Faculty of Arts

Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media

The remarkable ability of story to engage, surprise, shock and move us is the foundation of our department. We are a vibrant interdisciplinary unit where students can pursue both creative and critical work in literature, film and theatre, including creative writing, performance and film or stage production. 

We aim to provide comprehensive historical coverage, to expand students’ writing skills and to promote the kind of analysis and argumentation that honours the richness of these disciplines.

Our faculty and staff
Stacks upon stacks of old hardcover books.

2024-2025 course offerings

Many courses in English, Theatre and Film are Special Topics or Honours Seminar courses where the course description changes from year to year. The course descriptions for 2024-2025 have been updated and are current in Aurora. Please refer to Aurora for the current course descriptions when planning your course registrations. 

What we're up to

On social media? Then you’re an ‘author’

MA student studies how much influence an audience’s response has on an author or creator

Everyone who creates something on social media becomes an author. Sudden, unexpected virality might turn any one of us into authors with global recognition, subjecting all of us to similar expectations of famous creators.

Jessie Krahn [BA(Hons)/2018, MA/2023] is a 2024 UM Distinguished Master’s Thesis Prize winner. The prize is given out annually to recognize the achievements of Master’s graduates who submitted groundbreaking theses in the previous academic year. Her thesis is titled “Here comes the author: evolving notions of authorship on social media.”

Read more about Jessie Krahn’s prize winning thesis on UM Today

Theatre a safe space to learn how to fail

2024 graduate grateful for opportunities and says program truly “chose her”

As a first year student, Bailey Chin [BA/2024] wasn’t quite sure what to study in university. She had already taken a year off after high school and still hadn’t decided what might be for her. So, like many others, she registered for University1. Among the arts and science courses she registered for, a longtime love of theatre led her to try Introduction to Theatre. Jump forward and COVID-19 led Chin to take another year off and work professionally as an actor before coming back to complete her degree in 2024. Years of study and many productions later, Chin is graduating this spring with a bachelor of arts majoring in theatre and hopes to continue her journey in the performing arts world.

Read more on UM Today

The Comedy of Errors

By William Shakespeare. Directed by Dr. Katrina Dunn.

MARCH 27 – 31, 2024

Thank you to the over 650 ticket buyers who supported the student cast and crew of The Comedy of Errors. Audiences were seen clapping, dancing, laughing and cheering. A good time was had by all!

Photo credit: L. Norman

Read more about the show on UM Today
 

 

Rhinoceros

By Eugène Ionesco. Translated by Martin Crimp. Directed by Dr. Bill Kerr.

NOVEMBER 29-DECEMBER 2, 2023

Thank you to the over 400 ticket buyers who supported the student cast and crew of Rhinoceros. 
 

Read more about the show on UMToday

Watch Director Bill Kerr and Actor Katelyn Mestito-Dao on Global TV

 

Female wearing glasses, standing with arms crossed in front of a concrete wall.
Actress displayed twice in a split screen photo. One wearing braids and looking into the distance. The second covered in fake blood holding up a glass of more blood.
A group of people sitting and standing forming the shape of a pyramid.
Group of over 20 students gathered together on a stage.

Programs of study

Student resources and opportunities

Research

  • Research areas

    • Medieval literature
    • Early modern literature
    • Restoration and 18th century literature
    • Victorian literature
    • Romantic literature
    • Modernism and early 20th century literature
    • 20th century and contemporary literature
    • Postmodernism

  •  

    • Critical theory
    • Post-colonial and world literatures
    • Canadian literature
    • American literature
    • Bibliography and book history
    • Creative writing
    • Film
    • Theatre  

  • Affiliated research areas

    Our department has close affiliations with the following:

Contact us

Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media
625 Fletcher Argue Building
15 Chancellors Circle
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada

english@umanitoba.ca
204-474-9678
204-474-7669