubt, Mildred Pierce, Detour, The Blue Dahlia, and ending with Rudolph Maté's film, D.O.A., all considered key films of the classic period.
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Classics of Film Noir III
What is film noir and why are we still fascinated by it? In this course, you will view six classic film noir films from the key era of 1944 to 1958, including Black Angel (1946), Road House (1948), Kansas City Confidential (1952), The Hitch-Hiker (1953) and The Big Combo (1955).
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Collage – Value, Colour and Design
This course will inspire you, whether you are just discovering the medium of collage or would like to add to your knowledge and skills. We will cover different approaches to collage using colour, surface treatments, typographic elements, photographs, found objects, ephemera and image transfer.
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Collage: Ideas, Materials and Process
This class combines the use of collage and mixed media techniques with a free spirit of experimentation. We will be working from both our imaginations and observation of the natural world.
Read MoreComics and Graphic Novels Studio
In partnership with Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD) - In this interdisciplinary workshop series for writers, artists, and designers, students will experiment with the comic medium as they explore the interplay between image and text, form and content.
Read MoreContemporary Art Around the World
Since the 1980s, global artists, designers and architects have used their work to convey messages about who they are, where they come from, and which issues are impacting their communities.
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Contemporary Chinese Brush Painting
This workshop is designed for people who are interested in the oriental painting medium. Both traditional and contemporary techniques of Chinese brush painting will be introduced. You will learn about Chinese ink, rice paper, colour, texture, composition, and the aesthetic principles of Chinese brush painting.
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Contours: A Creative Journey
Immerse yourself in a six-week contour drawing course, where creativity intertwines with technique. Explore the art of contour and cross-contour drawing, honing your observational skills while infusing vibrant colour into your artwork.
Read MoreCreating a Visual Workbook
Create a personalized piece of art while gaining a deeper understanding of your sources of inspiration.
Read MoreCreating Comics
In this course, we will explore what comics are and how they work. We'll look at text and image combinations, panel composition, and different ways to use colour to create innovative and exciting comics.
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Creating Illustrated Children’s Books
This course will assist you in creating books for children aged one to eight. They can be fiction or non-fiction, read-aloud and/or early readers books. Students will learn about plot, content, heroes and villains, and themes that are age appropriate for their readers.
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Creative Nonfiction: Writing from Everyday Life
Creative nonfiction employs the art of personal narrative to engage readers in stories from real life. It seeks to reflect the rich and multilayered details of lived experience.
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Creative Writing: The Writer's Craft
Through online and in-class writing exercises, cross-genre readings and engaging discussion, you will explore everything from the structural integrity of the sentence and the symbolic unity of word sounds, to the archetypal patterns in narrative and verse form.
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Documentary Photography: Creating the Personal Project
By learning and applying the techniques of documentary photographers to your personal photo work, you will create a project that will allow you to explore your creative side while improving your general photography and camera-handling skills.
Read MoreDrawing and Art History
Each class will introduce important visual themes in Western art history and then apply these ideas to hands-on drawing exercises. We will begin by considering underlying structures and line in late medieval art, before moving towards anatomy and perspective in the renaissance period.
Read MoreDrawing and Collage
Delve into drawing through the unique lens of collage. Collage serves as a step, offering a foundation for our drawings and provides a gateway to an imaginative realm.
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Drawing and Painting for Beginners
Acquire essential skills in the foundational components of drawing and painting, such as line, form, space, and colour.
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Drawing Basics
Through accessible hands-on exercises and projects in a range of drawing media, artist Connie Morey will support participants with the development of skills, confidence and individual creativity. Unleash your creative potential while drawing from life and imagination with pencil, charcoal, ink and watercolour pencils.
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Drawing for Absolute Beginners
In this fun, hands-on course, Victoria artist Trace Nelson will give you a working knowledge of drawing introducing a variety of different techniques and materials.
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Drawing for All
A back-to-basics course for those who have not drawn in a while and aren't sure where to start. We will look at still life and landscape compositions, and sharpen our observational drawing skills in a range of drawing media—pencil, charcoal, pen and ink, and watercolour.
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Drawing Fundamentals
You will be introduced to the five basic skills of representational drawing. The focus will be on basic shapes and forms, architectural perspective, human figure, head structure and drawing from life.
