Students From the College of Fine Arts and Communications (CFAC) Travel Nationally and Internationally to Gain Real-World Experience and Share Their Talents While Studying Abroad, Competing, Interning & Performing
Each summer, students in BYU’s College of Fine Arts and Communications take the knowledge and skills they have learned in the classroom and make their mark on communities across the globe. From across the United States to travels abroad, students had impactful learning experiences to bring home as they continue their education. Read more to see what our students are learning during July 2023.
School of Communications | Church Communications Germany Internship
School of Communications students have been interning at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Europe Central Area Office in Frankfurt, Germany. The students had the opportunity to work on projects that involved all European countries. These projects had to do with Church news, media training, relationship building, written communication and PR campaigns. Clark Stuart said, “I’ve been able to get a lot of experience in many different areas of communication and have some freedom to share my ideas and better share the messages of the Church.”
School of Communications | London Internship
School of Communications interns got to experience the financial and cultural capital of the world this summer, London, England. The London Comms internship allowed students to build their resume, network, gain excellent experience and learn more about the world. This program worked with the award-winning company, The Intern Group, which helped place students in an internship in their field and coordinate housing, transportation and activities. Opportunities were available for student interns in career fields such as business, consulting, art, photography, design, finance, government & politics, human resources, journalism, media & publishing, PR & marketing, science, television & film, theatre & music, NGOs & non-profits and more.
School of Communications | Advertising International Awards Shows
32 senior advertising students participated in the Advertising International Awards Shows study abroad. They attended the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and the D&AD New Bloods Festival. At the D&AD New Bloods Festival two student teams won the coveted D&AD Pencil. The students had the opportunity to visit and network with many prestigious advertising agencies such as Mother London, Anomaly, Grey, Media Arts Lab (the bespoke ad agency for Apple), McCann Worldwide, Wieden + Kennedy, Havas, Google, Meta, Spotify, Pinterest, Goodby Silverstein & Partners and TBWA\Chiat\Day. Professor Jeff Sheets said, “Studying at the most prestigious international advertising award shows and more deeply understanding the global and diverse cultural ideas addressed in award-winning international advertising has put the advertising students on a path to making a mark in the industry.”
Department of Dance | Ballet in Italy
Members of Theatre Ballet and Theatre Ballet Studio Company (previously Ballet Showcase Company) spent two weeks studying ballet in Paris and Italy. Students took ballet, pointe, contemporary and conditioning classes at one of the oldest ballet schools in the world, the La Scala Academy Ballet School. Students attended two live performances at historical theaters, one by the Paris Opera Ballet and one by The Ballet Company of Teatro alla Scala. They also got to experience the culture and history of Paris, Milan and Rome by visiting historical sites including the Milan Cathedral, Ambrosian Library, Colosseum and the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints Rome temple. Theatre Ballet dancer Alex Marshall Hatch said, “During the study abroad, I gained a new appreciation for the role that art has in God’s plan and I feel inspired to continue to share the light of Christ through performing.”
Department of Dance | Contemporary Dance in Europe
During a four-week study abroad, 20 dance students attended workshops and performances by internationally influential artists and festivals. At the Henry Jurrien Studio they took contemporary, ballet and gaga classes and were able to present their own choreography at an end-of-workshop performance. They spent two days taking classes with Netherlands Dance Theatre (NDT) including instruction by Chuck Jones, a native of Provo, Utah. While in The Hague they attended the NDT performance of Ohad Naharin’s famous and intimate work of “The Hole.” In Vienna the student took classes from world renowned teachers and choreographers at ImPulsTanz festival, the largest festival for contemporary dance and performance in the world. In Bern, Switzerland the students worked with LDS aerialist and performer Vanessa Cook. Program director and BYU dance faculty Kate Monson said, “This program was specifically designed to challenge students’ movement skills; broaden artistic perspective; enlarge pedagogical praxis; network with experts in the field; and create opportunities for greater awareness of diversity and inclusion practices. As directors, we feel these outcomes were well achieved and feel humbled by the fantastic experiences and amazing students.”
Department of Art | Paris: Arts and Culture of the City of Light
Students from the Department of Art and the Design Department participated in the Paris: Arts and Culture of the City of Light study abroad hosted by the College of Humanities. The students spent their time primarily in Paris with day trips to Chartres, Versailles, Giverny, Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Meudon. They dove into the history of some of the most famous art and architecture such as the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre and the Eiffel tower.
Design Department | Crocker Innovation Fellowship
Industrial design student Abby Ross was awarded admission into the Crocker Innovation Fellowship. This yearlong fellowship includes a summer internship which Ross completed this year. Ross was a materials intern this summer at Mountain Hardwear. The fellowship will continue this Fall semester as Ross goes to Germany to be an apparel design intern for Adidas Originals Kids collection. Ross said, “BYU has allowed me to expand who I am as a designer by providing me with opportunities to see design on a global scale.”
School of Music | Jazz Legacy Band Tour
The BYU Jazz Legacy Band, made up of 11 students and faculty, spent a week touring England and Scotland. They performed at five venues and participated in the Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival. They also performed at local places such as pubs and town squares. On days that they weren’t performing, the band explored the cities of London and Oxford. They finished their tour by visiting Scotland and playing for a youth fireside at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints church building. Jared Ferrin, who played the banjo on the tour, said, “This tour has been a dream come true. Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to go on a tour. I feel so grateful for the [BYU music] program and I feel like this was a valuable experience that has given me many connections.”
Department of Theatre and Media Arts | Renaissance Now
Students from the Department of Theatre and Media Arts traveled to New York to perform “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Hamlet.” They performed both of these in Utah through Renaissance Now Theatre and Film during June and July. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was directed by Laurie Harrop Purser with Assistant Director Steven Rimke. “Hamlet” was directed by Kathy Curtiss. Both performances bring a fresh, new take on the Shakespearean plays, with modern music, contemporary writing and 21st century-style costumes. Among the cast were five BYU students, Sydney Claire Olson, Josh Munoz, Joshua Johnson, Austin Zimmerman and Eden Bostrom. Bostrom, who played Ophelia in “Hamlet” and various roles in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” said, “This experience helped me understand my merit as an actor as I adapted to different scripts, different spaces and new audiences. It made me excited for the constant flex and flow of this industry and gave me more confidence to approach its challenges.”