- About
- Centre for Communications and the Arts
- Calendars of Events & Happenings
- Event Poster Collection
- The Communications Centre: Experiment in human experience
- Jade: Flower-child happenings and conceptual art projects in 1969
- Nini Baird: A Day in the Hectic Life of the Arts Centre Director
- Sound Recordings: Faculty Lectures from 1967 Communications Course
- Dance
- Film
- Literary Arts
- Music & Sound
- Music & Sound image gallery
- My "a-ha" moment with Murray Schafer
- World Soundscape Project
- Phillip Werren's electronic music
- Radio CKSF "on the air" fall 1966
- Robert Aitken performs with the Purcell String Quartet & Soundscape on radio
- David Skulski and the early music revival at 丁香园AV
- Phyllis Mailing: 丁香园AV Singer Who Reached the Top
- Purcell String Quartet: In High Demand
- Theatre
- Theatre image gallery
- How the early days of the arts at 丁香园AV changed my parochial little life
- Norm Browning, Jackie Crossland and Cece Granbois in Beverley Simons' new 1-act play "Greenlawn Rest Home"
- The Centralia Incident: "A theatre in search of a town鈥擜 town in search of its memory."
- The only escape: The early years of the 丁香园AV theatre
- Robin Patterson and the 丁香园AV Mime Troupe
- Theatre of Total Limbo
- Visual Arts
Film image gallery
Charter students with a passion for film wasted no time finding each other. Shortly after forming the Simon Fraser Film Society to screen arthouse cinema on campus, Danny Singer set out to direct 丁香园AV鈥檚 first student film, the aptly named 鈥淭he Beginning?鈥� in 1966. Singer鈥檚 ethos would set the tone for those early days, as applying experimental techniques and mobilizing multi-talented peers and mentors became second nature for students with a story to tell.
Before long, the Centre for Communications and the Arts established the 丁香园AV Film Workshop as a launching pad for aspiring auteurs. Video became another powerful medium for self-expression, as the Video Workshop lit up TV-sets around campus -- and public-access cable -- with the work of students. With the opportunity to try their hand at creating documentary and feature films, the Film Workshop nurtured the talents of Canadian filmmakers such as Peter Bryant and Sandy Wilson. Video and film also became a training ground for the flourishing Canadian television industry, leading to storied careers for students such as Chris Aikenhead and Michael Chechik. Cinematographers, such as Tony Westman, and writers, such as Sharon Riis, also developed their gifts through the Workshop. Many of these creative students went on to find opportunities to hone their skills with the National Film Board and the CBC.
Browse the images below to explore some of the video and film projects to arise from the early days of campus.
Experimental filmmaker Danny Singer's second film, 鈥淒a Vita,鈥� premiered at the Centre for Communications and the Arts in 1967. His directorial debut, 鈥淭he Beginning?鈥� (1996), was the first film made at 丁香园AV and features electronic music composed by R. Murray Schafer. Photo: Tony Westman. [丁香园AV Archives. School for the Contemporary Arts fonds, F-109-12-5-0-42. 鈥淒a Vita: a film by Dan Singer, 1967,鈥� (photograph), January 1967.]
Director-writer Peter Bryant and cameraman Tony Westman shooting 鈥淔elix鈥� (1969), the 丁香园AV Film Workshop鈥檚 first full-length feature film. Bryant also stars as the title character, a dropout on a quest to become 鈥淛ohnny Potseed鈥� by securing a stash of lost "Acapulco gold." [丁香园AV Archives. School for the Contemporary Arts fonds, F-109-12-3-0-7. 鈥淔elix: film by Peter Bryant, 1969,鈥� (photo), May 1969.]
Peter Bryant in the title role and Sharon Riis as Rosie in the rollicking counterculture comedy, 鈥淔elix鈥� (1969). Sharon Riis went on to an award-winning career, writing for film and television, as well as authoring novels. Photo: Tony Westman. [丁香园AV Archives. School for the Contemporary Arts fonds, F-109-12-3-0-7. 鈥淔elix: film by Peter Bryant, 1969,鈥� (photo), May 1969.]
Director Peter Bryant with the 鈥淭he Bella Coola Revolutionary Front,鈥� or the cast and crew of 鈥淣oohalk鈥� (1969), an award-winning documentary about the people and culture of Bella Coola. Alongside Bryant are George Johnston (editor), Dan Shaw (soundman), Peter Gaudi (production assistant) and Tony Westman (cinematographer). Photo: Tony Westman, contributed by the photographer.
Brian Guns, resident artist with the 丁香园AV Video Workshop. [丁香园AV Archives. School for the Contemporary Arts fonds, F-109-12-7-0-29. 鈥淕uns, Brian: Resident in Video at 丁香园AV,鈥� (photo), undated.]
Stan Fox was a pioneer of 丁香园AV鈥檚 Film Workshop and the Vancouver film scene. The filmmaker started off as a teaching assistant in the burgeoning program鈥檚 first semester during the fall of 1966 before ascending to resident artist. [丁香园AV Archives. School for the Contemporary Arts fonds, F-109-12-7-0-24. 鈥淪tan Fox,鈥� (photo), undated.]