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Drawing in the Urban Landscape
Drawing outdoors, in public spaces, presents numerous challenges such as overcoming the fear of being seen and observed.
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Easy Mini Watercolours: Birds and Dragonflies
These little paintings will explore dry brush painting and layering. Come with some images of birds and dragonflies that you can use as a reference.
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Easy Mini Watercolours: Colourful Mandalas
These little paintings will explore washes and layering of colour as well as negative space painting. Come prepared to experiment and it is fine to use coloured pens in combination with the watercolour paints.
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Easy Mini Watercolours: Snow People and Snow Landscapes
These little paintings are Play with a "capital P." We will create characters using monochromatic (one colour) painting techniques and salt.
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Editing Your Words
Editing your own writing can be difficult. In this course we will review the five major types of editing: content and developmental editing, structural editing, copy editing, line editing, and proofreading.
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Exhale: Discovering the Great Mystery
In this course, join Richard Van Camp as we explore family medicine together and engaging with the healing power of stories. We will practice giving back what we have gathered and learned from in our stories.
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Experimental Clay Modeling
Explore various ways to shape clay, a malleable material that activates our senses while connecting us to the earth. Work with clay through a different approach, an experimental method using unconventional tools available to anybody.
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Exploring the Storytelling Power of Everyday Things
This course explores the art of object biography. You will learn how tracing the 'life' of an object can help you find a new way to tell the stories that matter to you. Students are encouraged to bring along a selection of objects for each of the six in-class writing exercises.
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Fabulous Fiction
Did you know that there are over 140 types of fiction? By the end of the course, you'll have a solid understanding of what goes into your novel of choice, and how to create a novel that readers will love.
Read MoreFilm Noir Classics: The Deviant Genre
The course will provide an opportunity to analyze and discuss elements that make up film noir, and discover how a brief period of mostly B-movies become one of the most influential movements in film history.
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Flower and Bird Painting
Learn to paint flowers and birds, or any animal or insects you see in your everyday experience, in the style of Chinese flower and bird paintings. We will use watercolour instead of the traditional Chinese ink and colour.
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From Journal to Story: Using Life Experience to Create Fiction
Through writing exercises and discussion, participants will draw on their own lives and memories to find new story ideas, create compelling characters and write powerful and engaging stories for readers of all ages.
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Fundamentals of Perspective Drawing
Are you looking to better understand illustration and general representational art making? From still life to environmental spaces and basic human forms, this course will give you the tools to move forward with more accuracy and realism in your art making.
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Get Paid to Write What You Love
In this interactive course, we'll cover the myths on writing for pay, recognizing your passion and knowledge for profit, and ways to promote yourself online.
Read MoreGreat Adaptations - Classic Plays
Read classic plays and watch their film adaptations on your own schedule before meeting in person to discuss them. You will also have access to articles about the works studied, as well as readings about the art of adaptation.
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Halls of Music
The world’s most beautiful classical music comes alive in the world’s great concert halls. From Lincoln Center to the Rudolfinum, the most iconic halls have their own histories, personalities and teams of musical artists who make magic happen.
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Hard-boiled Fiction in Film Noir
What is film noir and why are we still fascinated by it? In this course, we'll study six classic film noir movies from 1942 to 1950 that came from the pens of hard-boiled writers such as Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett.
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Her Story: Women Making Art
We will focus on the work of women and gender nonconforming artists throughout western art history, spanning from the 1500s to our current day.
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History of Jazz Piano
In this course, we will explore the recordings and styles of history's famous artists like Diana Krall, Oscar Peterson, Mary Lou Williams, Bill Evans, Chick Corea and Marion McParland.
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How to Listen to Classical Music
This course offers an in-depth tour of the workings of harmony, rhythm, melody, form and more, in easy-to-understand language for people without musical training.
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How to Listen to Jazz
Ever wonder why your favorite jazz songs and artists might be different from the opinions of your friends and family? Do you think a deeper understanding of jazz might enhance your enjoyment of the music?
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How to Write a Song
Veteran songwriter Jan Randall reveals how to unlock your creativity in this hands-on group music workshop series.
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How to Write Fast-Paced Novels
Writing novels like thrillers and mysteries require a fast pace combined with strong characters, believable situations and plenty of twists and turns. This four part course includes detailed handouts as well as in-class and take home assignments.
