Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation Program (CAST)

Toni Shapiro-Phim | T 2:20–5:10 p.m.

Through an interdisciplinary lens, Dance and Migration highlights the aesthetic, political, social and spiritual potency of dance forms and practices as they travel, transform and are accorded meaning both domestically and transnationally, especially in situations—or in the aftermath—of extreme violence and cultural dislocation. The class will investigate the phenomenon of dance in refugee camps in war zones, as well as in nightclubs and on national stages. We’ll explore both the production of new traditions and the re-creation of aspects of expressive culture identified as valued by communities in exile and diaspora, as groups and individuals imagine and explore ways to constructively transform dynamics and relationships of power.

Usually offered every third year.

William Chalmus | F 2:20-5:10 p.m.

Presents, analyzes, and discusses art that provokes controversies, discomfort, and other strong responses. This class will focus on a broad range of artistic expressions, including visual art, theater, film, music, and literature with Brandeis faculty as well as visiting artists. Final project consists of students finding, articulating, and advocating for provocative art from multiple perspectives. Note: Students are responsible for attendance and assignments during the shopping period and must be present in those classes to be enrolled off the waitlist. Usually offered every semester.

Toni Shapiro-Phim | T/Th 7:05–8:25 p.m.

Each student applies theories, skills, information, and critical questions to an individual project that engages with social transformation concerns in creative, practical, and ethically-sound ways. Although students undertake independent projects, this is a collaborative practicum in which all students help each other imagine and problem-solve.

Usually offered every year.

Prerequisite: All CAST practicums are open by permission to students who have taken the core course, CAST 150B, regardless of whether they are enrolled in the minor. While only one practicum is required for the minor, any student who has taken CAST 150B can take both the fall and the spring practicums for credit. Yields half-course credit.

Toni Shapiro-Phim | T 2:20–5:10 p.m.

Through an interdisciplinary lens, Dance and Migration highlights the aesthetic, political, social and spiritual potency of dance forms and practices as they travel, transform and are accorded meaning both domestically and transnationally, especially in situations—or in the aftermath—of extreme violence and cultural dislocation. The class will investigate the phenomenon of dance in refugee camps in war zones, as well as in nightclubs and on national stages. We’ll explore both the production of new traditions and the re-creation of aspects of expressive culture identified as valued by communities in exile and diaspora, as groups and individuals imagine and explore ways to constructively transform dynamics and relationships of power.

Usually offered every third year.

Elizabeth Bradfield | T 2:20-5:10 p.m.

Offered exclusively on a credit/no credit basis. Enrollment is by instructor permission after the submission of a manuscript sample. Please refer to the schedule of classes for submission information.
A creative writing workshop focused on writing essays and poems that engage with environmental and eco-justice concerns. Readings, writing assignments, and class discussions will be augmented by field trips. Usually offered every second year.

Usually offered every third year.

Fernando Rosenberg | T/Th 3:55 - 5:15 p.m.

May be taught in English or Spanish.

Examines literature, film (fiction and non-fiction) and other artistic expressions from Latin America, in conversation with the idea of human rights'from the colonial arguments about slavery and the 'natural rights' of the indigenous, to the advent of human rights in the context of post-conflict truth and reconciliation processes, to the emergence of gender and ethnicity as into the human rights framework, to the current debates about rights of nature in the midst of a global ecological crisis.

Usually offered every third year.

Bradford Garvey | T/F 9:35 - 10:55 a.m.

Open to all students. Required of all Cultural Studies track majors.

What are we listening to? Applies engaged listening skills and critical analysis for a deeper appreciation of (non-Western) music as a cultural expression. Focuses on particular traditions as well as social context, impact of globalization, cultural production, cultural rights, etc.

Usually offered every year.

Sarah Halford | M/W 4:05 - 5:22 p.m.

Introduces major sociological theories about leadership, political context, culture, and identities in social movements in transnational perspective. Examines historical and contemporary cases of social movements through the lenses of race, gender, class, and sexuality.

Usually offered every second year.

Jennifer Cleary | Th 2:20–5:10 p.m.

