UNews - Lisa Doolittle

Creating a more inclusive campus

trevor.kenney — Fri, 13 Jul 2018 19:38:32 +0000

Nadine and Don Chandler have advocated for inclusiveness ever since their son Randy was born with an intellectual disability more than 40 years ago, and now they’ve established an award that will help provide inclusive learning opportunities at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Nadine and Don Chandler.

“Three or four years ago, our son was one of eight individuals with disabilities involved in a drama and dance course at the U of L through former drama professor Lisa Doolittle,” says Don (BASc (BA) ’73). “As a result of this very successful program, we wanted to do something to enable future intellectually disabled individuals to have an opportunity to attend courses at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. We had been thinking about establishing a scholarship for some time and our son’s participation in that course affirmed our decision.”

“Randy had an outstanding experience,” says Nadine. “He very much enjoyed the whole process. He enjoyed being involved in the university classroom; he received a mark and was very proud of his accomplishments. It was a positive, rewarding experience all around.”

Many of the people who could be involved in the university experience at some level can’t participate because of the tuition costs.

“We wanted to create opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be there,” says Don, past president of the U of L Alumni Association (2009-2011) and a 2005 inductee into the Alumni Honour Society.

The Chandler Family Award is a two-part endowment. The Chandler Family Inclusion Fund will assist students with developmental or intellectual disabilities or an academic staff member who enables the participation of these individuals in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community. If there are no applicants to the Fund, the annual proceeds go to support the Chandler Family Inclusion Award, which is given to an undergraduate or graduate student who has shown outstanding leadership in the areas of developmental or intellectual disability or who has shown initiative to improve the lives of these individuals.

Maggie MacKay, 20, was the first recipient of the award. She has audited several courses, with an assistant, in the Faculty of Fine Arts, including a drama course in movement and a stagecraft course about the technical side of theatre productions.

“I liked making masks and I drew a Snow-White set design,” says Maggie. “I enjoyed it.”

Her parents, Bruce (BASc (BA) ’84) and Flora (BASc (BA) ’85) MacKay, say her participation in university life is about much more than earning credits.

“Maggie is an intelligent young woman and she’s continuing to learn academically,” says Flora. “We don’t expect she will get a university degree; it’s more the experience of interacting and socializing with her peers, navigating around campus and developing confidence. She’s learned a lot.”

“The gift is a wonderful way for the Chandler family to support people like Maggie and others to have this experience at university but it’s also an encouragement for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to implement programming or a system to make it possible,” says Bruce.

When asked if she’d like to take more classes, Maggie says simply, “Yes, I’d love to.”

Becoming Unlimited celebrates inclusivity through dance

trevor.kenney — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 17:28:22 +0000

What happens when 22 university students, eight with identified disabilities, join up for a year-long inclusive dance journey? Find out at the premier showing of Becoming Unlimited, Saturday, Oct. 21 at 3:30 p.m. at the Movie Mill.

The full cast of the production. PHOTO by Jaime Vedres

In the 2014-2015 school year, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge drama professor Lisa Doolittle teamed with Pamela Boyd, artistic director of MOMO, a professional mixed-abilities dance theatre company in Calgary, to create an integrated dance theatre production. After working with local organizations, Inclusion Lethbridge and the South Region Self Advocates Network/SAIPA in 2013-2014, Doolittle was inspired to continue providing drama and dance opportunities at a university level.

“I taught a series of drama/dance workshops to a large mixed ability group,” explains Doolittle. “As they experienced the process of doing drama and dance, we could see that they gained confidence, improved communication skills, built new relationships among themselves and with others, and expressed their points of view in powerful ways.”

Through a for-credit course in mixed abilities drama and dance, Doolittle and Boyd developed a large-scale integrated production, Unlimited, presented on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Theatre stage in 2015. Students in the course and production shared assignments and the creation of the production with classmates and cast members who experience disability, exposing them to different perspectives and new ways of creating theatre.

