Every July, the University of British Columbia (Okanagan campus in Kelowna) holds a four-week Indigenous intensive program featuring numerous guest lecturers, resident artists, visiting curators, and cohorts of graduate and undergraduate students.
There are courses in visual art, creative writing, Indigenous studies, all toward developing an immersive learning experience.
This year, the Dean of Graduate Studies at OCAD U will be offering “GroundWorks,” an independent study for up to five graduate students which will involve:
- an initial visit to the Vancouver Art Gallery to participate in the inaugural exhibition by Tarah Hogue, Senior Indigenous curatorial fellow;
- a two-week participatory residency at the UBCO campus in Kelowna;
- and participation in the “Beyond Reconciliation” seminar at the end of July, also in Kelowna.
Activities will include a seminar and conversation with the artists at the Vancouver Art Gallery (Peter Morin and Ayumi Goto), studio and lecture visits at UBCO, participation in formal and informal course offerings, and a visit to the BUSH gallery, a conceptual space for land based art and action led by Indigenous artists in Neskonlith (two hours from Kelowna).
As an immersive environment, Groundworks will be portfolio based, with students consulting with the instructor to determine individual trajectories.
This course will be of particular interest to students who wish to engage with Indigenous artistic practices and ways of knowing, but is also of general interest, so students would not need this to be a focus of their Masters project.
We will hold a short information session on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. in Room 701K at 205 Richmond Street West to show past intensives and answer questions.
Students will be granted airfare to Vancouver and bus transport to Kelowna, and accommodation for three days in Vancouver and two weeks in Kelowna. They will be asked to present on their experiences to the wider graduate community in the fall of 2018.
Students should submit a letter of interest by March 19, 2018.
The letter should express:
- your interest in attending the course
- why you think this would be advantageous for you and your area of study
- your availability for the entire16 days (July 12 to July 28)**
**You will need to be available to fly from Toronto to Vancouver on July 12 and return by flight from Kelowna on July 28 (we will go to Kelowna by bus or road transport around July 15 or 16).