Three faculty members from Queen’s University Belfast, Professor Aoife McGrath, Lecturer Aislinn Clarke, and Lecturer Ali FitzGibbon, visited UC Santa Cruz from March 3–5 for a dynamic exchange of ideas, research, and collaboration with the arts and humanities.
This visit, which followed a previous visit in October of 2024 to pursue faculty-driven partnership opportunities, featured opportunities for participants to engage in academic and creative discussions.
A key highlight of the visit was the Creative/Critical Intersections Symposium held at the Digital Arts Research Center (DARC), a hub that connects the arts and theatre complexes with the music center at UC Santa Cruz.
The Symposium kicked off with a welcome by Associate Professor Renee Fox and explored the intersections between theory and artistic practice, examining how educators can integrate creativity into their pedagogical methodologies through two panels: Pedagogies and Practice.
- Creative/Critical Pedagogies
- UC Santa Cruz: Professor of Literature Micah Perks, Professor of Performance, Play and Design Patty Gallagher, Professor of Music Ben Leeds Carson
- Queen’s University Belfast: Lecturer in the School of Arts, English and Languages Ali FitzGibbon
- Creative/Critical Practice
- UC Santa Cruz: Professor of Literature Ronaldo Wilson, Assistant Professor of Performance, Play and Design LisaMarie Rollins, Associate Professor of Performance, Play and Design Cynthia Lee, Professor of Anthropology Megan Moodie
- Queen’s University Belfast: Professor in the School of Arts, English and Languages Aoife McGrath
The Symposium culminated with a screening of the film Fréwaka, which showcased the work of Writer, Director, and Lecturer Aislinn Clarke. A Post-screening discussion was held with Aislinn Clarke, Renee Fox, and UC Santa Cruz alum Johanna Isaacson (UCSC PhD Literature ‘11).
On the following day, the delegation met with Incoming Chair of Literature Department Kirsten Silva Gruesz, Professor and Chair of Film and Digital Media Peter Limbrick, Professor and Chair of Performance, Play & Design Michael Chemers, and additional faculty and students from the departments of Film and Digital Media, Performance, Play and Design, and Literature, to exchange insights on film studies, performance, and interdisciplinary collaborations.
The visit marked an important step in strengthening academic and artistic ties between Queen’s University Belfast and UC Santa Cruz, laying the groundwork for future collaborations in research, teaching, and creative practice.
Broadening and deepening institutional partnerships with universities abroad is key to the UC Santa Cruz Strategic Plan for Internationalization.