A scene from the lavish dance production. PHOTO by Jaime Vedres

In the end, it wasn’t just the students that learned something. Over a thousand guests that viewed the performance learned something too.

“In talkbacks after the show, many audience members said they could not tell which cast members experienced disability and which did not,” shares Doolittle. “The results of our audience survey demonstrated that this production changed attitudes about disability, and about disability arts.”

Documenting the creative process from intense rehearsals to tearful goodbyes, the 34-minute documentary Becoming Unlimited explores how participation in artistic processes can lead to dynamic change for the inclusion of people with disabilities, on and off the stage.

“The participants who experience disability had an opportunity to study drama and dance at the university level and take part in a dynamic, structured artistic process alongside student peers. The documentary records their reactions to that experience, and it presents their reactions and the observations of their family members, who noticed their new sense of achievement, belonging and the positive change in their lives.”

Becoming Unlimited gives a behind-the-scenes look at the process, and presents candid and sometimes difficult realizations that the team had to work through.

“The film lets viewers experience both the struggles and the exhilaration of our work, and it opens our perception about the many ways that the arts can make a difference.”

Becoming Unlimited airs at the Movie Mill, Saturday, Oct. 21 at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are free, but seat reservations are required. Reserve your tickets at becomingunlimited.eventbrite.ca.

Doolittle appointed Board of Governors Teaching Chair

trevor.kenney — Thu, 28 May 2015 15:55:11 +0000

An educator who embraces research-informed teaching, promotes socially engaged global learning and cultivates an inclusive learning environment, Lisa Doolittle has been appointed a Board of Governors Teaching Chair.

Lisa Doolittle combines dance, theatre, community engagement and scholarship to create positive social action through university-community partnerships.

Doolittle is a Theatre and Dramatic Arts faculty member who has been at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge since 1989. She combines dance, theatre, community engagement and scholarship to create positive social action through university-community partnerships.

Her research focuses on Canadian multicultural and indigenous dance, and she is currently heading the Teaching and Learning sector in a national partnership that is exploring how art can positively impact society.

Doolittle expands learning outside the classroom through initiatives such as the biannual student trip she co-leads to Malawi to develop theatre-based and student-delivered malaria and HIV/AIDS prevention programs in rural schools. She also brings the community into the classroom and onto the stage through arts-based, university-community collaborations with local Blackfoot students, refugees, immigrants and people with developmental disabilities.

She has volunteered extensively for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, for example, by chairing the Faculty Association’s Academic Welfare Committee, serving on committees such as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Inclusive Education Working Group, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Budget and Teaching Development, and facilitating workshops with the Teaching Centre.

Doolittle has published several book chapters, journal and media articles, delivered many conference and community presentations, and volunteers for scholarly arts organizations. Outside of academia, she has worked as a choreographer, director and writer on numerous productions in Alberta and internationally.

Her appointment as a Board of Governors Teaching Chair is for a two-year term commencing July 1, 2015.

Research opportunities to be explored at CURE 2015

trevor.kenney — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 17:56:00 +0000

Continuing to create collaborative opportunities between researchers and external stakeholders, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge presents its third annual Community ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Research Exchange (CURE) event on Mar. 20, 2015.

This free event is focused on bringing U of L researchers together with community members to initiate and support collaborative research relationships.

This free event is focused on bringing U of L researchers together with community members to initiate and support collaborative research relationships. Now in its third year, CURE is continuing to create valuable links between the community and the U of L.

“We want to ensure that the world-class work that is being conducted by our researchers has an opportunity to reach our community and, if appropriate, be utilized by community organizations, industry and the general public,” says Dr. Lesley Brown, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s interim vice-president (research). “The work we do at the U of L often responds to the needs of our local communities, the province and the country. CURE has proven to be very valuable in creating connections between our researchers and external partners.”

One such example of community involvement is the ongoing work of Lisa Doolittle of the U of L’s Faculty of Fine Arts. As the Teaching and Learning Research coordinator for the Art for Social Change project, a comprehensive five-year national research program that examines the effectiveness of using the arts as a means of community engagement and to encourage positive social change, Doolittle works closely with a number of community organizations and the general public at large. She uses activities associated with dance as a means to effect positive change.

