Block Transfer Agreement With Simon Fraser University's School for the Contemporary Arts – Theatre & Performance Program

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A New Pathway.

This custom interschool relationship allows graduates of Studio 58's Acting program to transfer credits to the School for the Contemporary Arts and complete a Bachelor of Fine Arts. 

Each January, a small cohort of Studio 58 Acting program graduates will be admitted into the third year of the Theatre & Performance program to complete a series of studio-based performance classes, including fourth-year Capstone courses. Admission to the program is contingent on a written application and interview process.

For more details on SFU’s Theatre & Performance Program, please visit the program page.

Submission Timeline

  • June 27, 2025: Application deadline (including all required documents)

  • Late July, 2025: Shortlisted applicants will be invited for online interviews

  • August 1-September 15, 2025: Accepted applicants must apply to Simon Fraser University

For more information on the Langara to SFU Block Transfer Agreement, contact James Long at james_long@sfu.ca or Halla Bertrand at hbertrand@langara.ca.

Application Process

There are four steps in applying:

  1. Develop your application materials

  2. Submit your application to the School for the Contemporary Arts’ Theatre & Performance program

  3. Participate in an interview with faculty from the School for the Contemporary Arts

  4. If accepted into the Theatre & Performance program, apply to Simon Fraser University

Step One: Develop Your Theatre & Performance Application Materials

Please create a single PDF document using the following naming convention: lastname_firstname_program_spring_2026 (ex. smith_jim_theatreperformance_spring_2026)

Please note: the maximum file size for your PDF is 15 MB. This document will be assessed by Theatre & Performance faculty.

Your PDF Application Must Include:

  1. A cover letter that includes a short biography of no more than 200 words

  2. A unofficial transcript demonstrating you’ve completed your Diploma in Theatre Arts at Studio 58 (Acting) with a minimum GPA of 2.6. Please note that accepted applicants will be required to submit an official transcript to SFU

  3. A CV outlining your creative practice/history (maximum 4 pages)

  4. Answers to the following three questions (250 words max per answer):

    1. Why are you interested in SFU’s Theatre & Performance program at this stage in your artistic journey?
    2. SFU’s Theatre & Performance curriculum prioritizes the creation of new work. Can you identify examples from your CV, or elsewhere, where you have engaged in this kind of process? How did it impact your artistic development?
    3. We value a wide variety of influences, passions, and curiosities, both within and beyond conventional modes of creation. What other interests, skills, or activities could you bring to your study of live performance at SFU? (For example: TikTok content creation, fashion, activism, visual art, skateboarding, gaming, sports, cooking, etc.). While not required, feel free to include links or images if available.

Step Two: Apply to the SCA

Submit your application via the form below. You will upload your complete PDF application, including your cover letter, Langara transcript, CV and questionnaire. Remember, the maximum file size is 15 MB.

APPLY TO THE SCA

Step Three: Participate in an Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview with Theatre & Performance faculty. The interview is a 30-minute opportunity for faculty and the applicant to discuss the submitted materials, the applicant's interests and answer any questions about the Theatre & Performance program. All interviews will be conducted online.

All applicants, regardless of shortlisting, will be contacted with an update on their application status.

Step Four: Apply to SFU

Upon acceptance into the Theatre & Performance Major, you are required to apply for general admission to SFU.

APPLY TO SFU 

After starting your SFU application, you will be given a 9 digit student number (301xxxxxx). Please forward this number to scaapply@sfu.ca for processing.

 

FAQs

The SCA anticipates welcoming five students every January.

The classes are studio-based and require in-person attendance.

Please review SFU's tuition costs here.

Students can have a part-time job while completing the program. However, as the program is designed to be completed in 16 months (or four semesters), it is rigorous. Students may extend the process if needed, but they should note that many Theatre & Performance-specific classes are offered sequentially.

Class schedules are set and generally follow a 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM structure. Occasionally, there are evening classes and public-facing projects. Participating in an outside rehearsal process outside of school between September and April would be very difficult, though concessions may be offered in consultation with the faculty.

Absolutely. Simon Fraser University’s Theatre & Performance program takes an expansive approach to the study and practice of live art. They welcome students and professionals with a wide range of curiosities and knowledge to expand their practice, and open doors for alternative and future creative enterprises.

Yes. The SCA's focus on contemporary performance expands on traditional theatre training to include unconventional dramaturgies, narrative forms, and creative research. In building off your existing training, they will help you find new techniques and avenues for creation in the program.

Absolutely. However, the type of dramaturgy explored in this program moves beyond traditional script-based processes. A contemporary approach to dramaturgy extends beyond the page, and covers autoethnography, archive-based creation, socially engaged ethnography, object-study, design-led creation, and other experimental methods of creative research.

The SCA program develops creative artists who can generate their own work rather than relying on traditional casting or hiring practices. In the final Creative Research and Capstone courses, students create original performance works, which serve as calling cards for the professional market. SFU also offers professional practice courses that prepare students for grant writing, budgeting, networking, and self-producing. Additionally, the program offers professional work placements with established organizations in BC and beyond.

The courses taken at Langara will factor into which writing, quantitative and breadth (WQB) credits you will transfer and subsequently have to take at SFU.

One of the primary benefits of obtaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Theatre & Performance is that a BFA opens doors to a vast array of university master's programs, including elementary and high school teaching certificates.

In exceptional circumstances, students may apply to have professional experience count toward academic units. However, tuition fees for those units will still apply. To obtain a degree from SFU, students must acquire 60 units from SFU, whether through professional experience, equivalent credits, or coursework. 

The teaching and development of creation skills is the primary focus of the program, i.e. how to take a concept or research question and develop a new work of contemporary performance. You will also develop skills in social practice, direction, site specific/responsive creation, writing and self-producing via the capstone projects in year four.