Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts
Encyclopedia
Victoria School of the Arts is a public school in Edmonton
, Alberta
, Canada
operated by Edmonton Public Schools
, offering students from Kindergarten
through Grade 12 an arts-focused education.
Now known as just Victoria School of the arts, it was formerly known as Victoria Composite High School or "Vic Comp" for short. In 1985, Bob Maskell
took over the position of school principal with the intention of transforming the school from a vocational school with a low enrollment and bad reputation to an arts-based alternative school. He sold off the vocational equipment to finance large-scale renovations, and recruited a staff qualified in a broad range of arts disciplines. This staff included Tami Dowler-Coltman, a drama specialist who would help to write new curriculum and classes for the school. Tami also had her work at "Vic" recognized by receiving the Prime Ministers excellence in teaching. Because of the work of Maskell and Dowler-Coltman Victoria School of the Arts has become one of the top arts-focused schools in North America. Tami Dowler-Coltman is now the current Principal of Victoria School.
The school is an International Baccalaureate school, and offers the IB program for grades K-12: one of the only schools in Canada to do so.
There are five programs students may pursue at Victoria; Design and New Media, Visual Arts, Theatre, Dance, and Music.
In addition to its academic and arts programs, Victoria School is known for its cheer teams. The 1994 Large Squad team won the Suzutan World Cheerleading Championships in Nagoya, Japan
.
The high school library was destroyed by a deliberately set fire in April 2007. As of early 2009 the school is undergoing renovations.
List of Main Stage Shows:
PlayWorks is open to all students in grade 7-12 and offers a wide variety of theatre pieces.
The Festival is adjudicated by a notable theatre professional who watches the shows and reflects on the work with the students. It has become an opportunity for the students to receive pointers and feedback from professionals, not to judge or grade the work. In recent years the adjudication has been the work of Scott Swan a notable Canadian director who's work has been seen across the country.
The show is the presentation component of Composition 35, a grade 12 senior level dance class. Composition teaches students the process of choreography. Each student develops a concept and from that develops a dance. The process has 5 main parts:
This class offers young dancers a strong foundation in the task of creation. Each Student gains important artistic skills and experience through the process.
as well as the Premier of Alberta
, Ed Stelmach
. The event also coincided with the 35th anniversary of the school becoming an arts school and so Bob Maskell
spoke as well. The event concluded of with a student lead flash mob.
, an alumnus of the school. Mr. Hiller, a notable Hollywood director, has returned many times to share his wealth of knowledge and life experience with the students. As a thank you to Hiller, in 2007 the school named their annual student film festival after him.
When the school asked Hiller if they could use his name for the festival he wasn't sure, however after hearing that students wanted to run and lead it, he was convinced. He agreed as long as the word "student" was in the festival name. He didn't want it to be just a brand, but to say something. He wanted it to be about the kids, not him.
In 2009 the festival featured a new element: a film making challenge in which two teams of students attempted to plan, shoot, edit and present a five-minute short in two hours. This challenge took place simultaneously with the annual film showcase. As the featured films were playing, backstage in the theater, two teams were busy shooting. The audience was kept in the loop through the use of a live feed. This version of the festival was entirely student-run as the goal of the festival was to show current students' work, and also to have alumni share work too, much like the way Hiller himself returned to share his knowledge with students.
The festival was discontinued following the 2009 year, due primarily to a lack of support, Plans to bring it back are being discussed but no formal plans have yet been announced.
bursting through a brick wall.
Both the "Tree Hallway" and the "Alleyway" were lost in the construction of the new school in 2009. All murals that were removable were saved and will be relocated in the new building. New murals are being created on mountable panels to inject spirit back into the hallways.
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
operated by Edmonton Public Schools
Edmonton Public Schools
Edmonton Public Schools is the largest public school district in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The district offers a variety of alternative and special needs programs, and many are offered in multiple locations to improve accessibility for students...
, offering students from Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
through Grade 12 an arts-focused education.