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Image Transfer
Learn a range of techniques to transfer your photographs onto printmaking paper, acrylic skins and other surfaces that be can incorporated into your paintings, collage or mixed media artwork.
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In Vibrant Black and White
This class pushes colour aside for six weeks, opting instead to see in monochrome—the elimination of colour being a creative choice. Monochrome images are fundamentally abstract and tonally streamlined versions of reality, comprised of light and shadow.
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Inhale: Recovering Family Medicines Through Storytelling
Led by renowned Tłı̨chǫ Dene author Richard Van Camp, this course will explore the power of storytelling in recovering family medicines. Through a series of lectures, readings, workshops and interviews with Indigenous artists, actors, storytellers and writers, students will be invited to consider the power of their own stories: personal, familial and community-based.
Read MoreInspired Writing
Inspiration can be a challenge at any stage of the writing journey. This course takes novel approaches to crafting plots, creating characters, honing intrigue and mastering the nuts and bolts of the writing process.
Read MoreIntermediate Guitar
Join a musical community with fun jam-sessions mixed with practical instruction on technique, repertoire building and relevant music theory.
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Introduction to Collage
This course will inspire you, whether you are just discovering the medium of collage or are looking to add to your knowledge and skills. We will cover different approaches to collage using colour, surface treatments, typographic elements, photographs, found objects, ephemera and image transfer. No experience is required, just your enthusiasm!
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Introduction to Digital Photography
Learn how to get the best possible photographs from your digital camera and find out what all those mysterious buttons and settings really do!
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Introduction to Letterpress Printing
Using the Mearns Centre – McPherson Library’s special collections of letterpress printing presses, learn to hand-set metal and wood type, mix ink, and use letterpress printing presses in this hands-on, technical course.
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Introduction to Mixed Media
Learn to incorporate mixed media into your art practice. Explore combining both wet and dry media together. Techniques covered include collage, decollage, frottage, grattage, automatic drawing, image transfer, glazing, monoprinting and layering.
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Introduction to Music Theory: Level I
This course will cover the basic rudiments of classical music theory, dealing with rhythm, time signatures, clefs and staff notation, scales and keys.
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Introduction to Portrait Drawing with Graphite
In this introductory course, we will explore the complex topic of portrait drawing and break it down into manageable concepts. With easy-to-follow exercises, we’ll examine the face in sections and focus on understanding how to get more accurate proportions.
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iPhone as an Artist Tool
With an iPhone/iPad and a few choice apps you can push your photographs beyond the ordinary to the extraordinary.
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Islamic Art and Architecture: Masterpieces Across Time
We will explore the art and architecture of six major Islamic empires (Ilkhanids, Timurids, Mamluks, Mughals, Safavids and Ottomans) that controlled vast regions of Iran, Transoxiana, Egypt, South Asia and Anatolia, from the 13th century to the early 20th century.
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Islamic Geometry Patterns
Dive into the mesmerizing world of Islamic Geometry Patterns. Over the course of this immersive study, participants will uncover the historical significance, mathematical precision, and aesthetic beauty of traditional Islamic designs.
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Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen
Two Canadian folk music icons that changed the course of musical history on the world scene: one, a prairie girl with small town roots; the other from the Jewish community in Montreal.
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Keeping a Sketchbook for Travel and Fun
In this six-week course, Victoria artist Trace Nelson will demonstrate various techniques for keeping a travel sketchbook.
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Let's Sing! Level 1
This is a course for anyone wanting to learn to sing. We will concentrate on the fundamentals of vocal technique, and work on developing good breath control and proper placement of the voice.
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Let's Sing! Level 2
This course follows Let's Sing Level 1. We will continue to build on basic vocal techniques, and we will learn how to take and support breath correctly, and use resonance to improve vocal quality
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Life in Medieval Cities
In the medieval period, many societies built the foundations of the biggest cities in the world today, or reshaped ancient port and market towns into busy metropolises.
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Listening to the Music of Urban Landscapes
In this workshop, we will discuss different ways of listening and our experience of sound in an urban landscape.
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Lost and Found: A Field Guide
Join us for an immersive workshop by interdisciplinary artist Laurel Terlesky. Dive deep into sensory awareness exercises, mindful walking and navigational mapping as we navigate the urban terrain.
