The Department of Theatre and Dance, in partnership with the UofSC College of Arts and Sciences, will present a free online webinar, New Approaches in Theatre and Dance: Keeping the Lights on During COVID-19, July 13 at 12pm. 

Part of the College of Arts and Sciences' summer webinar series, the presentation will feature Professor Jim Hunter and Associate Professor Tanya Wideman-Davis leading a conversation about how the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred innovative new approaches to the ways we learn and perform in the fields of theatre and dance.

Keeping the Lights On During COVID-19 is a conversation built upon our university’s commitment to providing a quality education in a safe environment for students, faculty, staff and the public.  Many teaching and performance methods accepted as common practice based on years of implementation and effectiveness are no longer practical or possible during the current pandemic.  This dialogue will explore the many ways theatre and dance faculty have adapted imaginative approaches to teaching and performance for the coming year as a paradigm for presentational possibilities.  Discussions will include curating performance as an environmental engagement, practical everyday approaches being implemented on the Columbia campus as well as considering the wider national dialogue in both educational and professional performing arts communities.  Links to national resources and texts our faculty have been using will be provided.  Our faculty and staff are committed to providing students with the education we promised them by embracing flexibility, innovation, and seeing the current challenges as inspiration for devising new pathways for storytelling, intellectual curiosity, artistic risk taking, cultural advocacy and community engagement.

The webinar is free and open to the public.