“The arts bring people together. The arts do not separate people – they are communal activities and when communities come together, big things can happen,” says Doolittle, who has worked with people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and in partnership with Decidedly Jazz Danceworks.

The 2015 edition of CURE is currently accepting registrations for the Mar. 20, 2015 event. All community members or agencies are invited to attend or participate in this free event by developing short presentations describing research projects completed, in progress or being established. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ researchers will present a poster session, take part in a networking lunch and deliver speed talks, all describing their community-based projects. All topics and disciplines of research are open for discussion.

For more information on CURE 2015, visit the Research Services website.

U of L drama professor working on unique inclusive theatre project

caroline.zentner — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 22:17:33 +0000

The goal of Wednesday’s International Day for Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is to increase awareness of the gains that come from living in an inclusive community that integrates persons with disabilities.

Professor Lisa Doolittle taught a mixed ability theatre class this past fall and now students are gearing up for the Main Stage.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge drama professor Lisa Doolittle has been working on creating such a community in one of her classes this fall. Of the 19 students enrolled in her Dance and Theatre for all Abilities class, six have an intellectual disability.

“Over the past year and a half, I’ve been partnering with the Southern Alberta Individualized Planning Association and with the Lethbridge Association for Community Living in research about using arts-based methods to make social change,” says Doolittle. “Currently, the research has taken the form of bringing people with disabilities into an existing drama department class and into a scheduled Main Stage production, which will be running in March.”

The class wrapped up recently with a workshop production and next semester, the students will begin work on their Main Stage production titled Unlimited. The show is a mixed abilities production created from the ground up by the students. While it’s still in development, Doolittle says it will focus on a big party, with characters developed from the cast members themselves.

“That really has not been done in our department. We’ve never had a production that has deliberately gone out of its way to cast members of the disability community,” she says.

Doolittle has been working with a Calgary artist, Pamela Boyd, former artistic director of MoMo, Calgary’s mixed ability theatre and dance company. Boyd has worked with students taking the class and she’ll also work on Unlimited.

Throughout the class and during the production, Doolittle is conducting research about teaching and learning in an inclusive environment. The research is funded through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

“For many people with disabilities, the wheels fall off after high school. They experience new barriers to their full participation in society,” says Doolittle.

She hopes to shed some light on that through her study.

“I’m interested in researching what happens in their lives and in the lives of the other students who participate with them, in the way we teach in the department, and ultimately, through the Unlimited production, in the public perception of these people with disabilities,” she says. “By living through the experience and researching it, I hope we’ll have a really clear picture of how this post-secondary inclusion idea may or may not work.”

While a university is considered a place for intellectual pursuits, students are also learning about friendships, collaboration and teamwork, educating the body and artistic expression, for example. Doolittle saw how those elements played out in her classroom this fall. The division between the students that was so evident at the beginning of the class didn’t take long to disappear.

“You can’t do theatre and dance without creating a community in your classroom,” she says. “The barriers come down.”

Inclusive theatre is being practiced across Canada and around the world and Doolittle wants her students to experience it, too.

“In the profession this is a big deal, so it’s another way for our students to join the professional world that we’re training them for,” she says. “I think they can confidently go out, having had this experience, and understand what it’s about and why you do it.”

IDPD will be formally celebrated in Lethbridge Friday at the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization with the ‘Picture This . . . On the Road’ film festival and a panel discussion, of which Doolittle is a member. Doolittle is also available to discuss her research prior to Friday’s event.

U of L students exemplify the spirit of World Humanitarian Day

caroline.zentner — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 16:29:20 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students who have participated in humanitarian work say helping others has enriched their lives in ways they couldn’t have ever imagined.

U of L students say doing humanitarian work with groups such as these Malawi children, is an enriching experience.

Whether they worked with youth to help them learn ways of preventing malaria and HIV or nursed critically ill patients, humanitarian work has expanded their view of the world and whetted their appetites for more.

