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Finding community in theatre and film

This profile is part of our Education with Impact series. Find out how you can make a difference by studying theatre and film at The University of Winnipeg here.

According to Hera Nalam, taking classes in UWinnipeg’s Department of Theatre and Film is more like spending time with family than schoolwork.

“To be surrounded by such a warm community really encourages me to keep chasing my dreams as an actor,” she said.

Nalam is pursuing a four-year honours degree in theatre and film thanks to encouragement from high school teachers who recognized her enthusiasm for the arts. She’s glad she followed suit because the UWinnipeg program has opened doors for her in the local industry.

“The program has truly helped me in creating connections within the theatre community in Winnipeg, and provided me with a strong foundation to keep moving forward,” she said, adding that she hopes to find work as a stage or film actor upon graduation.

The University’s theatre and film program aims to give student’s theoretical knowledge as well as hands-on experience working in the field. The opportunity to put on full-length productions with her classmates has been a major highlight for Nalam.

“Being part of the production really was eye opening. Seeing other people work so hard on a production, be it costumes, lighting, acting…I truly felt the professionalism and collaborative elements of the theatre,” she said of her work on the play Concord Floral last November.

She also worked on the department’s January 2017 production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and is currently preparing for the final play of this school year called, Time and the Conways.