糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 School of Literary and Performing Arts Offers Students Immersive Experiences
With the fall semester coming to a close, the School of Literary and Performing Arts at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock reflects on the increase in experiential learning offerings for its students since the school鈥檚 inception in 2022.
Through student-led productions, community partnerships, literary publishing experiences, collaborative performances, and more, the school provides hands-on opportunities to work with renowned artists and alumni across genres and mediums.
Student-Led Productions
This academic year marks the second residency with Tectonic Theatre Company at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, a collaboration that began in October 2023 and focuses on the creative processes required in a production from start to finish.
Most known for their original groundbreaking production of 鈥淭he Laramie Project,鈥� Tectonic Theatre Company teaches students about 鈥淢oment Work鈥� education, where students are 鈥淸exploring] the theatrical potential of all elements of the stage in order to create strong theatrical and dramatic narratives from the ground up,鈥� according to website.
In the spring 2025 semester as part of its residency at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, Tectonic Theatre Company will provide mentorship to a student-led directing and design team, which will result in a full, student-created production that will be showcased April 17-20 in Haislip Theatre.
Jimmy Maize, a Tectonic Theatre Company member who was US Associate Director of Broadway鈥檚 鈥淗arry Potter and the Cursed Child,鈥� will guide the students while in residence at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in the spring semester.
include Broadway鈥檚 鈥�33 Variations鈥� featuring Jane Fonda, 鈥淭he Laramie Project: 10 Years Later,鈥� and 鈥淥ne Arm.鈥� He was also named an Old Vic New Voices Fellow and a Princess Grace Nominee.
The residency with Tectonic Theatre Company was made possible, in part, through the Kerry Kennedy Aspiring Playwright Endowed Fund.
鈥淭he Kerry Kennedy Aspiring Playwright Endowed Fund has had a tremendous impact on our programs and our school,鈥� said Stacy Pendergraft, co-director of the school. 鈥淔or over two decades, this fund has allowed us to provide opportunities for our students to perform and study playwriting both on campus and across the nation in ways that wouldn鈥檛 be possible without this support.鈥�
Community Partnerships
The school is also expanding a growing list of community partners; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 糖心Vlog传媒MS Centers for Simulation Education, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Downtown and the School of Nursing, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Children鈥檚 Theatre, the Central Arkansas Library System, and others give students the opportunity to work and connect with industry professionals while pursuing their degree.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been intentional about crafting these partnerships鈥攚hether it鈥檚 with our alumni or community partners鈥攁nd we鈥檙e looking forward to the new opportunities that will be offered for our students across all three programs within the school,鈥� Pendergraft said.
Photo by Benjamin Krain.
Examples of alumni partners include Emily Wold, owner of Fablehound LLC, who partnered with the school to host a voiceover workshop on campus.
With Wold鈥檚 commercial experience with international businesses such as Google, Kayak, Disney, Whataburger, and more, she taught students about the industry and gave them hands-on experience with the 鈥淔ablebus,鈥� Wold鈥檚 fully equipped mobile recording studio.
In fall 2024, the school also collaborated with the Sequoyah National Research Center and 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Downtown for a play reading in honor of Native American Heritage Month. An open call across the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock campus allowed students, faculty, and staff from all backgrounds to participate in a reading of 鈥淲illiam Tincup鈥檚 Squaw鈥� by Diane Glancy.
Literary Publishing Experiences
Along with residencies and workshops, the school鈥檚 English program also offers the opportunity to work with and write for 鈥�,鈥� a student-run journal of contemporary literature written by undergraduate students from across the nation.
Students in the English program can receive course credit for completing a semester internship that focuses on literary publishing and includes working on the journal.
In November, the school hosted a launch party in celebration of the newest issue.
鈥淲ith over 50 years of 鈥楨quinox,鈥� it鈥檚 exciting to see how the literary magazine has changed throughout time,鈥� said Dr. Kris McAbee, co-director of the school. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a wonderful opportunity to both showcase emerging writers and give students real-life opportunities to learn more about publishing in the literary sphere.鈥�
Collaborative Concerts and Performances
The school produced a record number of performances in the fall 2024 semester, which showcased new, collaborative concerts that brought together instruments, abilities, and programs.
New concerts for the fall semester included a collaborative concert featuring 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Choirs and the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Percussion Ensemble. The concert, titled 鈥淐elestial Awakening,鈥� featured work by American poets Sara Teasdale, Emily Dickinson, and Walt Whitman.
As part of the school鈥檚 collaborative nature, Assistant Professor of English Dr. Heather Hummel joined the music students in rehearsals to discuss and look deeper into the poetry.
鈥淒r. Bunting and I have been imagining this collaborative concert for a couple of years, and all the pieces seemed to fall into place as we began planning concerts for this semester,鈥� Dr. Lorissa Mason, the director of choral activities, said. 鈥淧roviding opportunities for our students to perform together is a rewarding experience.鈥�
In addition to 鈥淐elestial Awakening,鈥� the school also hosted a concert special called 鈥淛azz in the Alley鈥� in collaboration with 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Downtown and the very first piano ensemble concert.
鈥淭hese experiences expose students to innovative approaches in theatre arts, music, and English, and they also, importantly, allow students to build relevant connections in their respective industries,鈥� said Dr. Sarah Beth Estes, dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education where the School of Literary and Performing Arts is housed. 鈥淭hese immersive experiences represent a gold standard in student learning.鈥�
To find information on upcoming events and the school鈥檚 offerings, visit the School of Literary and Performing Arts website. For additional questions, contact Caelon Colbert, the school鈥檚 coordinating assistant, at [email protected] or 501-916-3291.