Examines ways in which theatrical arts can create change in a variety of non-traditional situations. This course is grounded in the discussion/practice of theater activists such as Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed. For both theater and non-theater students, this course focuses on how and why this collaborative, useful art form can be introduced into sociological, psychological, political, cultural, educational, medical, and historical paradigms. Students will generate work surrounding social issues of importance to them.

Usually offered every second year.

Will Chalmus | F 2:20–5:10 p.m.

Presents, analyzes, and discusses art that provokes controversies, discomfort, and other strong responses. This class will focus on a broad range of artistic expressions, including visual art, theater, film, music and literature with Brandeis faculty as well as visiting artists. Final project consists of students finding, articulating and advocating for provocative art from multiple perspectives. Note: Students are responsible for attendance and assignments during the shopping period and must be present in those classes to be enrolled off the waitlist.

Usually offered every semester.

Toni Shapiro-Phim | T 2:20–5:10 p.m.

Through an interdisciplinary lens, Dance and Migration highlights the aesthetic, political, social and spiritual potency of dance forms and practices as they travel, transform and are accorded meaning both domestically and transnationally, especially in situations—or in the aftermath—of extreme violence and cultural dislocation. The class will investigate the phenomenon of dance in refugee camps in war zones, as well as in nightclubs and on national stages. We'll explore both the production of new traditions and the re-creation of aspects of expressive culture identified as valued by communities in exile and diaspora, as groups and individuals imagine and explore ways to constructively transform dynamics and relationships of power.

Usually offered every third year.

Taylor Ackley | T, Th 3:55–5:15 p.m.

Open to music majors and non-majors. Does not fulfill the Main Currents in American Studies requirement for the major.

Examines 20th and 21st century protest music to better understand the complex relationships between music and social movements. Through class discussions, reading, writing, and listening assignments, and a final performance students will discover how social, cultural, and economic protest songs helped shape American culture.

Usually offered every second year.

Christopher Frost | M,W 9:05 - 10:55 a.m.

Beginning-level course. Preference to first-year students and sophomores. May be repeated once for credit if taught by different instructors.

Exploration of three-dimensional aspects of form, space, and composition utilizing a variety of materials and sculptural techniques. Emphasizes students' inventing of images through the use of modern materials and contemporary ideas about sculpture. Assignments are based on abstract thought and problem solving. The intent of this course is to give students a rich studio experience and promote a fresh and meaningful approach to visual concepts.

Usually offered every semester.

Christopher Frost | M,W 11:15 a.m. - 1:05 p.m.

Beginning-level course. Preference to first-year students and sophomores. May be repeated once for credit if taught by different instructors.

Exploration of three-dimensional aspects of form, space, and composition utilizing a variety of materials and sculptural techniques. Emphasizes students' inventing of images through the use of modern materials and contemporary ideas about sculpture. Assignments are based on abstract thought and problem solving. The intent of this course is to give students a rich studio experience and promote a fresh and meaningful approach to visual concepts. Usually offered every semester.

Students interested in enrolling should place themselves on the waitlist for this course. There is an enrollment limit of 0 so that we can prioritize our majors and minors getting into this course. All students will be enrolled after early registration is complete. If you have not declared your major or minor, reach out to Christine Kahn (cekahn@brandeis.edu) to express your interest in enrolling AFTER you have placed yourself on the waitlist. We cannot guarantee your enrollment though and encourage students to declare to avoid this in the future. Please do not contact the faculty member teaching the course about enrolling as the administrative staff is enrolling students throughout early registration. Additional questions? Reach out to Christine Kahn.

Camila Maroja | Th 2:20-5:10 p.m.

May not be taken for credit by students who took FA 85b in prior years.

An experiential learning seminar focused on the art object in the context of the museum; the history of museums (architecture, educational mission, curatorial presentation); museum ethics and provenance studies; new theories of museums and their expanded role in the community.

Usually offered every second year.