The United Nations established World Humanitarian Day in 2008, reserving Aug. 19 as the day to recognize humanitarian workers who have put their own lives at risk to help others.

For the past few years, U of L students have had the opportunity to put the theory they’ve learned in the classroom into practice in developing countries such as Malawi and Uganda.

The Malawi Field Study course is offered jointly by the Health Sciences and Fine Arts faculties and is open to students in any discipline. In partnership with Museums of Malawi, 14 U of L students participated in the course this year. Before the students left, they raised almost $22,000 to buy 1,750 mosquito nets to give to people in the communities they visited. Candace Douslin, Heather Nixdorff and Ellen Grossman were among those who spent three weeks teaching children about ways to prevent malaria and HIV. Dr. Jean Harrowing, a professor in the Faculty of Health Science’s nursing program, and Lisa Doolittle, a professor of theatre arts in the Faculty of Fine Arts, accompanied them.

Harrowing says the field study course is designed to nurture a student’s ability to think critically about social justice, equity, human rights and relational practice and identify opportunities for action in a global health setting.

“Students learn to examine their assumptions and acknowledge their privilege, while engaging in a meaningful way with other travellers on the planet,” says Harrowing. “Although information sharing and donated mosquito nets are important and tangible gifts, it is the engagement in human relationship, the creating of connections between people who really are not very different from one another, that is, to me, the essential and priceless experience of humanity for both the students and their hosts.”

The students visited 11 schools in Malawi where they worked with Grade 7 students. Using drama techniques, they helped create awareness about ways to prevent malaria and HIV infection. They also soaked up Malawian culture and discovered some new things about themselves in the process.

“I learned there are ways to work with people, even when there’s a language barrier,” says Douslin, a nursing student. “I learned that, because life can be different there from here, it doesn’t mean that either way is better or worse. No matter where you go, people care about their families and their loved ones and they want to be healthy and happy.”

“I loved it; I could have stayed there forever. It was definitely hard and tiring but it was so rewarding,” says Nixdorff, a public health student. “We learned more about ourselves than we did anything else, how much we take for granted here, how it’s possible to be resourceful with so little. Creating personal relationships with people makes it so much more real. You feel the need to make a difference.”

Ellen Grossman, also a public health student, says the field study gave her the chance to see public health in action.

“I would love to do more after this experience,” says Grossman. “In most places, I believe the messages about malaria and HIV did get across to the audience very well, but even if they didn’t I felt that this bit of intervention taught leadership to the kids.”

Tracey Christoffersen was one of five U of L nursing students who completed a preceptorship at Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda.

“It was just the most rich experience,” she says. “Most people have very little but are extremely giving and generous with what they do have.”

Students in the U of L Rotaract Club are also supporting humanitarian service projects. They have fundraised to build a school in south Sudan, to support a microcredit bank in Costa Rica, and to help Flying Doctors of Canada in their work in Nicaragua.

A Window to the World

david.kirby — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 15:57:22 +0000

The Dalai Lama once wrote, “With realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.”

It’s a timeless quote with universal relevance, and one that is particularly meaningful to students at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge who have travelled to Africa as part of the Malawi Field Study program.

Since the Faculty of Health Sciences began offering the field study in 2008, 48 U of L students have taken their learning to Malawi and 14 more are registered to go this spring. Their objective: to conduct culturally relevant health-promotion activities in Malawi in relation to the diseases of malaria, tuberculosis and HIV-AIDS, and to explore the complexities that arise in such an endeavour due to cultural differences, traditional practices and societal beliefs.

“The program is designed to help students learn about global health and how populations achieve health in other parts of the world,” says U of L nursing professor Dr. Jean Harrowing (BSc ’78), who along with U of L fine arts professor Lisa Doolittle, established and now co-ordinate the program. “The students come to understand that global is local, and local is global – that some of the challenges people face in a place like Malawi aren’t necessarily all that different than some of the challenges people face here.”