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Low Impact Basketry
In addition to hands-on learning of basketry techniques, we will consider ethical/sustainable collection of basketry materials. Using non-native, and non-endemic, plant species (previously collected by the instructor) you will be supported through the process of making a beautiful woven object.
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Memoir: How to Write Your Own Life Story
You are the main character in your life story, and it's a story that needs to be told. This course will encourage you to have your story heard.
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Miracle Numbers in Music
Explore the fundamental nature of music through the lens of mathematics and physics. No previous experience required.
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Music for the People
When society controls, promotes, consumes, restricts, enables, or imposes a music narrative on its people, music and musicians have no choice but to respond to the challenge.
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Music of the World
Explore music from around the world, as we learn about the folk and art music scenes of different cultures.
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Natural Light Portraiture Made Easy
Learn how to photograph people on location. If you have wanted to learn the professional secrets to getting a great portrait then this class is for you.
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Navigating the Novel
If you want to write a novel but you're unsure of how to pull it all together, this 14-hour course will guide you through everything you need to know to complete your first draft!
Read MoreObservational Drawing
In this studio course, you will address drawing fundamentals and develop an understanding of line and form. Classes will focus on the development of observational drawing while implementing the ideas of gesture, contour and positive and negative space.
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Opera Unveiled: Classics and Modern Magic
This season, immerse yourself in the drama, passion and beauty of opera with a vibrant selection of works. Our series features a rare live performance of Mozart's Clemency of Titus by Pacific Opera Victoria, alongside high-definition broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera of Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann, Verdi's Il Trovatore, and John Adams' Dr. Atomic.
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Organization and Backup of Images
In today’s digital age, we take thousands of photos, making it essential for modern photographers to learn how to select, organize and back up images on their computer. This course will introduce simple methods, and review the best applications available for effective image management.
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Painting Colour and Space
In this studio course you will address painting fundamentals. You will develop an understanding of colour, line and form.
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Palace of Music
The world’s most beautiful classical music comes alive in the world’s great concert halls. From The Concertgebouw to Carnegie Hall, the most iconic halls have their own histories, personalities and teams of musical artists who make magic happen.
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Personal and Foundational Stories
According to Thomas King, “the truth about stories is that that’s all we are.” In this course we will explore what that says about truth.
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Photo Editing with Integrity
In photo editing, using programs such as Photoshop or Lightroom, we can enhance images or render them unrecognizable as photographs—hence the term ‘Photoshop’ is lauded and scorned in equal amounts.
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Photography Plus: Understand Your Camera and Improve Your Photos
Do you love photography, but aren't always happy with your photographs, be they family, travel, landscape or other? This course will cover the basics of camera use and composition, and how to improve the photographs you want to take.
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Pop Music, Then and Now
How have the pop hits from the 60's and 70's inspired and influenced the decades that followed? Join instructor Jan Randall as we explore the relationship between the songs of old, leading up to the songs of today.
Read MoreRevisit and Revise Your Novel
Many writers have an old manuscript collecting dust in their drawer or forgotten in the computer. Don't shelve it, revisit and revise it and take your manuscript from good to great! Some stories need a few adjustments, while others have hidden brilliance that needs to be expanded.
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Romance Narratives: Writing the Love Story
Enemies to lovers, fake dating or a classic love triangle? Take your pick in this survey course on romance narratives in fiction, film and TV. You will learn how to use tropes effectively, create dashing romantic interests and how to write heartbreaking plot twists.
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Romancing the Keyboard
Learn what sub-genre works best for you and how to create a great story line. Discover the importance of settings, character development and satisfying the reader. Learn about tropes and how to use them, as well as creating tension through action and dialogue
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Screenwriting
This course is for anyone who loves movies and is interested in learning what it takes to write a screenplay. Film is a visual media, but it all starts with a great idea and a well-written script.
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Self-Management for Musicians
Musicians need entrepreneurial skills more than ever. This workshop helps performers and composers find, seize, and create opportunities, be confident in the music business, and lead balanced lives.
Read MoreSelf-publishing Your Book
In this course, we'll study how the book publishing industry has changed, where the money goes, how to organize your book, where to publish, who to use for help (editors, illustrators, proofreaders) and why you need an online presence.
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Sentimental Affects: Textiles, Wearable Art and Urban Life
This lively and informative presentation is designed to encourage you to think deeply about textiles and the role they play in shaping not only our own lives but also the urban landscape.
