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Skip to main content The University of the Arts -- Main navigation Programs Undergraduate Programs Graduate Programs Pre-College Programs (1–12) Professional & Continuing Education PhD in Creativity Admissions First-Year Students Transfer Students International Undergraduate Students Graduate Students Tuition & Financial Aid Portfolio & Audition Requirements Parents & Families Plan Your Visit Take a Virtual Tour Life @ UArts Visit, Tour, Connect Housing Dining Services Around Philadelphia Activities & Organizations Study Away Academic Services & Advising Health & Wellness Educational Accessibility Campus Safety About Leadership Campus Map & Directions Mission & Values Quick Facts Galleries & Performance Spaces Research and Centers Unicorns Careers @ UArts Human Resources Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Rental Spaces Shop UArts Contact Us Programs Apply Now The Place of Choice. We’re the only arts university in the U.S. that allows our students to collaborate across traditional lines. Painters can minor in piano, dancers can study film, guitarists can take classes in screenwriting. With more than 30 majors, 30 minors and 13 graduate programs in visual arts, performing arts, design and liberal studies, UArts develops alumni who are not only leaders in their disciplines, but also creative thinkers able to succeed in any path they choose. We are more because you are more. Film Program Director Accepted to 2020 Sundance Film Festival Mike Attie’s film was chosen from over 10,000 submissions and will screen in Park City, Salt Lake City and Sundance Mountain Resort from Jan. 23 to Feb. 2, 2020. On Tuesday, Dec. 10 , it was announced that Film Program Director and Assistant Professor Mike Attie ’s short documentary Abortion Helpline, This is Lisa has been selected for inclusion in the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Attie’s film was chosen from over 10,000 submissions and will screen in Park City, Salt Lake City and Sundance Mountain Resort from Jan. 23 to Feb. 2, 2020. “I was quite surprised by the news, as we really just submitted on a lark,” says Attie, who co-directed the piece with filmmakers Barbara Attie and Janet Goldwater. The film screened at the Guttmacher Institute in New York and was an official selection of the Philadelphia Film Festival in October, as well as being included in DOC NYC’s Shorts: Ways of Seeing in November. Abortion Helpline, This is Lisa follows the work of the Philadelphia abortion hotline phone counselors—all called Lisa—who arrive each morning to seemingly endless calls from people who are seeking to terminate pregnancies and can’t afford to. Counselors struggle to stretch available funds, raised from private donations, often having to work with a dangerous matter of timing. Attie’s film aims to give a voice to women and teens impacted by economic stigma and discrimatory policies like the Hyde Amendment, enacted in 1976 with the adverse effect of denying poor individuals access to abortion. “Independent artists create and enrich global culture. This year’s festival is full of films that showcase myriad ways for stories to drive change, across hearts, minds and societies,” said Sundance Institute’s president and founder Robert Redford in the festival’s Dec. 4 feature film announcement . The festival—Sundance Institute’s flagship public program—is widely regarded as the largest independent film festival in the U.S., attracting over 120,000 attendees and 1,300 accredited members of the press. Attie will be attending the festival’s annual director orientation and celebration in New York with UArts grad Caitlin Riggsbee BFA ’17 (Film & Video). “There was a lot of UArts in this piece,” says Attie. Two of his former students, Riggsbee and Courtney Kehr BFA ’19 (Film & Video), worked as sound recordists, and a future part-time faculty member will be doing the score and mixing sound. Attie hopes to continue these collaborative partnerships for the film, hinting at a possible collaboration with UArts’ Graphic Design department on poster design. He added, “My hope is that this is just the beginning of the life cycle of this film!” See the full list of short films. Learn more about the Film program at UArts. *Photo courtesy of Sundance Institute Learn More: School of Music Celebrates Opening of Laurie Wagman Recording Studios The opening of these state-of-the-art recording studios marks the culmination of the School of Music relocation and renovation project which features brand new rehearsal, classroom, office, lab and production spaces. University of the Arts recently celebrated the grand opening of the Laurie Wagman Music Studios on the 11th floor of Terra Hall. On Wednesday evening, Nov. 13, School of Music faculty, staff, students, university administrators and honored guests gathered to dedicate the space to its benefactor, Trustee Laurie Wagman. The opening of these state-of-the-art recording studios marks the culmination of the School of Music relocation and renovation project, which started in June 2018 and also features brand new rehearsal, classroom, office, lab and production spaces. The dedication celebration included remarks from UArts President and CEO David Yager, School of Music Dean Micah Jones BM ’97 (Jazz Performance) MM ’99 (Jazz Studies) and Laurie Wagman. Remarks were followed by a ribbon-cutting and performance by UArts’ Transfusion ensemble, a highly dynamic group that programs an eclectic mix of sounds and primarily performs newly commissioned works by current students, alumni and faculty. “The studios are a transformational gift to our School of Music and MBET program, which is experiencing incredible growth,” said Yager upon the announcement of the gift. “Laurie Wagman is deeply connected to the students and programs at UArts through her commitment of time and financial support and her personal relationships with students.” Both recording studios are equipped with state-of-the-art, 24-channel API consoles and Antelope interfaces. There is a surround sound system in Studio A, while Studio B has a pair of Adam reference monitors. Both studios have a number of outboard compressors, equalizers and other effects processors. Studio A will also function as a fully analog space equipped with a 16-track tape machine. “These are some of the best spaces I have ever seen in an urban university setting,” says Dean Jones. “Now, we have an environment where our students’ creativity can thrive. I cannot express how grateful we are for Laurie Wagman’s unwavering support of the school and where it is heading. Likewise, to our president, who has not only encouraged us to reimagine our campus, but has taken action to make those dreams a reality.” Laurie Wagman Wagman’s generosity also helped create Laurie Wagman Presents, an MBET concert series managed and promoted by the program’s students, including Out of the Box, a series which promotes experimental, electronic and improvised music, mostly composed by MBET students and often featuring guest artists working at the fringes of their disciplines. Wagman’s philanthropic focus is in the arts, education and social services, and she has been the recipient of numerous awards for her dedication to young people. She is the founder and president of American Theater Arts for Youth lnc. and American Family Theater. Under her four-decade leadership, the two organizations have presented professional, original musical productions to more than 32 million students throughout the U.S. In addition to University of the Arts, Wagman also serves on the boards of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the National Children’s Theater Alliance and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. Learn more about about Uniquely UArts, the campaign for creative capital. Learn More: UArts Exhibit Venerates the City’s Avant-garde Past Invisible City: Philadelphia and the Vernacular Avant-garde celebrates how the art community that thrives today was fac...