The Malawi program is one example of the Faculty of Health Sciences’ aim to provide transformational education, nurture intellectual curiosity, engage with diverse populations and promote responsible global citizenship. The Faculty’s dean, Dr.Christopher Hosgood, says that instilling a global perspective in students is every bit as important to the Faculty as providing solid clinical knowledge.

“We offer very different kinds of programming. Some of it is very practice-ready in terms of focus, and some of it is a lot broader with an emphasis on learning how to support populations or individuals on the path toward health and wellness,” he explains. “In either case, our primary goal is to graduate health-care professionals who understand that health is multifaceted and affected by many different factors related to location, culture, history, politics and more.”

Photos submitted by Mandy Pack (BA '09), Stacy Peleskey (BN '08) and Anuva Pradhan (BN '09)

The Malawi program is open to U of L students from all disciplines, and instils lessons in community building and cultural understanding.

“The program helps students understand how complex the world really is, and to see that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution to any issue,” Harrowing says. “It offers an ongoing, broad-spectrum type of learning that’s applicable in many ways.”

When U of L alumna Stacy Peleskey (BN ’08) went to Malawi, she connected with Malawian children and delivered important health messages in ways she never anticipated.

“Song and dance are integral to Malawian culture, so it was important that we share some of our Canadian culture in that way,” says Peleskey. “I did the ‘moose song’ in almost every classroom we went into. The kids loved it. It gave us an immediate connection and helped break down any barriers getting in the way of the teaching and learning we were there to do.”

Animal antics aside, the Malawi field study was a deeply moving experience for Peleskey, one that changed the trajectory of her life and continues to resonate with her today.

“The Malawi trip was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done. It impacted my life at the time and continues to do so even now five years later,” says Peleskey, who works as a nurse in public health. “The opportunity to experience such a diverse culture was unbelievable. It fuelled my nursing career, gave me skills I use today and helped me grow as a person.”

Peleskey’s feelings about the program are shared among her classmates.

“We hear it again and again – the program changes a student’s way of thinking,” says Aaron Maluwa, director of Education Services with Museums of Malawi.

Maluwa is the U of L’s key contact in Malawi, laying all the groundwork for each trip. In addition to the innumerable logistical details he hammers out, Maluwa plays host, translator and mentor to the student travellers. Simply put, the program wouldn’t be possible without him.

Maluwa met Harrowing in 2007 when he visited the Galt Museum in Lethbridge as part of a Commonwealth Association of Museums tour, and played a key role in establishing the program that would benefit U of L students and the people of Malawi alike. In recognition of his work, Maluwa received the 2013 Friend of Health Sciences Award, an annual honour given by the Faculty of Health Sciences that recognizes an individual or agency who has made a significant contribution to health education and research at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

While he is honoured to be recognized, his focus remains on the program and the difference it makes in the lives of those affected.

“Through the fundraising efforts of U of L students, more than 3,000 mosquito nets have been distributed and given to children and pregnant women. This is one of the most reliable methods of malaria prevention,” Maluwa says. “As well, through education and health promotion 4,000 people have been tested for their HIV status, which is an entry point to HIV prevention and management.”

U of L students have also donated soccer balls, sugar, clothes, schools supplies and even a wheelchair to children and HIV-positive individuals. And once they return to Canada, the U of L students are expected to give a public presentation as a way of sharing their experiences and acknowledging the privilege of participating in the service-learning project.

“The U of L students have had a tremendous impact. By delivering messages of health promotion in a culturally relevant way, the Malawian students and communities can adopt and incorporate them into their systems of learning,” says Maluwa. “The Malawi program positively affects everyone involved, not only the people of Malawi, but also U of L students – who are ambassadors of global health promotion at the local and international level. There’s tremendous learning on both sides.”

The Dance of Change

david.kirby — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 15:37:44 +0000

Lisa Doolittle once lived the life of a professional artist, drawing on the passion for her craft as a dancer and choreographer to create a shared experience with her audience.

That passion still burns inside Doolittle, only now the outlet is academia, where her research expertise and love for dance and theatre have come together to effect real change in the community.

