Kyra Taylor – Contributor 

Humanities Festival 2025 kicked off on Nov. 10 and provided a two-week-long forum for Humanities students at Bishop’s to showcase all the things they’ve learned in classes and to gain valuable experience from guest panels and workshops.  

Image courtesy of Latoya Simms

The first event was the Music Department’s Jazz Jam, held on Nov. 11, and was actually held off campus. The event was located at the Boquebière bar in downtown Sherbrooke.

The newest edition of the Donald Lecture Series happened on Nov.12, when composer François Dompierre held a talk in Centennial Theatre. François Dompierre is a popular and classical music composer in Quebec and has worked on music for a variety of settings. He has composed pieces for television shows, films and plays.

BU Drama presented “The Musketeers,” which was adapted and directed by Nathania Bernabe and Jackie T. Hanlin. The play aired from Nov. 12 to Nov. 16 in Turner Studio.

Nov. 13 featured the event “Playwright in Residence: Jovanni Sy,” which was possible thanks to the collaboration between the Drama Department and the Canadian Studies department, and was located in Cleghorn Hall. 

Nov. 14 held a presentation by Claire Elissalde (Concordia University), Humanities+: Articulating the Value of Humanities Skills, which was held in two parts. The first part of this event was held for faculty members, and the second part was open to students. Claire Elissalde’s presentation showed students how to make the incredibly important link between the material they’ve learned and the real world, helping them prepare for their next steps away from Bishop’s. 

Nov. 17 marked an exceptionally busy day for Bishop’s, since it was the day of Exceptional Learning. From 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Library Agora, the creativity and impact of Bishop’s humanities students were celebrated. The Bishop’s EL showcase provides an opportunity for Humanities students to share inspiring stories from their courses, internships, creative and/or research projects. 

Later on in the evening of Nov. 17, a panel was held which welcomed many speakers. The first topic, held in NIC211, was the panel on Directing and Dramaturgy in Canada. The main speakers of this panel were: Andrea Romaldi (the Director of the Playwriting Program, National Theatre School), Jill Harper (Theatre Director & Dramaturg), Pam Patel (Artistic Director, MT Space), Santiago Guzmán (Artistic Director, PARC) and Gil Garratt (Artistic Director, Blyth Festival Theatre). 

Also held on Nov. 17 was a zine-making workshop held by Eloise Marseille, the author of “Naked: The Confessions of a Normal Woman.” This workshop happened in Cleghorn Hall, where Eloise Marseille discussed the political history of zines and also taught students how to make them. 

Nov. 18 brought another edition of the Robin Burns Lecture, titled “Café, Clubs, & Clandestine Cabarets: Nightlife in Montreal & the Township,” which was held in Cleghorn Hall. This lecture was held by Dr. Nathalie Cooke, who is a professor of English at McGill University, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and also a specialist in literary food studies and material culture.

Nov. 19 brought the Improv club event in Turner Studio Theatre, and Nov. 20 was Alumni night, happening in Cleghorn. 

To close off Humanities Festival 2025, Nov. 23 held the Messe Des Morts – Le Requiem de François Dompierre with OSS (Orchestre Symphonique de Sherbrooke), held at the University of Sherbrooke. 

All of the events held during Humanities Week 2025 brought Bishop’s humanities students together, showcasing the exceptional talent and creativity of classmates.