In the 2024 QS World University Rankings, the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) in performing arts attained a prestigious position within the top 120 worldwide. Among Canadian universities, York’s performing arts ranks in the top five. 

York University’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) is internationally recognized as an incubator for performing arts innovation. The first university in Canada to offer jazz and gospel as part of its Music degree program, York continues to advance and modernize its programming for diverse student performers.

Prospective students worldwide can now experience AMPD 24/7, 365. The School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) has unveiled a new virtual tour resource to showcase its 300,000-square-feet worth of facilities, share student stories and highlight experiential education opportunities. 

The AMPD Virtual Tour allows visitors to view state-of-the-art facilities associated with different departments and programs within AMPD, including cinema and media arts, dance, design, digital media, music, theatre, visual art and art history, as well as integrative arts. A total of eight tours are available, with different “scenes” contained in each tour that students can interact with in a similar way that they would at an open house. 

Shaking Up Shakespeare: New Podcast Examines Shakespeare's Role in Canadian Theatre

In a new initiative, a ten-episode podcast series titled "Shaking Up Shakespeare" promises to redefine the conversation around William Shakespeare's influence on Canadian theatre. The series, part of the Resetting the Stage project, funded by a Tier 2 York Research Chair in Theatre and Performance, explores the legacy of Shakespeare's work within the context of Canadian society, shedding light on issues of diversity, colonialism, and accessibility.

Anna Hudson received 2.5M SSHRC funding for project addressing cultural sovereignty for Inuit, Sámi and Alaska Native decolonization

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) announced nearly $10 million in Partnerships Grants funding for four York University researchers, who study pressing societal issues from both local and global perspectives.

York University Leads Ontario in Culturally Diverse Performing Arts Education, Study Reveals

In a new research report conducted by Community Researchers, the York University School of Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) has been ranked the #1 University in Ontario for the cultural diversity of its performing arts curricula in Music and Dance. The comprehensive study, spanning June to July 2023, analyzed 77 performing arts programs and over 6,000 performing arts courses across Ontario colleges and universities. This accolade affirms York University’s commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and positive change in performing arts education. 

The research was conducted by Community Researchers, a non-profit organization that connects young researchers with experienced mentors for community research projects, aiming to serve communities and support the career development of young individuals.

Hands-on green screen course an AMPD hit

An intensive five-week course called Shooting the Set offered 30 students valuable experience working with a green screen, taking advantage of York University’s Motion Media Studio (YUMMS), which is based at Cinespace Film Studios, the company’s one-million-square-foot industry studio space in Toronto.  

The experiential education (EE) course – created during the pandemic by Ingrid Veninger, assistant professor of cinema and media arts, and John Greyson, associate professor of cinema and media arts at the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) – made its in-person debut in May. Students in the course had the opportunity to study current aesthetics and practices of new neo-realist cinema; workshop a broad range of film studio and green screen methods; be trained in professional on-set and studio production techniques; work in teams to develop, script and shoot original short dramatic films; and perform key creative roles on at least two dramatic shoots. 

Professor Janine Marchessault among 2024 Killam Prize recipients

York University Professor Dr. Janine Marchessault was named one of the five recipients of the prestigious 2024 Killam Prize, recognized for her contributions to community-based public art, research-creation, and public outreach. The announcement, made on March 19, 2024, highlighted Marchessault's achievements in the Humanities category, honoring her leadership as a Professor of Cinema and Media Arts and her work as the principal investigator for the Archive/Counter-Archive project, which focuses on preserving diverse and marginalized histories in Canada.

Canadian Screen Awards

At the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards, alumni from York University’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) were recognized for their outstanding contributions to film, television and digital media. Their collective achievements resulted in over a dozen Canadian Screen Awards. 

Going into Canadian Screen Week, more than 40 AMPD alumni were nominated across 28 categories. Among the winners were Matthew Miller (BFA ’03) (MFA ’16) and Matt Johnson (BFA ’06) (MFA ’16), who took home three awards for their film, Blackberry, including Best Motion Picture. Notably, the team behind Blackberry had an impressive lineup of 16 AMPD alumni whose combined talent secured the film’s Best Motion Picture award at this year’s ceremony. The success of these alumni underscores their talent and contributions to the Canadian entertainment industry.

AMPD student joins history making internship with CBC and HBO Max dramedy "Sort Of"

The second season of the dramedy Sort Of introduced a mentorship program for trans and non-binary film professionals, offering a valuable experiential education opportunity to a select group, including one student from York University's School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD). Developed by the Trans Film Mentorship (TFM) in collaboration with Sphere Media, the program provided hands-on experience in various production departments. This initiative not only helped bridge the gap in diversity behind the scenes but also allowed the AMPD student to gain practical industry skills on a high-profile Canadian television set. 

AMPD Alumni Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival

The 46th annual Toronto International Film Festival features alumni talent  from AMPD on screen. "From Matt Johnson & Matt Miller’s Blackberry in wide theatrical release, Salar Pashtoonar’s Bad Omen receiving a Student Academy Award, countless invitations to the Berlinale, TIFF, HotDocs, and essentially every other film festival around the globe – each recognition of a work by a York graduate from the BFA or MFA program is also an endorsement of the creative collaboration between faculty, staff and students at York University’s production and screenwriting program to nurture creative talent in an inclusive and supportive environment."