Students interested in enrolling should place themselves on the waitlist for this course. There is an enrollment limit of 0 so that we can prioritize our majors and minors getting into this course. If you have not declared your major or minor, reach out to Jennifer Stern (jstern@brandeis.edu) to express your interest in enrolling but we cannot guarantee your enrollment. Please do not contact the faculty member teaching the course about enrolling as the administrative staff is enrolling students throughout early registration. Once early registration ends, non fine arts students will be enrolled based on the waitlist order. Additional questions? Reach out to Jennifer Stern.

Muna Guvenc | M/W 2:30-3:50 p.m.

Trains students in developing the ability to conduct architectural and urban analysis of the built environment. Through a comparative case-study approach, based on selected readings, real spaces, and creative projects, students will better understand architectural and urban design in relation to social, cultural, human, and political aspects.

Usually offered every year.

Bradford Garvey | T/F 9:35–10:55 p.m.

Open to all students. Required of all cultural studies track majors.

What are we listening to? Applies engaged listening skills and critical analysis for a deeper appreciation of (non-Western) music as a cultural expression. Focuses on particular traditions as well as social context, impact of globalization, cultural production, cultural rights, etc.

Usually offered every year.

Thomas Hall | T 7:05 - 9:55 p.m.

Continuation of MUS 86a. See MUS 86a for special notes and course description.

Usually offered every semester.

Benjamin Paulding | M/W 5:40–7:00 p.m.

Continuation of MUS 87a. See MUS 87a for special notes and course description

Usually offered every year.

Jennifer Cleary | Th 2:20 - 5:10 p.m.

Examines ways in which theatrical arts can create change in a variety of non-traditional situations. This course is grounded in the discussion/practice of theater activists such as Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed. For both theater and non-theater students, this course focuses on how and why this collaborative, useful art form can be introduced into sociological, psychological, political, cultural, educational, medical, and historical paradigms. Students will generate work surrounding social issues of importance to them. Usually offered every second year.

Andie Berry| T/F 12:45 - 2:05 p.m.

Explores dramatic literature and performance traditions from across the globe. Examines the ways various artists have engaged theater to express, represent and interrogate diversity and complexity of the human condition.

Usually offered every second year.

Cameron Anderson | 9:35 a.m.–12:25 p.m.

Explores the convergence of multimedia >theate , installation art and video design. Students will learn about the use of technology in visual storytelling, and the cross-disciplinary and hybrid practices of multimedia design including sound, video, light and space. How can we use technology to enhance, frame or even reveal new perspectives on the stories we tell? Students will learn about tools and techniques from design professionals, and will engage directly and collaboratively with technology and space to desig full-scale experiences focused around performanc. No experience in performance, theater, or design expected.

Usually offered every second year.

Emilie Diouf | T,F 11:10 - a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Examines how African women writers and filmmakers use testimony to bear witness to mass violence. How do these writers resist political and sociocultural silencing systems that reduce traumatic experience to silence, denial, and terror?

Usually offered every third year.

Brandon Callender | M/W/Th 12:20- 1:10 p.m.

Cannot be taken by students who previously took ENG 42a.

Examines the tense and transformative place that blackness has within the horror tradition, beginning with the late nineteenth century and moving into the present. In addition to documentaries and critical texts, we will analyze literature, films, and various aspects of material culture that explore the relationship between blackness and horror.

Usually offered every third year.

Faith Smith | T, Th 3:55 -5:15 p.m.

Examines novels published in the last two decades set during slavery and indenture in the British Caribbean, alongside (and as) theorizations of accumulation, inheritance, and freedom. How does fiction account for and plot material, moral and emotional worth?

Usually offered every third year.

Elizabeth Bradfield | T 2:20 - 5:10 p.m.

Offered exclusively on a credit/no credit basis. All Creative Writing courses are by instructor's permission, after the submission of a manuscript sample. Manuscript samples should be no more than 6 pages of creative work in the genre of the Creative Writing workshop to which the student is applying; poetry, fiction, screenwriting. Samples should be emailed in a single document, (.doc or .docx) to the relevant instructor beginning the week prior to registration. Each workshop is capped at 12. During early registration each workshop will accept up to 10 students, allowing room for incoming first-years and transfer students during the spring registration period.

A creative writing workshop focused on writing essays and poems that engage with environmental and eco-justice concerns. Readings, writing assignments, and class discussions will be augmented by field trips.

