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Meet our Organizers: Karen from Jube School in Alberta

Culture Days

Mar 30, 2020

Meet our Organizers Series Kids Theatre Visual Arts Youth & Teens
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Looking back on the 2019 celebrations, we want to highlight some exceptional organizers who help make the Culture Days celebration what it is across Canada. The Jube School is an invitation to Alberta’s communities to explore the technical, visual, and performing arts. We asked the Jube’s Cultural Development Specialist and Culture Days organizer Karen to tell us more about the importance of having access to authentic arts education experiences that transforms the classroom. Here’s what we learned.

What is Jube School—could you tell us more about the program and how it came to be?

Jube School is an amazing program that invites youth of all abilities into the creative process. Over the last four years, Jube School has gone through many exciting changes and now offers creative explorations in the visual, performing and technical arts. Youth have the opportunity to work alongside some of the best teaching artists and theatre technicians in Alberta.

What is unique about Jube School?

Jube School is unique in that students and teachers are fully immersed in the creative process. The discoveries guide the learning. Participants become puppet makers, drummers, lighting technicians, storytellers, designers and much more! At Jube School students get to work alongside industry professionals experiencing the expert’s passion and knowledge.

Is there anything that surprises or delights you most about Jube School?

There are a lot of beautiful surprises in Jube School. A couple that stand out are how often students tell us that they feel they have found their voice and a sense of self/identity at Jube School. Teachers also reflect that their class became a community at Jube School and work much more collaboratively back in the classroom.

How would you define the Jubilee Auditoriums’ roles within the artistic communities of Edmonton and Calgary?

The Auditoria is one of the busiest venues in the country and it shapes arts and culture in our province by hosting and engaging a variety of community groups, the Alberta Ballet, Calgary and Edmonton Opera, and national and international artists. These are buildings where stories are told, and it allows us to connect with others that we normally wouldn’t connect with. We build community by offering and hosting a variety of experiences that people want to be a part of. With Jube School we invite artists and craftspeople to teach their process to youth in an exciting and inspiring environment.

Why do you think it’s important to facilitate access to hands-on arts experiences for youth?

I believe that creating is a way of knowing. It helps us find our place in this world. It is important that youth have the opportunity to create, to discover in an environment that sparks their imagination and curiosities. The arts help us find our place in our communities.

How did you come to hear about Culture Days? Why did you decide to participate in the celebratory weekend?

We partner with the Government of Alberta for our Culture Days events. It is magical. Culture Days is a great way for youth and adults to be exposed to the performing, visual and technical arts. It is an invitation to play and explore in an inclusive, safe and creative atmosphere.

What goals do you hope to see the Jube School accomplish in the future?

Jube School is such a dynamic program. We have plans to expand programming to be more inclusive of our rural communities, launch an all-female identifying technical mentorship program called Jube: Tech Like A Girl, and to develop a high school technical conference for students in grades 10-12 who have a passion and curiosity in technical theatre. Lastly, we hope to recreate the joy Jube School sparks by introducing a summer program called Jube Camp. It will be held in Calgary and Edmonton this summer for youth ages 6–14. I am so proud and excited about Jube School and the work we are doing.

Learn more at:

Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium—Calgary

Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium—Edmonton

This article is part of a special blog series. Find more organizer profiles here.

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