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Short Shorts
This course focuses on micro, flash and short shorts from 100 to 2,000 words. You’ll also learn where to submit your short stories.
Read MoreSimply Poetry
Always wanted to write a poem, but never known where to start? Written a handful, but unsure where to go next? Each week we will write, read and discuss contemporary poetry, breaking poems down to their bones to understand the basics of sound and image, line and metaphor.
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Songwriting: An Introduction
"Without a song, the road would never end...". Whether you are a musician, singer, composer or author, the world may be waiting to hear your song!
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Soundscape Appreciation and Creation
When we stop listening to our environment and only hear it, we begin to miss the beauty and magic of life. In this immersive workshop you will learn how to listen to experimental sound art and soundscapes through soundwalking, sound collecting and intro audio editing.
Read MoreT.S. Eliot's Four Quartets
Four Quartets has been called T.S. Eliot's spiritual autobiography. Drawing on personal and universal symbolism and addressing themes of time, reality and the conditions of self-knowing, this series of four poems takes readers on an exploration of the deepest questions of human existence.
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Taking Great Travel Photos with Your iPhone/iPad
This course covers: which apps to use and when; how to plan your itinerary with specific photo destinations; how to produce stunning 360-degree panoramas; and the creation of watercolour-style artwork images for cards
Read MoreTell Your Story
You’re never too young or too old to write your story. This course helps you decide on the different options including autobiography, memoir or travelogue, publishing your diary or journal, or writing essays or letters.
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Telling Our Stories Through Comics
This course is for anyone with a story to tell who would like to explore the medium of comics to achieve that end. No previous experience in storytelling, writing or drawing is expected.
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The 8-Week Photo Club v 6.0
The 6th iteration of this evolving course pursues a theme of images in our midst − atmospheric, relatable, created largely in-camera.
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The Art of Dialogue
Delve into the art of the dialogue for writers of prose, screenplays and creative non-fiction. A scene is the unit of action, but the scaffolding is dialogue.
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The Art of Murder: Mystery Writing 101
Murder mysteries are one of the oldest, and most enduringly popular, recognizable literary genres. But what makes a good mystery? And how do you write one?
Read MoreThe Art of Type
In partnership with Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD) - This design studio course is an introduction to the potential and expressive qualities of contemporary typography.
Read MoreThe Artful Photograph
Think analog, act digital is the rallying cry of this creative photography course. You will examine new methods of modulating tone, focus and composition – each which can be achieved in-camera without extensive post-editing.
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The Emotional Language of Music
Why does music affect our moods and control us the way that it does? This course demonstrates and explains the connections we have with songs and recordings and breaks down how they reach us on such deep, emotional levels.
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The Life and Times of Bob Dylan
Is Bob Dylan a poet or a songwriter? Did he nearly die in a 1966 motorcycle accident? What do his lyrics mean? There are more questions than answers about the enigmatic Mr. Zimmerman, but the only things that do matter are his music and his lyrics.
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The Poetry Workshop
This ten-week poetry workshop will equip you with the foundational tools of the craft through in-class writing exercises, readings, discussion, and workshop.
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Three Chords and the Truth: The Story of Country Music
Country music is not—and never was—one style of music. It has always been a mixture of many styles, springing from many roots and sprouting many new branches to create a complicated chorus of voices.
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Through a Woman's Lens: Writing with Photographs
This course offers a toolkit for all writers in a piece of creative nonfiction writing. You will explore the work of various women photographers and historians and discuss why photographs are important to them.
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Travel and Street Photography
How do I learn to overcome shyness when photographing people? Why are my landscape photos pale and lifeless? How do I select photos for Instagram presentations or printed travel photo albums?
Read MoreType and Image Studio
In partnership with Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD) - Students will explore the relationship between type and image across print and digital media.
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Understanding Light in Photography
Light is photography’s visual vocabulary, used to convey what we see in our viewfinders. It shapes our subject aesthetically while also influencing mood in a subliminal context.
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Urban Sketching
Celebrate spring in Victoria with on-location drawing. You will learn some basic drawing techniques and ways to approach drawing on location.
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UVic Chorus
Join the School of Music choral ensemble, comprised of up to 150 singers, along with music majors, non-music majors and other members of the Victoria community. The UVic Chorus performs significant works from the classical canon as well as contemporary and newly commissioned works.