Doolittle, a professor of theatre arts in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Faculty of Fine Arts, is the Teaching and Learning Research Coordinator for the Art for Social Change (ASC) project, a comprehensive five-year national research program that examines the effectiveness of using the arts as a means of community engagement and to encourage positive social change.

“This is the kind of collaborative research that can ignite new ideas, move people’s hearts and possibly change behaviours and communities.” - Lisa Doolittle (Photo by Leslie Ohene-Adjei)

“We’ve known for years that the arts are an effective form of initiating change,” says Doolittle. “There are countless examples throughout the country where arts programs are used as a way to connect and engage communities, but there has been very little evaluation of why and how these programs are effective.”

What exactly is Art for Social Change? It is the application of arts-based processes to address issues of social concern and to encourage social innovation. It is an artist acting as a facilitator to spark dialogue, new ideas and actions with members of communities who would not otherwise define themselves as artists.

Doolittle cites an exciting international program based in Quebec, known as Social Circus, where Cirque du Soleil is working with at-risk youth and teaching them circus skills.

“It sounds almost counterintuitive to be working with at-risk youth and teaching them what most people believe to be very risky and dangerous behaviours,” says Doolittle. “But when you think about it, circus work is all about trust and when you are flying off a trapeze and have to be caught by somebody else, you learn a lot about responsibility and trust.”

That is the essence of ASC, bringing together diverse groups and using the arts as a catalyst to open lines of communication, to create community awareness and inclusivity and to encourage engagement for the betterment of our communities.

For Doolittle, dance is a powerful vehicle for change. This new research program enables study of an ongoing project initiated by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary’s Anne Flynn (professor of dance) that involves residents of subsidized-housing complexes for senior citizens, many of which are first generation immigrants to Canada with varying degrees of English-language proficiency.

Doolittle and Flynn are also working with people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and, in partnership with Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, will study the impact of their participation in dance classes – not only looking at how dancing may assist in increasing independence and mitigating symptoms of the disease, but also how effective these classes are in creating a sense of community for an often-marginalized population.

“The arts bring people together,” says Doolittle. “The arts do not separate people – they are communal activities and when communities come together, big things can happen.”

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) understands the potential value of ASC to Canadian communities. It is driving the national research program with $2.5 million in funding, allowing 20 collaborators, numerous national and local organizations and six partnering universities to come together for the first large-scale, systemic project of its kind in Canada.

Doolittle’s role as the teaching and learning coordinator is key for the project’s long-term sustainability. Its success will be dictated by the capacity that is built nationally between educational institutions, artists and both arts and non-arts community-based organizations.

“It’s so important that we are able to continue producing excellent practitioners who understand high quality artistic work as well as social-change work, and then are able to communicate with and bring together all different kinds of people,” she says, adding that the U of L could eventually become the site of a research institute that furthers the study and dissemination of ASC practices.

Doolittle will oversee the research and the eventual implementation of new teaching and learning practices, with considerable local support from Dr. Cynthia Chambers and Dr. Erika Hasebe-Ludt of the Faculty of Education, Ramona Big Head (BA ’96, BEd ’96, MEd ’09), Dr. Jean Harrowing (BSc ’78) of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr. Rachael Crowder (who teaches at the U of L for the Faculty of Social Work, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary) and the U of L’s Teaching Centre. Alumna Candace Lewko (BEd ’95, BFA ’95, MEd ’09) contributes an additional perspective from the context of her position as Curriculum Consultant, Educational Enhancement Team, at Lethbridge College.

“It seems like the time has come for this kind of work to get a higher profile,” says Doolittle. “This is the kind of collaborative research that can ignite new ideas, move people’s hearts and possibly change behaviours and communities. When people get together you can move mountains and I think that is the impact we will see in our communities – people will move mountains.”

Oral History Project brings the past to life

david.kirby — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 15:31:23 +0000

The late English writer Rudyard Kipling once reflected, “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students Karissa Patton (BA ’13) and Maria Livingston would likely agree with that observation.

