University of Winnipeg Archives has recently made the Steven Schipper fonds available to researchers. Schipper was the longest-serving artistic director of the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre from 1989 until 2019.
The Steven Schipper fonds includes a mixture of administrative, dramaturgical, technical, and personal material related to the production of individual shows, the planning of theatrical seasons, and the day-to-day business of the theatre’s box office, with a particular focus on his role as artistic director of the Royal MTC from 1987-2019. The records also pertain to Schipper’s extramural research and awards and early education.
Brett Lougheed, University Archivist/Digital Curator and Director, Oral History Centre notes the collection is unique in that it documents the many facets of a theatre production and illustrates how an artistic director is ultimately responsible for them all. This donation contributes to a growing collection of cultural studies materials that will help support teaching and research in theatre and film and other academic disciplines on campus.
We are honoured Steven selected the UWinnipeg Archives as his repository of choice.
Brett Lougheed
“Steven Schipper has had a most distinguished career and any archives in the province would welcome the opportunity to care for his archival collection,” shared Lougheed. “We are honoured Steven selected the UWinnipeg Archives as his repository of choice. The diversity of the collection materials – diaries, notes, drawings, posters, correspondence, audio and video recordings – reflect the multidisciplinary nature of Schipper’s work and the depth and breadth of his archival records.”
To celebrate the availability of this collection, UWinnipeg Archives has created an exhibition, titled Many Hats, which highlights the many roles that an artistic director must play. Many Hats features a selection of records from the Schipper fonds as well as from the University records emphasizing Schipper’s career and his connection to UWinnipeg, and depicting the history of the UWinnipeg’s Department of Theatre and Film.
The exhibit is in UWinnipeg Archives, located in the UWinnipeg Library in room 5C02 and is free and open to the public Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
During his career in Canadian theatre, Schipper received a number of awards and distinctions that include an honourary doctorate from The University of Winnipeg in 2007, he was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2012, and awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. He received the Order of Manitoba in 2019.