Now known as just Victoria School of the arts, it was formerly known as Victoria Composite High School or "Vic Comp" for short. In 1985, Bob Maskell
Bob Maskell
Robert "Bob" Maskell is a former teacher and provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 2001 until 2004.-Early life:...
took over the position of school principal with the intention of transforming the school from a vocational school with a low enrollment and bad reputation to an arts-based alternative school. He sold off the vocational equipment to finance large-scale renovations, and recruited a staff qualified in a broad range of arts disciplines. This staff included Tami Dowler-Coltman, a drama specialist who would help to write new curriculum and classes for the school. Tami also had her work at "Vic" recognized by receiving the Prime Ministers excellence in teaching. Because of the work of Maskell and Dowler-Coltman Victoria School of the Arts has become one of the top arts-focused schools in North America. Tami Dowler-Coltman is now the current Principal of Victoria School.
The school is an International Baccalaureate school, and offers the IB program for grades K-12: one of the only schools in Canada to do so.
There are five programs students may pursue at Victoria; Design and New Media, Visual Arts, Theatre, Dance, and Music.
In addition to its academic and arts programs, Victoria School is known for its cheer teams. The 1994 Large Squad team won the Suzutan World Cheerleading Championships in Nagoya, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
The high school library was destroyed by a deliberately set fire in April 2007. As of early 2009 the school is undergoing renovations.
Main Stage Shows
Each year a selection of work is performed at the school. Usually two larger productions are featured as "Main Stage" shows. These plays or musicals are the largest events in the arts season at Victoria School. Large casts and week long runs allow students to perform on the main stage in big productions. Main stage shows at Victoria rival the high quality of professional work in town, as high standards in both performance and technical aspects are always a must.List of Main Stage Shows:
- Willy Wonka (musical) - 2011
- Curtains (musical)Curtains (musical)Curtains is a musical with a book by Rupert Holmes, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander, with additional lyrics by Kander and Holmes....
- 2011 - The Two Gentlemen of VeronaThe Two Gentlemen of VeronaThe Two Gentlemen of Verona is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1590 or 1591. It is considered by some to be Shakespeare's first play, and is often seen as his first tentative steps in laying out some of the themes and tropes with which he would later deal in more...
- 2010 - The American ClockThe American ClockThe American Clock is a play by Arthur Miller. The play is about 1930s America during The Great Depression. It is based in part on Studs Terkel's Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression. The play premiered on Broadway at the Biltmore Theatre on November 11, 1980; closing on November 30,...
- 2010 - Irving Berlin's White ChristmasWhite Christmas (musical)White Christmas is a musical based on the Paramount Pictures 1954 film of the same name. The libretto is by David Ives and Paul Blake, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin...
- 2009 - My Fair LadyMy Fair LadyMy Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
- 2009 - Village of IdiotsVillage of IdiotsVillage of Idiots is a short animated comedy based on the classic Jewish, humorous, folk tales of Chełm made by animators/directors Eugene Fedorenko and Rose Newlove with the National Film Board of Canada...
- 2008 - AnnieAnnie (musical)Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...
- 2008 - The Laramie ProjectThe Laramie ProjectThe Laramie Project is a play by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project about the reaction to the 1998 murder of University of Wyoming gay student Matthew Shepard in Laramie,...
- 2007 - Thoroughly Modern MillieThoroughly Modern Millie (musical)Thoroughly Modern Millie is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori, lyrics by Dick Scanlan, and a book by Richard Morris and Scanlan. Based on the 1967 film of the same name, Thoroughly Modern Millie tells the story of a small-town girl, Millie Dillmount, who comes to New York City to marry for...
- 2006 - The CrucibleThe CrucibleThe Crucible is a 1952 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatization of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism, when the US government blacklisted accused communists...
- 2006 - A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
- 2005 - Our TownOur TownOur Town is a three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder. It is a character story about an average town's citizens in the early twentieth century as depicted through their everyday lives...
- 2005 - SeussicalSeussicalis a musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty based on the books of Dr. Seuss that debuted on Broadway in 2000. The play's story is a rather complex amalgamation of many of Seuss's most famous books. After a Broadway run, the production spawned two US national tours and a UK tour...
- 2004 - The Madwoman of ChaillotThe Madwoman of ChaillotThe Madwoman of Chaillot is a play, a poetic satire, by French dramatist Jean Giraudoux, written in 1943 and first performed in 1945, after his death. The play has two acts and follows the convention of the classical unities...
- 2004 - The Music ManThe Music ManThe Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naive townsfolk before skipping town with...
- 2003 - The Secret GardenThe Secret Garden (musical)The Secret Garden is a musical based on the 1911 novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The musical's book and lyrics are by Marsha Norman, with music by Lucy Simon...