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UVic Concert Band
Join this large community wind band to perform a range of classic and newer works including traditional concert band repertoire, jazz, popular music, movie and media soundtracks. This new, large concert band aims to create a fun and friendly environment for all players.
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Victorian Medievalism Walking Tour
This walking tour will introduce you to tangible manifestations of the 19th century medieval revival movement in Victoria, B.C.
Read MoreVoci Belle Choral Ensemble
This is a continuation of Sing, Level 11, to further enhance your vocal skills. Repertoire will include harmony and individual songs from different genres of music such as folk, classical, musical theatre and modern.
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Watercolour for Beginners Workshop
This course introduces novice painters to watercolour painting. We will review everything from the correct side of the paper to use, to how to hold a brush, how to clean your brushes, how to mix pigments together to create an abundance of colour choices, and washes (wet on dry and wet on wet).
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Watercolour for Beginners: Level 2
This course will build upon the Watercolour for Beginners workshop offered by Joanne Thomson. There will be emphasis on experimenting with composition and balance, using line and colour, as well as strategies and tips for moving to a larger format.
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Western Art History: The Greatest Hits
A survey-style lecture class to explore the depth and context behind some of the most well-known artworks in Western art history. We will discuss Michelangelo's David, van Gogh's Sunflowers, and Frida Kahlo's self-portraits.
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Write Now! A Creative Writing Survey
This course gives both new and experienced writers the opportunity to examine and experiment with a variety of literary forms. There will be in-class writing and suggested weekly assignments to nurture the writing genie!
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Write with Feeling!
Create a story filled with emotion that immerses the reader firmly in a believable world of your creation. You’ll learn how to gently incorporate all the senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch to create a vivid world for your characters and story.
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Writer's Bootcamp
Take your story idea from a thought to having a solid plot, outline, timeline and great characters. You will gain a better understanding of what your story will look like, what you need to finish it and a basic understanding of editors, proofreaders, agents and publishers.
Read MoreWriting a Memoir - Step by Step
You will learn the step by step process to write a successful memoir. The course contains eight lessons that will prepare your mind, organize your thoughts and motivate you to write.
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Writing and Publishing Fiction for Kids and Teens
This 3-day intensive creative writing course focuses on writing and publishing early chapter books, middle grade novels, and young adult novels.
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Writing Children's Fiction
From The Hobbit to Harry Potter, children's fiction includes some of the best-loved novels of our time. Each week we will examine a different aspect of children's authorship, including crafting plots, creating memorable characters, writing age-appropriate prose and dialogue, and approaching publishers.
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Writing Fantasy Fiction
Are you a keen reader of fantasy novels? Would you love to find out how authors create their compelling worlds? What are the secrets to writing fantasy that pulls the reader in and doesn’t let go?
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Writing for Children: Advanced
For those who have completed the Writing for Children course, this advanced level course offers a deeper exploration focusing on language, style, content, character and conflict, as well as the editing and submission processes.
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Writing for Children: Releasing the Child Within
Do you long to write picture books for children or stories for young adults, but don’t know where to start? Join us in exploring the delicate art of writing compelling stories in few words.
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Writing From Photographs
The photographs we keep or admire can offer rich and insightful material for non-fiction writers. Photographs are intriguing; they are images and objects that can be used as writing prompts, story-telling devices or evidence of the past.
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Writing Historical Fiction
Do you know of an unsung hero from the past? Are you a fan of historical fiction and do you long to create your own narratives? In this class, we will focus on finding stories from the past that are crying out to become compelling historical fiction.
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Writing Layered Memoir: Mille-Feuille
The Book of Delights. Ongoingness. Safekeeping. What these and many other contemporary memoirs and book-length essays share is the way they develop in fragments. In this generative workshop, we’ll take our cue from books like these.
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Writing Place-Based Fiction
Many stories in the cultural canon are set in "recognizable” locations, but how many of us actually live there? What are the stories of our spaces? How can we begin to capture the places we call home in our writing?
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Writing Stories in an Age of Unravelling
In the turmoil of today’s world, how do we respond to what is happening? Where do we find meaning? This creative writing workshop is designed to generate life writing and fictional stories as a means of responding to our crisis-filled world.
Read MoreWriting as a Spiritual Practice
This course provides an opportunity for writers at all levels to engage in writing as a spiritual practice.
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