Byng Arts Mini School

Byng Arts Mini School is a School District 39 Vancouver Mini School program[1] for literary, media, visual, music, and performing arts. The school is located within Lord Byng Secondary School in West Point Grey in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Its programs are designed for the artistic development of above-average students in high school, through interdisciplinary and extracurricular activities in the fine arts, literary arts, academics, and applied fine arts.[2]

Program activities

Beyond the normal events hosted at Lord Byng, the arts mini school offers additionally exclusive events that are more broad arts geared.

"FAB" (Fine Arts At Byng) assemblies are guest performances held at the school by professionals in the Fine Arts community. Most of the time the guest performers are local artists but on occasion internationally traveling guests do appear. Originally known as "Fab Friday's" the performances were held after school once a month on Friday. However, in 2002 the consistent schedule of having them on Friday was replaced with a years calendar that could accommodate conflicting school events.

Also, the school hosts an annual gala. Showcases of student work are put on display and several performances are presented by the theatre arts and music students. The gala includes an award ceremony, full course dinner, dance, and chess tournament.

Byng Arts Passport
2006 Byng Arts Passport

Each Byng Arts students receives a "Byng Arts Passport" designed to record events that celebrate the arts: visual, literary, musical, and dramatic. Mandatory Byng Arts events such as the "fab" assemblies are also recorded. A rewards system is implemented through this passport where students compete for year end awards and prizes. The Byng Arts Passport was an idea to encourage students to participate, see, and support the fine arts.

History
  • November 2006, Mandatory VSB online test registration begins.
  • 2005-2006, Byng Art Mini School's Theatre Company gained international attention for staging the play The Laramie Project after the Surrey School Board banned the play.[3]
  • September 2004, the Literary Arts program expanded to include Grades 8 to 12.
  • September 2003, a Literary Arts discipline was introduced at the Senior level. This program included: Literature 12, Enriched English 11, and English 12AP.
  • September 2000, the program officially becomes Byng Arts Mini School.
  • September 1999, a Junior program (Grade 8 - 10) is introduced.
  • Before September 1999, Byng Arts starts informally as a Senior program (Grade 11 and 12): Theatre Company, Honours Art, Concert Band, and Honour Orchestra.

Selection criteria

Students interested in the school undergo an extensive audition process. A Selection Committee begins by reviewing applications. Criteria such as previous arts experience and interest as well as the submitted cover letter, resume, and essay are overlooked. Those who pass the review stage are invited to audition at the school for their area of interest.

Students interested in visual arts are asked to submit three well-chosen pieces of work spanning a variety of media. Literary Arts applicants are requested to submit five pieces of writing including at least one analytical and one creative work.

The Selection Process has three distinctive steps: Application Review, Short List, and Auditions.

Applications are reviewed and checked for:

  • Confirmation page from the VSB online application
  • Confirmation page from Byng Arts online application.
  • Completed cross boundary application form, if the catchment school is not Lord Byng.
  • Completed Byng Arts Mini School Reference Form.
  • Two most recent report cards: November and previous June.
  • A recent photograph.
  • Supporting documents for visual & literary arts applicants only.

Eligible students will be added to a Short List if successful through the Application Review. The short listed students are notified of appointment times for testing, auditions portfolio assessments, skills assessments, interviews as appropriate. Students selected for Byng Arts are offered positions, and students on wait list are notified of their wait-list status.

Application dates
  • Complete the District on-line application in early December.
  • Complete the Byng Arts on-line application also in early December,
  • Submit the completed application package before Winter Break. The package includes:
  • Confirmation of on-line application, both VSB and Byng Arts,
  • Byng Arts application form completed in the student's handwriting,
  • Byng Arts Mini School Reference Form in sealed envelope,
  • Two most recent report cards: November and previous June,
  • A recent photograph with the student's name written across the back.
  • Write the District-wide standardized cognitive skills test, writing sample, and mathematics test at a specified test centre,
  • Visual arts applicants only are required to submit other supporting documents as requested in the application package.

References
  1. VSB Mini School Listing
  2. Vancouver School Board Mini School Information Archived 2006-09-11 at the Wayback Machine
  3. CBC News article on The Laramie Project at Byng

Notes

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