WINTER TERM MESSAGE
Welcome back!
I hope you have enjoyed a replenishing break and can return to the winter term with renewed energy. Looking at the CDTPS calendar, I can see we have another wonderfully full term, with many upcoming curricular and co-curricular events. There is so much going on in every corner of our department and I hope you feel called to join in and make the most of the term!
I also wanted to share with you the very exciting news of the beginning of construction on our new home in University College, to where we can expect to move before the end of 2023. This move is really something to look forward to and I will keep you apprised of any further updates.
It is a real privilege to learn; it can be wondrous and challenging, both. My wish for students and faculty this term is that you (re)discover your creative and intellectual selves, in community with others; theatre and performance studies have particularly evocative lessons for us in this regard.
Remember, you can always reach out to your program administrators with any questions you might have. We are here to support your learning; don't hesitate to reach out! We also continue to privilege safety in our spaces and hope we can all stay healthy this term.
Happy Winter/Spring term to all!
Kathleen Gallagher
Director, Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies
FALL TERM MESSAGE
Dear CDTPS Students:
Welcome to the Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Toronto. I am truly delighted to be extending this brief note of welcome to you all, those of you newly joining the program (like me) in this 2022/23 academic year and those of you returning.
For thousands of years, the land on which the University of Toronto operates, the land on which we currently learn and play together, has been the traditional land of the Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit River. This meeting place is still home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are very grateful to have the opportunity to work, to create, and to be together on this land.
As a settler on this land, with my people coming from Ireland and Scotland, I have learned that the paths we walk today, around the University of Toronto, are built on the portage trails first established and walked by many Indigenous communities. I hope each of us can learn from the original caretakers of this land and feel called to share in the responsibility for its flourishing.
I appreciate that there will be adjustments for many in returning, or newly arriving, to campus this year. I hope that we can take care of each other, and together build a strong community. I am excited about all I have yet to learn and hope you also feel a similar exhilaration. There is innovative research, daring pedagogy, and inspiring creative practices happening in all corners of our Centre, across both our undergraduate and graduate programs. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your professors, peers, administrative staff, any of us with questions you might have. There will be opportunities for you to engage in the many diverse activities, performances, and events of the Centre beyond your rich classroom experiences. I hope you seize these opportunities and I wish each of you a most wonderful year!
Kathleen Gallagher
Director, Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies