Study Abroad: CCM's summer in England, Italy Scotland and Poland
Students and faculty visit Europe for theatre performance studies and workshops
What did you do this summer?
As students and faculty return to campus for the start of fall semester, conversation usually starts with a recap of summer stories and adventures. Many use the time for rest or work, some use the time to plan for the next school year. At CCM, a group of theatre arts students and faculty spent their summer exploring Europe.
CCM Acting and Musical Theatre students traveled to England and Scotland on a three-week study abroad trip to participate in a performance-driven intensive at Rose Bruford College. Two CCM Acting professors traveled to Poland to lead a week of workshops at Stary Theatre. A group of CCM Dance students and faculty members traveled to Italy for the DAP Festival and master classes. View photos and learn more about their summer adventures below.
London and Scotland
CCM students at Rose Bruford College in London. Photo/Provided by Sarah Summerwell.
CCM and Rose Bruford College in London, curated a unique performance-driven study abroad intensive for Acting and Musical Theatre BFA students. Students spent their first week taking classes in Meisner, Movement and Devising with UK-based guest artists. They also went to shows on at London's West End, Shakespeare's Globe, and London's National Theatre. The second week focused on classes that included Yoga for the Actor, Theater of the Oppressed and "How It Gets Made" lecture presentations. Each student gave a presentation of their newly devised work, in which they showcased ideas for future projects.
In the third week, CCM students and faculty traveled to the world-renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. Students saw CCM alum Dylan Mulvaney's (BFA Musical Theatre, '19) solo musical at her Fringe Festival debut at Assembly George Square Studiosr, and had access to hundreds of live performances each day.
The trip included CCM Musical Theatre students Kristen Das, Sen Polk, Coty Perno, Peyton Kern and Jonathan Hobbs; CCM Acting students Nico Graves and Katherine Harb, CCM Arts Administration student Kit Gladieux; Kenyon College student Arin Laycook; and CCM Division Head of Theatre Arts, Production and Arts Administration Rebecca Bromels and CCM Instructor Sarah Summerwell.
Poland
Samuel Stricklen and Brant Russell in Poland. Photo/Provided by Brant Russell.
CCM Acting Chair Brant Russell and CCM Assistant Professor of Acting Samuel Stricklen traveled to Poland to lead a week of workshops focused on "Theatre and Equality" at the Stary Theatre.
Stricklen led workshops on the Viewpoints method acting technique and Russell lead workshops on inclusive script analysis. The week culminated in devised performances that took place throughout the theatre building — similar to CCM's Transmigration Festival of New Works.
Italy
CCM Dance students traveled to Pietrasanta, Italy to participate in the DAP Festival (Danza Arte Pietrasanta). Students took daily master classes with professionals and icons from all over the dance world. They also performed two faculty works and one student work in a created theater space and participated in two invasion performances (like busking or a flashmob set up). The festival offered multiple scholarship auditions for future intensives and programs. Caitlyn Wehner, a junior CCM Dance student, received a scholarship to study choreography at the London Contemporary Schools Summer Intensive in 2025. CCM student participants included: Shaelyn Kuipers, Caitlyn Wehner, Maddie Weber, Isabella Thoroughman, Iliana Rich, Kelsey Lewis with CCM Dance Chair Shauna Steele and Instructor Ihaiah Miller.
Steele and Miller also attended and particpated the Serendipity Conference and the Let's Dance International Frontiers Festival in England. It was hosted by the Institute for Black Arts and Heritage and took a deep dive into past, present and future experiences of postcolonialism Black artists. It involved seminars, roundtables, movement classes, performances, presentations, and video and archival experiences.
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