Course offerings - Fall 2012
Theatre and Social Justice:
Go to London. Change the World!
Theatre and Social Justice are a natural mix, like peanut butter and chocolate. Both demand the art of persuasion: in the theatre, to convince your audience to enter your world, and with social justice, to convince the world to change. Theatre is a vehicle for change that allows advocates for social and environmental justice a unique voice and means of representation.
London is home to world-class theatre and is a hub of activity for advocacy organizations such as Oxfam, Survival International, and Amnesty International. Over the course of this semester-long program you will have the opportunity to see some of the best theatre in the world, to do anthropological fieldwork on social advocacy, and to blend the two into theatrical presentations that will be performed in the UK and Canada. Opportunities on stage or behind the scenes will abound.
During the semester, you will visit London on a frequent basis, attending the theatre and experiencing and analyzing social movements in one of the most exciting cities in the world. As well, there will be several field trips, including to Stratford and to Brussels.
Courses
Anthropology: Social and Environmental Justice is a study of modern social movements.
English 4401: Producing the Play is a practical course in theatre production
Anthropology: Applied Fieldwork offers students the chance to do a project on advocacy in groups in London
English 3713: British Drama in Performance is a study of contemporary British productions.
Course Instructors
Dr. Jamie Skidmore is a professor in the English department at Memorial University, specializing in theatre and film production. He has worked internationally as a theatre artist and continues to work locally as theatre designer and filmmaker.
Andrea Procter is a cultural anthropologist with experience in indigenous rights and environmental conflicts. She has worked with indigenous communities in Canada and with non-governmental organizations on issues of social and environmental justice.
For further details contact:
Dr. Jamie Skidmore
Department of English, Memorial University
Telephone: 709-738-0594
E-mail: skidmore@mun.ca
Andrea Procter
Department of Anthropology, Memorial University
Telephone: 709-864-3025
E-mail: andrea.procter@mun.ca
