Bishop's University English Department

Do you love Shakespeare (and the theatre more generally)? If you don't, but would like to learn to love it (because who doesn't want their life to be richer and more meaningful), then this may be the course for you. Go to the Stratford Festival with a small group of other students for a six-day immersion in the world of theatre, AND GET COURSE CREDIT, TOO!

ALSO COMING UP THIS WEEK . . .

COMING UP THIS WEEK! Don't miss it.

Filmmakers, as you work on your great short film for this year's Bishop's University Film Festival (BUFF), remember that BUFF could be just the first venue for you and your film. Each year, we send a BUFF film to the Knowlton Film Festival in August and a BUFF filmmaker to the Festival du Nouveau Cinema in October. And there are other amazing opportunities, too, like the Telluride Film Festival. Check it out, and consider applying, either with a film submission OR as a film enthusiast who wants to meet and share a passion for film with celebrated filmmakers and like-minded students.

is pleased to announce that Jessica Riddell, Jarislowsky Chair of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence and Full Professor at Bishop’s University, has been appointed Vice Chair of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) - the first Canadian to occupy this function. This appointment marks a significant moment of international recognition for both Professor Riddell and Bishop’s University.

L’Université Bishop’s a le plaisir d’annoncer que la professeure Jessica Riddell, titulaire de la Chaire Jarislowsky sur l’excellence en enseignement au premier cycle et professeure titulaire à l’Université Bishop’s, a été nommée vice‑présidente du conseil d’administration de l’ American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) – la première canadienne à occuper cette fonction. Cette nomination représente une reconnaissance internationale importante tant pour la professeure Riddell que pour l’Université Bishop’s.

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This coming week, on Thursday, October 16th, at 6:25pm at La Maison du Cinema in downtown Sherbrooke, the premiere feature film by Chloé Cinq-Mars will be screened, with the filmmaker present for discussion with the audience afterwards.

"Delving into the quiet horrors of early motherhood, Peau à peau opens with a scream in the night. Pénélope (Rose-Marie Perreault), a new mother grappling with sleep deprivation and postpartum depression, finds herself unable to separate dream from reality. After witnessing a violent hold-up in a dépanneur, her already fragile psyche begins to crack. Peau à peau is a psychological thriller that examines the physical and psychological toll of motherhood. As Pénélope’s mental state collapses and her sleep deprivation deepens, the film’s montage mirrors her fragmentation, chaotic, disjointed, and restless. Her growing isolation and the pressures of maternal expectation push her into a paranoid, desperate descent, leading to a series of questionable choices as she struggles to confront buried trauma." (Fantasia)

The film won the Northern Excellence Award for Best Canadian Director at the Fantasia International Film Festival, Montreal, in July 2025.

Student feedback for ENG224: The Stratford Shakesperience is in! Here’s what participants had to say about their five-day experiential learning course all about the importance of the theatre and the arts!
 
Interested in reading more? The full report with even more testimonials is available now on the Shakesperience website at https://www.bushakesperience.com/ for you to read! Not enough? Head to https://www.thewyrdhouse.com/blog-1 to read Riley Handy’s reflection on creating the 2024 Shakesperience documentary one year later!

If all the world’s a stage, then all of Stratford can become our classroom!

In June, we brought together 30 students aged 18-80 from all across Canada to the Stratford Festival for an immersive, experiential learning program about the importance of theatre in our world. Over the course of four days, we saw five shows, attended talkback sessions with artists, participated in hands-on workshops, and reflected on how the arts can inspire transformative learning.

Thanks to our three course leaders Dr. Jessica Riddell, Dr. Lisa Dickson, and Dr. Shannon Murray, and to all of the guest artists who gave their time to help us transform and learn together, this year’s Shakesperience was hopeful, joyful, and rigorous as all of our participants transformed and learned together!

This year, three returning students to our program spent the week reflecting on the impact of theatre and Shakesperience on all of us. They asked themselves and their peers to consider the value of intergenerational and experiential learning opportunities. In Stratford, they documented their experiences in real time and have spent the last few weeks creating art and collages to reflect on Shakesperience. The art and photos above are a taste of what they created!