Chairholders
Profile

Patrice Aubertin
National Circus School
Chair title
SSHRC Industrial Research Chair for Colleges in Circus Arts
Chair program
Industrial Research Chair for Colleges
Role
Chairholder since 2012
Summary
Montreal is recognized around the world as a leading creator and producer in the circus arts. The enviable reputation enjoyed by Montreal businesses and other organizations in the circus arts sector is attributable not only to the quality of their artistic productions, but also to their ability to enhance and renew their aesthetics. To meet this need for enhancement and renewal, the specialized creators in this sector must work in increasingly complex environments. Artists, designers, and teachers must master tools that will let them build new forms of knowledge and incorporate them into both a framework for creation and a framework for teaching. At the same time, companies that specialize in the creation of works for the circus must devise sustainable development strategies so as to ensure not only the distinctiveness of their works but also the long-term viability of their organizations.
Toward these ends, the SSHRC Industrial Research Chair for Colleges in Circus Arts helps to foster the development of the Canadian circus by systematically and sustainably conducting research and innovation activities that contribute to the enhancement of circus practices. Broadly speaking, the Chair's main goal is to innovate by improving research/creation, scriptwriting, and teaching practices in the circus arts. The Chair also seeks to achieve innovation through the adoption of new immersive and interactive technologies by the circus community. The Chair's research activities will help to promote healthy lifestyles for youth through an analysis of the impact of training young Canadians in the circus arts while also helping the Chair's industry partners to maintain their competitiveness on the international scene.
The National Circus School and its highly qualified personnel, through their ongoing consultations with industry, have always ensured that the school's graduates have the skills needed to meet industry's requirements and needs. This continuing co-ordination with the school's industry partners ensures not only the exchange of expertise but also the continuous improvement of practices in accordance with the market's demands.
To carry out his responsibilities for the Chair's activities, the Chairholder will draw on his professional network in Canadian businesses in the circus arts sector and in university organizations doing research related to the circus arts, as well as on his experience in managing research projects on teaching and creation in the circus arts.
Contact information
National Circus School
8181, 2e Avenue
Montreal, Québec
H1Z4N9
Tel.: 514-9820, ext. 261
Fax: 514-5149826025
Email: paubertin@enc.qc.ca
Website:
http://www.nationalcircusschool.ca