Usually offered every second year.

Emilie Diouf | T, Th 2:20-3:40 p.m.

Introduces students to Nigeria's film industry, one of the world's largest. It focuses on both the form and the content of Nollywood films. Examines how Nollywood films project local, national, and regional issues onto global screens.

Usually offered every third year.

Fernando Rosenberg | T, Th 3:55 - 5:15 p.m.

May be taught in English or Spanish.

Examines literature, film (fiction and non-fiction) and other artistic expressions from Latin America, in conversation with the idea of human rights'from the colonial arguments about slavery and the 'natural rights' of the indigenous, to the advent of human rights in the context of post-conflict truth and reconciliation processes, to the emergence of gender and ethnicity as into the human rights framework, to the current debates about rights of nature in the midst of a global ecological crisis.

Usually offered every third year.

Gustavo Herrera Díaz | M,W 2:230 - 3:50 p.m.

This course explores an array of rituals, performances, plays, and stage-to-film adaptations in
Latin America from colonial times to the present. We will examine the transgressive nature of
theater and performance in multiple dimensions: as alternative sites of cultural memory versus
hegemonic texts and archives, as disruptors of media boundaries and realities, and as
transformational acts that frequently challenge structures of power and oppression.

Shoniqua Roach | M/W 2:30-3:50 p.m.

Formerly offered as AAAS 136A.

Critical examination of the historical, political, economic, and ideological factors that have shaped the lives of African American women in the United States. Analyzing foundation theoretical texts, fiction, and film over two centuries, this class seeks to understand black women's writing and political activism in the United States.

Usually offered every second year.

Yuri Doolan | M,W 2:30–3:50 p.m.

Examines performances of Asian/American women and how they have changed over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries. We analyze American film, television, and stage performances to trace the shifting, yet continuous participation of Asian/American women on screen and scene in the United States. Important issues include Orientalism and representation, race and racism, immigration and diasporas, militarisms and empire, gender and hypersexuality, yellow face practices then and now, as well as assimilation and resistance.

We ask: What have dominant representations of Asian/American been like from the silent film era to the current digital age? How have the figures of the lotus blossom, the dragon lady, the trafficked woman, the geisha, the war bride, the military prostitute, the orphan, among other problematic tropes emerged to represent Asian/American women? How has the changing political, social, and cultural position of Asian/Americans shaped their participation in media production, as well as their media representations in the United States broadly speaking?

Usually offered every second year.

Sarah Halford | M/W 4:05–5:25 p.m.

Introduces major sociological theories about leadership, political context, culture, and identities in social movements in transnational perspective. Examines historical and contemporary cases of social movements through the lenses of race, gender, class and sexuality.

Usually offered every second year.

Taylor Ackley | T, Th 3:55 - 5:15 p.m.

Open to music majors and non-majors. Does not fulfill the Main Currents in American Studies requirement for the major.

Examines 20th and 21st century protest music to better understand the complex relationships between music and social movements. Through class discussions, reading, writing, and listening assignments, and a final performance students will discover how social, cultural, and economic protest songs helped shape American culture.

Usually offered every second year.

Patricia Alvarez Astacio | Th 2:20 - 5:10 p.m.

Introduces the history, theory and production of ethnographic and documentary filmmaking. This course traces how ethnographic and culturally-inflected filmmakers have sought to depict cultural difference, social organization, and lived experiences. Students will learn the basics of non-fiction film production.

Usually offered every second year.

Toni Shapiro-Phim | T, Th 7:05 - 8:25 p.m.

Prerequisite: All CAST practicums are open by permission to students who have taken the core course, CAST 150b, regardless of whether they are enrolled in the minor. While only one practicum is required for the minor, any student who has taken CAST 150b can take both the fall and the spring practicums for credit. Yields half-course credit.

Each student applies theories, skills, information, and critical questions to an individual or group project that engages with social transformation concerns in creative, practical, and ethically-sound ways. Although many students undertake independent projects, this is a collaborative practicum in which all students help each other imagine and problem-solve.

Usually offered every year.