Concordia to open Quebec’s first School of Performance
Concordia has created Quebec’s first School of Performance, joining its Departments of Contemporary Dance, Music and Theatre in one interdisciplinary hub. The school will officially open its doors in September 2026.
The merger responds to a growing demand from students and industry for a more collaborative and flexible education in the ever-evolving world of the performing arts, explains Annie Gérin, dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts.
This hub will create new opportunities for interdisciplinary projects across all three departments, ranging from experimental showcases to collaborative productions in a variety of performance settings.
Maintaining a close connection to Montreal’s arts scene, students will also have the chance to engage with festivals, cultural organizations and companies, furthering the Faculty’s promise of real-world mentorship.
Interdisciplinary education for a changing world
“Working across disciplines enriches creative work,” says Shauna Janssen, associate dean academic programs and pedagogy. “The school’s approach serves the various realities of today’s arts scene. Students will move beyond a single discipline, drawing inspiration from other fields to create engaged, inspired and impactful work.”
That vision is echoed by the wider arts community, including Jessie Mill, co-artistic director of the Festival TransAmériques and one of the Faculty of Fine Arts’ industry partners.
“We need brave and inclusive art schools that, like Concordia, embrace transformations within the art world and demonstrate a genuine understanding of current practices. The new School of Performance broadens the notion of artistic disciplines and acknowledges the colonial dimension of arts categories,” Mill says.
“By giving students access to the unique strengths of all our performing arts programs, they won’t just hone their craft. They’ll expand the very boundaries of creative process and what performance can be,” Janssen adds.
Preparing artists for the stage and beyond
Graduates of the School of Performance will be prepared not just for stage work, but for a wide range of career paths and creative outcomes. Opportunities may include cultural leadership, community engagement, research, education and creative entrepreneurship.
While it emphasizes interdisciplinarity, the school will also support students who wish to focus on a single discipline, such as jazz, choreography or acting.
As departments continue to update their curricula to strengthen the school’s offerings, some have already introduced new courses.
The Contemporary Dance program has broadened its offerings beyond Western traditions, inviting students to engage critically with the political dimensions of dance and its cultural and social contexts. Courses such as DANC 398 – Inclusive Perspectives in Dance, taught by Kama La Mackerel, reflect this new approach. La Mackerel is also contributing to ongoing curriculum changes focused on the decolonization of technique courses, alongside Donna Goodleaf from the Indigenous Directions office, who is supporting the integration of anti-racist, Indigenous, and decolonial perspectives across the program.
As for Music students, starting this term, they can benefit from courses in music production and composition. Expanded audition and portfolio options welcome more aspiring songwriters, producers and composers.
“To understand and be inspired by other artistic practices — whether collaborative experiments, creative encounters or socially engaged artistry — isn’t just a plus, it’s a must,” Janssen says.
For Gérin, the School of Performance will set a new benchmark for arts education in Quebec and pave the way for groundbreaking work and artists, contributing to the province’s rich cultural ecosystem.
Find out more about Concordia’s School of Performance.
