WINNIPEG, MB – The University of Winnipeg welcomes the renaming of the home of the Department of Theatre and Film to the Asper Centre for Theatre and Film. The Asper Family has been instrumental in completing the commitment of $3 million originally made by Canwest Global Communications to The University of Winnipeg to establish the Centre in December 2006.
Secures its Position as a Place of Excellence
“The Asper Centre enhances the national reputation for the Department of Theatre & Film and secures its position as a place of excellence in theatre and film studies in Canada,” said Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, UWinnipeg President and Vice-Chancellor. “We are very honoured to now have the Asper name associated with this centre, which has allowed our theatre students and faculty to flourish in a state-of-the-art facility that encourages creativity and learning that they can call their own and is a welcome addition to the arts community and contributes to Winnipeg’s cultural landscape.”
The $5.5 million Centre features state-of-the-art performance, production and teaching facilities for theatre and film students equipped with a 120- to 150-seat theatre, labs and studios dedicated to lighting, sound and recording, and film and media production. As well, the Centre houses specially designed spaces for rehearsals, teaching, costume, make-up and prop development.
The Department of Theatre and Film offers 90 different courses in acting and directing; design; drama in education; filmmaking; playwriting; and stage management and production.
The University of Winnipeg’s Department of Theatre & Film is one of the largest in the country known for producing graduates well connected to the local theatre community. Theatre & Film faculty members continue to work in their respective fields and graduates are employed throughout Winnipeg’s theatre community including the Manitoba Theatre Centre, Prairie Theatre Exchange, Manitoba Theatre for Young People, the Winnipeg Film Group and the Winnipeg Fringe Festival. The Centre addresses the pressing national need for more graduates with high-level performance and production skills and enables the University to expand its theatre education and training capabilities.
