Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology
“I have absolutely loved it from day one” – Setting the stage for success at SFU
Aspiring young artists often face an early career dilemma when deciding what to study: pursue their passion for the arts or take a different pathway towards a supposedly more 鈥榮table鈥� career.
Sara van Gaalen, a final-year student at SFU鈥檚 School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA), faced the same choice.
鈥淚 have always loved theatre, but I never felt like it was a viable career or academic choice,鈥� says van Gaalen.
But in the final year of high school, van Gaalen was part of a youth show at their local arts centre, Place des Arts, in Coquitlam.
Collaborating with the production team at the venue showed them that a career in the arts could be possible, so they took the plunge.
Fast forward a few years and van Gaalen is in the final year of a theatre and performance major at the SCA, in Vancouver.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 envision myself going anywhere else, I have absolutely loved it from day one,鈥� she says.
鈥淚 had a six-hour audition as part of the application process, but it was one of the best experiences I have ever had. It showed me the diversity of thought and pedagogy surrounding performance at the school.鈥�
Rather than focusing on individual skills alone, the SCA encourages students to develop their own aesthetics as artists, according to van Gaalen.
鈥淵ou get so much more of a foundation here,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not only about singing, acting or dancing. I can also do dramaturgy, I can write and critique, I can do lighting and stage management.
鈥淵ou have the opportunity to develop a complete set of tools and the most important part about SCA is that you are in charge of your own learning.
鈥淭he professors don鈥檛 just teach, they also learn from the students. There鈥檚 this nice, creative symbiotic relationship. You鈥檙e always learning something new.鈥�
Over the years, van Gaalen has embarked upon numerous creative projects that have seen them make the most of SCA鈥檚 interdisciplinary approach to the arts.
Van Gaalen, who is president of the Theatre Student Union, saw their third-year dance composition, entitled Mouf, by IGNITE! 鈥� a youth-driven arts festival in Vancouver.
In June, she was part of Eyes of the Beast, a documentary theatre production based on the testimonies of people dealing with climate disasters across Canada ().
鈥淓yes of the Beast was so awesome. It was so cool that we had a class where we got to work with a real, professional theatre company, called Neworld Theatre,鈥� says van Gaalen.
鈥淭hey were so fantastic and welcoming. It was so wonderful to be able to share these testimonies with an audience.鈥�
Situated in Vancouver鈥檚 vibrant downtown, the SCA offers unique programs where studio classes, such as dance, film, production and design, performance, among others, are integrated with the historical and theoretical study of the arts.
The school boasts state-of-the-art facilities, including a 350-seat cinema, one of Vancouver鈥檚 largest black box theatres, the Audain Gallery, a darkroom, three professional dance studios, and many other studios and editing suites.
This year marks a special anniversary for the SCA as it celebrates 50 years of teaching and research with a series of artistic events and an .
It鈥檚 a moment to reflect on the importance of the arts, not only at the SCA, but in society more broadly, where the arts often face funding difficulties, especially during tough economic times.
鈥淚 think that the arts are even more important today, especially the type of art that we do here, because the state of the world is severely rickety, to put it lightly,鈥� says van Gaalen, who is a recipient of the Gerald & Sheahan McGavin Contemporary Arts Award, and the Ker Wells Memorial Award.
鈥淐ontemporary art is honest, truthful, and it comes from a place of wanting to know more rather than telling you what it already is. It鈥檚 capacious and I think that鈥檚 so important right now.鈥�
As for their next steps, van Gaalen, who will graduate from the SCA in the spring, has secured a job doing stage management with a Vancouver theatre company.
鈥淚 feel pretty well set up because I鈥檝e had the pleasure of professional opportunities while I'm still in school,鈥� she says.
鈥淚t's really wonderful and I'm really lucky, so the hope is that I continue to be lucky once I graduate.鈥�
Does she have any advice for prospective SCA students?
鈥淕rab every opportunity that you can,鈥� she says.
鈥淚 think that the opportunities you get here are really unique. The school gives you all the tools to become a well-rounded artist.鈥