- 2003 - Oliver!Oliver!Oliver! is a British musical, with script, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens....
- 2002 - Once on This IslandOnce On This IslandOnce on This Island is a one-act musical with a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty. Based on the novel My Love, My Love by Rosa Guy, set in the French Antilles in the Caribbean Sea...
- 2001 - The Wizard of Oz - 2001
- Fiddler on the RoofFiddler on the RoofFiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
- 2000 - Anne of Green Gables - 2000
- Romeo and JulietRomeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
- 1999 - The Wind in the WillowsThe Wind in the WillowsThe Wind in the Willows is a classic of children's literature by Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. Alternately slow moving and fast paced, it focuses on four anthropomorphised animal characters in a pastoral version of England...
- 1999 - Into the WoodsInto the WoodsInto the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim...
- 1999 - Angel SquareAngel SquareAngel Square is a 1990 Canadian film set in 1945 and based on the novel of the same title by Brian Doyle. Many of his books are set in Ottawa, Canada.-Summary:...
- 1998 - Sweeney Todd - 1997
PlayWorks
PlayWorks is a student directed one act festival that occurs every April. Students in the Directing 35 class go through a play selection process, hold auditions and call backs, run rehearsals, and have complete control over every design choice and aspect for their chosen play.PlayWorks is open to all students in grade 7-12 and offers a wide variety of theatre pieces.
The Festival is adjudicated by a notable theatre professional who watches the shows and reflects on the work with the students. It has become an opportunity for the students to receive pointers and feedback from professionals, not to judge or grade the work. In recent years the adjudication has been the work of Scott Swan a notable Canadian director who's work has been seen across the country.
Leaps & Bounds
An annual dance show featuring student choreographed work. This two night showcase has been a staple in Victoria's art season for more than a decade.The show is the presentation component of Composition 35, a grade 12 senior level dance class. Composition teaches students the process of choreography. Each student develops a concept and from that develops a dance. The process has 5 main parts:
- Concept development
- Auditions
- Rehearsals
- Performance
- Reflection
This class offers young dancers a strong foundation in the task of creation. Each Student gains important artistic skills and experience through the process.
Festival of the Arts
In the spring of 2010 Victoria hosted the first ever 'Festival of the arts' this event brought together all three levels of school and all the different art disciplines in a large two day celebration. With events being presented all over the school. allowing parents students and staff to spend time taking in performance and looking at work all over the school. This large scale event was held a second time in the spring of 2011 and also served as the official opening of the newly renovated building and the celebration Victoria's centennial birthday. A large event was held in the courtyard area of the school attended by The Mayor of Edmonton, Stephen MandelStephen Mandel
Stephen Mandel is a Canadian politician and the current mayor of Edmonton, Alberta.-Biography:Mandel received an Associate of Arts Degree from Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Miami University, and his Masters in Political Science from...
as well as the Premier of Alberta
Premier of Alberta
The Premier of Alberta is the first minister for the Canadian province of Alberta. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. The current Premier of Alberta is Alison Redford. She became Premier by winning the Progressive Conservative leadership elections on...
, Ed Stelmach
Ed Stelmach
Edward Michael "Ed" Stelmach, MLA is a Canadian politician and served as the 13th Premier of Alberta, Canada, from 2006 to 2011. The grandson of Ukrainian immigrants, Stelmach was born and raised on a farm near Lamont and speaks fluent Ukrainian. He spent his entire pre-political adult life as a...
. The event also coincided with the 35th anniversary of the school becoming an arts school and so Bob Maskell
Bob Maskell
Robert "Bob" Maskell is a former teacher and provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 2001 until 2004.-Early life:...
spoke as well. The event concluded of with a student lead flash mob.
Arthur Hiller Student Film Festival
The Arthur Hiller Student Film Festival, was named in honor of Arthur HillerArthur Hiller
Arthur Hiller, OC is a Canadian film director. His filmography includes 33 major studio releases, including the 1970 film Love Story...
, an alumnus of the school. Mr. Hiller, a notable Hollywood director, has returned many times to share his wealth of knowledge and life experience with the students. As a thank you to Hiller, in 2007 the school named their annual student film festival after him.