U of L master’s student Karissa Patton (BA ’13) and undergraduate student Maria Livingston are investigating the past as part of the Oral History Project. (Photo by Leslie Ohene-Adjei)

Last summer, Patton, who is now pursuing a master’s degree in history, and Livingston, a third-year Native American studies student, worked together on the Oral History Project, a story-gathering initiative supported by the U of L Art Gallery, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Archives and the Centre for Oral History and Tradition.

Today Livingston continues to be involved in the project, which is aimed at helping people to enhance their understanding of artist Nicholas de Grandmaison (1892-1978) and his unique connections to First Nations communities. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has a vast collection of de Grandmaison artwork and artifacts, including 67 original pastel portraits that were donated to the U of L Art Gallery by BMO Financial Group earlier this year along with funding to support research related to the art gift.

A cultural icon of southern Alberta and one of the most important portraitists of First Nations people, de Grandmaison was a nomadic painter who often stayed with ranchers, farmers and aboriginal families for several days at a time while he painted their portraits. His work not only documented the history of First Nations people in Canada, but was also unmatched in its ability to capture the unique personalities of those who sat for portraits.

With guidance from U of L archivist, Mike Perry (MEd ’06), and professor Lisa Doolittle of the Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts, Patton and Livingston contacted members of the Kainai, Siksika and Piikani First Nations, searching for and interviewing people who may have had contact either with de Grandmaison or any of the subjects featured in his paintings.

“Collecting individual narratives is important because people aren’t writing things down as much as they once did. Also, the stories that have been included in historical archives in the past have often just been those of famous people and politicians,” says Patton.

To ensure the full range of stories compiled in the oral history project are shared for years to come, Livingston is now working on an educational program for high school students and an online resource for middle school students. The initiatives are a way of giving back to First Nations communities and youth, says Livingston, who is of Cree heritage.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to work on this project,” she says. “Along with hearing great storytelling, I’ve learned more about First Nations culture and history, and that complements what I’ve been learning in school.”

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ officially launched the Centre for Oral History and Tradition on Tuesday, November 26, 2013 at the Galt Museum & Archives. To view the news release, follow this link.

Oral History Project brings the past to life

trevor.kenney — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 22:38:48 +0000

The late English writer Rudyard Kipling once reflected, “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.”

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students Karissa Patton (BA ’13) and Maria Livingston would likely agree with that observation.

Karissa Patton, left, and Maria Livingston are helping to bring the past to life through the Oral History Project.

Last summer, Patton, who is now pursuing a master’s degree in history, and Livingston, a third-year Native American Studies student, worked together on the Oral History Project, a story-gathering initiative supported by the U of L Art Gallery, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Archives and Centre for Oral History and Tradition.

Today, Livingston continues to be involved in the project, which is aimed at helping people to enhance their understanding of artist Nicholas de Grandmaison (1892-1978) and his unique connections to First Nations communities. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has a vast collection of de Grandmaison artwork and artifacts, including 67 original pastel portraits that were donated to the art gallery by BMO Financial Group earlier this year along with funding to support research related to the art gift.

A cultural icon of southern Alberta and one of the most important portraitists of First Nations people, de Grandmaison was a nomadic painter who often stayed with ranchers, farmers and Aboriginal families for several days at a time while he painted their portraits. His work not only documented the history of First Nations people in Canada, but was also unmatched in its ability to capture the unique personalities of those who sat for portraits.

With guidance from U of L archivist Mike Perry and Lisa Doolittle of the Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts, Patton and Livingston contacted members of the Kainai, Siksika and Piikani First Nations, searching for – and interviewing – people who may have had contact either with de Grandmaison or any of the subjects featured in his paintings.

To ensure the full range of stories compiled in the oral history project are shared for years to come, Livingston is now working on an educational program and online resource for high school students and middle school students, respectively. The initiatives are a way of giving back to First Nations communities and youth, says Livingston, who is of Cree heritage.

UNews - Lisa Doolittle

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