VanArts Earns "Education Quality Assurance" Standing
August 19th, 2010VanArts has just been awarded British Columbia's Education Quality Assurance (EQA) standing. We're excited and proud to have received this offcial designation from the province, and believe it offers students a solid indication of the quality of both our institution and training offerings.
What is EQA?
EQA is a quality assurance designation that identifies and promotes public and private post-secondary institutions that have met or exceeded government recognized quality assurance standards and offer consumer protection mechanisms. It is a voluntary designation available to BC public and private post-secondary institutions.
EQA creates one standard brand that can be recognized globally as a symbol of quality and will reduce confusion for students by enabling them to readily see which provincial institutions the government of BC recognizes as having met quality assurance standards.
Look for the official EQA seal to appear on our website shortly! To view our acceptance letter (PDF format), click below:
Upcoming Events in September
August 16th, 2010September is a busy month at VanArts, and we hope to see you at some of these events coming in the coming weeks!
September 8th - 12th ~ SPARK ANIMATION Festival & Conference: Come and visit our table on Saturday September 11th! Details siggraph.ca
September 18th ~ OPEN HOUSE at VanArts
September 20th ~ INFO SESSION in Toronto
September 24-25 ~ Pixar Artists Masterclass (SOLD OUT)
Click any of the above events for more information, and also check out our PART-TIME COURSES starting throughout specific dates in September!
VanArts at FanExpo
August 16th, 2010This is a final reminder to those in the Toronto area to visit VanArts at FAN EXPO this weekend!
Come and join us at Fan Expo in Toronto!
Meet Director of Admissions Janet Cacchioni at Booth #5008 and find out more about our programs first hand.
@ Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 225 Front Street West
Friday August 27th 4pm - 9pm
Saturday August 28th 10am - 7pm
Sunday August 29th 11am - 6pm
For more information and registration for this event, visit http://www.fanexpocanada.com
Janet Cacchioni, Director of Admissions
Janet has over 13 years of experience and expertise in the education industry, having served as a manager and external promotions specialist and maintaining positive, lasting relationships with industry, media, schools, students, parents and associations. She is committed to education and serving the next generation of artists.
Acting Grads at Spectral Theatre
August 16th, 2010Avery Cochrane, graduate of our full-time Acting program from last year, is currently rehearsing and performing in a play for Spectral Theatre opening on August 19th. Interestingly enough, the play is also a directorial debut for another former graduate Lesli Brownlee.
The show is billed as a Late-Night Double Feature of The Hunger and The Fiendish Plots of Mao, and described as "Live Theatre for the Living Dead!!!"
Check out more details on showtimes at SpectralTheatre.com
New Audition Technique Course with Aaron Douglas
August 16th, 2010
The William Davis Centre for Actors Study at VanArts is proud to announce a new part-time course in Audition Technique by noted graduate Aaron Douglas, star of The Bridge and Battlestar Galactica.
This course is scheduled to launch this September, for 4 Wednesday night sessions, and other instructors will continue to host the same course in the months following.
This special course is for actors already auditioning in the industry and who would like to take their audition skills to the next level.
For more information on costs, pre-reqs and times, click HERE.
Part-Time Courses coming up for Fall Session
August 13th, 2010As summer winds down and people start longing for the routine of the fall season to return, minds often turn to exploring part-time studies. VanArts has a variety of courses starting in September which meet once a week in evenings or weekends.
In the realm of Digital Photography, there is the basic DP 101 course, in addition to advanced studies in Studio Lighting, Digital Workflow, and Art of Critique.
For those who wish to study Acting, there is a classic Introduction course, along with focused studies on Film & Television, Level 1 and Level 2.
Students who want to get into Art & Animation, a wide variety of courses are open for 2D Animation, Stop-Motion, Maya (Level 1 and Level 2), Comic Books, Basic Drawing, Anatomy Drawing, Digital Concept Art, Digital Life Drawing, and Colour Theory & Painting.
Click on any course above to learn dates, times and costs. We hope to welcome you into our part-time courses this fall!
Questions? Contact us at 604-682-2787 x104
Acting Grads in Action
August 10th, 2010
The Acting Department has the latest buzz on our graduates in action! Candace Chase is appearing in the web series The Vetala, which won a 2010 Leo Award last month for Best Web Series.
Maryam Mehrtash, who took part-time acting studies with Chilton Crane, shot for 3 weeks on a feature in beautiful Bali, as well as launching her own web mini-series Mismated, which she co-wrote, produced and starred in! 
The Bridge's Aaron Douglas to Teach Acting Students
August 4th, 2010
Aaron Douglas, star of new series The Bridge and Battlestar Galactica, and a graduate of the William Davis Centre for Actors' Study at VanArts, will be working with our full-time acting students this month as an mentor and instructor.
Aaron will also be the first featured instructor in a new course being offered in September on Audition Technique. More details on this course coming very soon!
Acting Department welcomes New Instructors
July 30th, 2010The William Davis Centre for Actors' Study at VanArts is pleased to officially welcome (left to right) Dylan Neal, Brent Stait and Rob LaBelle as instructors to our acting students.
Dylan Neal is one of Canada's busiest working actors, with regular roles on 8 American series (Dawson's Creek, Smallville, Wild Roses, etc) and well over 60 recurring, guest star and leading roles in MOW's. His 20 years of experience in film & television bring a wealth of knowledge to his teaching. With the majority of his career spent in Los Angeles, Dylan has had the good fortune to study with some of the profession's biggest names, including Ivana Chubbuck and Lewis Smith.
Brent Stait has been acting in film, television and theater in Canada for the past 30 years. From X-Files to Mystery, Alaska, from serial killers to priests, Brent has performed a large number of character parts on film and stage. A graduate of Ryerson Theater School and Banff School of Fine Arts Master Class, Brent spent the first four years of his career doing theater at Stratford and surrounding areas before venturing into his numerous film & TV credits. He has been the recipient of a Tyrone Gutheri award, a Leo award, and has been nominated for a Genie.
Rob LaBelle has long served on our Advisory Board and is now also coming in to teach acting and scene study courses. A graduate of Brown University and NYU’s Graduate Program in Acting, Rob LaBelle has worked as an actor, director and producer in theatre, film and television for over 20 years. He worked on such early features from ground breaking director Todd Haynes as Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story and Poison. Rob has also worked with directors Barry Sonnenfeld, Harold Becker, Roland Joffe, Wes Craven, Bruce MacDonald, Roger Spottiswoode, Stan Douglas and Zack Snyder. He was nominated for a Gemini award for his work as Eddie Nambulous in First Wave, and a Leo Award for his starring role in The Burial Society. Rob has been the Executive in Charge of Television for Infinity Features (Saved, Capote) for several years, and is currently an Executive Producer on their TV series Mental (with Fox TV Studios). He has taught acting at Colorado College and UCLA’s Overseas Program (in Florence, Italy). Rob has also served on the Executive Boards of SAG, ACTRA and UBCP.
Disney's Bill Matthews Inaugurates New Campus
July 21st, 2010
Bill Matthews Inaugurates New VanArts Campus from VanArts on Vimeo.
On Friday, July 16th, our annual guest Bill Matthews cut the ribbon to inaugurate our new campus, alongside VanArts President Alan Phillips. The same day, Bill also happened to be turning 79 years old, so our staff & students also wished him a Happy Birthday.
Bill Matthews is a founding member of our Advisory Board and served for many years as Manager of Artist Development for Walt Disney Feature Animation. He has been involved with VanArts since the very beginning of the school 15 years ago, acting as a mentor and guide to our animation students during his annual visit every summer.