When the school asked Hiller if they could use his name for the festival he wasn't sure, however after hearing that students wanted to run and lead it, he was convinced. He agreed as long as the word "student" was in the festival name. He didn't want it to be just a brand, but to say something. He wanted it to be about the kids, not him.
In 2009 the festival featured a new element: a film making challenge in which two teams of students attempted to plan, shoot, edit and present a five-minute short in two hours. This challenge took place simultaneously with the annual film showcase. As the featured films were playing, backstage in the theater, two teams were busy shooting. The audience was kept in the loop through the use of a live feed. This version of the festival was entirely student-run as the goal of the festival was to show current students' work, and also to have alumni share work too, much like the way Hiller himself returned to share his knowledge with students.
The festival was discontinued following the 2009 year, due primarily to a lack of support, Plans to bring it back are being discussed but no formal plans have yet been announced.
The Tree Hallway
As part of the 1990s revitalization project the 150 wing of the school was painted with a series of murals depicting trees. These magical and imaginative works of art brought a plain white hall to life with vibrant color. This wing quickly became affectionately known as "The Tree Hallway". At the center of this hall was a mural of Edmonton's city skyline, this work covered about twenty feet of bare wall and become an instant identification point in the school. At the right of the skyline was a large T-Rex, guarding the city. At the end of the 150 wing, was a shorter connecting hallway which connected an older half of the school to a newer half. This small corridor was painted in an elaborate display of art, floor to ceiling depicting an Alleyway out of some artists nightmare. Every inch of the space covered in unique art. This hall was called "The Alleyway". The work in the "Alley" ranged from murals of doughnut shops, to dancers on street corners, to sculptors of second story windows, as well as a depiction SupermanSuperman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
bursting through a brick wall.
Both the "Tree Hallway" and the "Alleyway" were lost in the construction of the new school in 2009. All murals that were removable were saved and will be relocated in the new building. New murals are being created on mountable panels to inject spirit back into the hallways.
Notable alumni
- Roy Brown (RAF officer) - World War 1 flying ace (Deceased)
- Tommy ChongTommy ChongTommy Chong is a Canadian-American comedian, actor, writer, director, activist, and musician who is well known for his stereotypical portrayals of hippie-era stoners...
- Actor and musician - Robert GouletRobert GouletRobert Gerard Goulet was a Canadian American entertainer as a singer and actor. He played the role of Lancelot in the Broadway musical Camelot of 1960.-Early life:...
- Entertainer (Deceased) - Richard Newman (broadcaster) - Reality TV Star (Big Brother 7 UK) and broadcaster
- Arthur HillerArthur HillerArthur Hiller, OC is a Canadian film director. His filmography includes 33 major studio releases, including the 1970 film Love Story...
- Director, Past President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - Eric JohnsonEric Johnson (actor)Eric Johann Johnson is a Canadian actor best known for playing the role of Whitney Fordman on the television series Smallville...
- Actor, star of the 2007 television series Flash GordonFlash Gordon (2007 TV series)Flash Gordon is an American science fiction television series that debuted on Sci Fi in the United States on August 10, 2007 and continued airing new episodes through February 8, 2008. It has also appeared on the United Kingdom Sci Fi Channel and SPACE in Canada... - Wop MayWop MayCaptain Wilfrid Reid "Wop" May, OBE, DFC , was a First World War flying ace and a pioneering aviator who created the role of the bush pilot while working the Canadian west....
- Canadian airman (Deceased) - Leslie NielsenLeslie NielsenLeslie William Nielsen, OC was a Canadian and naturalized American actor and comedian. Nielsen appeared in more than one hundred films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying more than 220 characters...
- Actor (Deceased) - Joe Shoctor - Lawyer, founder of Edmonton's Citadel Theatre, and recipient of the Alberta Order of ExcellenceAlberta Order of ExcellenceThe Alberta Order of Excellence is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Alberta. Instituted in 1979 when Lieutenant Governor Frank C...
- Dan Riskin (Broadcaster) - Co-Host of Daily Planet (TV series)Daily Planet (TV series)Daily Planet is a television program on Discovery Channel Canada which features daily news, discussion and commentary on the scientific aspects of current events and discoveries. The show first aired as @discovery.ca in 1995. It was renamed to Daily Planet in 2002. The show relaunched with in high...
on the Discovery ChannelDiscovery ChannelDiscovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...