The Spinoza Project
"Preparing Artists to be Global Citizens of Social Purpose"
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Phase I, Spring Semester, 2010
Continuing in the long tradition in the state of North Carolina for exceptional leadership in support of the arts, UNC is uniquely positioned to create the most outstanding arts/artistic entrepreneurship program in the country.
Toward that end, “The Spinoza Project” has been created to serve as an evaluatory model for design of the program. This model serves to focus on a global issue utilizing multidisciplinary classroom research, service learning, and information sharing all integrated through the arts. In The Spinoza Project, the issue being examined is “religious freedom and separation of church and state." Phase 1 of The Spinoza Project launched in Spring Semester, 2010. The mission of the project is threefold:
To create a rigorous multi-disciplined approach intersecting the arts and the academy to examine a specific issue.
--to enhance opportunities for research and dialogue through public fora activities on campus
--to share documented information, gathered through the above-mentioned activities, utilizing social networking and cutting-edge information sharing technology both inter and extra-campus.
Phase I of the project includes the following elements:
1) Inter-disciplinary courses offered in concert through three departments:
A. Religion 138 – “Religious Freedom”, Broad emphasis on history as well as philosophical, political and social theories
B. Music 212 – “UNC Opera", Preparation of student actors and technicians for the world premiere of the new musical, “Searching for Spinoza”
C. Econ 327 – Business Venturing/cross-listed Music 286-"Arts Entrepreneurship", Study of how arts can inform entrepreneurship and business literacy for artists.
D. WMST 290 – "Women in Contemporary Art" – Interview with Artist/Entrepreneur, Suzanne Ishee detailing how her art serves to stimulate dialogue on the issue to be included in the documentary archive of contemporary women artists housed in the Department of Art.
2) Service-Learning Initiatives
A. UNC Opera Presentation—World premiere of the musical “Searching for Spinoza”
B. The Program for Humanities and Human Values, “Adventures in Ideas Weekend Seminar—The Spinoza Project”, April 16 & 17, Nelson Mandela Hall, Fed Ex Global Education Center
C. Campus Y – activities sponsored and promoted by the Y with focus on the issue throughout the semester involving UNC student groups.
D. Ackland Art Museum—Special Study Gallery Exhibition
Spinoza Project Partners
Faculty Chair— Dr. Terry Rhodes, Music Department Chair, UNC Opera Director,
Professor, Music 212
Faculty Partners— Dr. Randall Styers, Religious Studies,
Professor Religion 138
Dr. Mark Katz, Music/affiliated with Economics,
Professor, Econ 327/Music 286
Susan Harbage Page, Art/affiliated with Women’s Studies,
Professor. Art 230
Associates—
Tim Matson, Post Graduate, Project Coordinator
Zachary Kyle Ballard, B.Mus. (Dec. ’09), Project Manager
Senior Project Consultant—
Suzanne Ishee, Producer, Broadway Center Stage, Playwright , Searching for Spinoza
Project Consultant
Eve Duffy,Director The Program for Humanities and Human Values
For further information contact: Spinozainfo@unc.edu
"Preparing Artists to be Global Citizens of Social Purpose"
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Phase I, Spring Semester, 2010
Continuing in the long tradition in the state of North Carolina for exceptional leadership in support of the arts, UNC is uniquely positioned to create the most outstanding arts/artistic entrepreneurship program in the country.
Toward that end, “The Spinoza Project” has been created to serve as an evaluatory model for design of the program. This model serves to focus on a global issue utilizing multidisciplinary classroom research, service learning, and information sharing all integrated through the arts. In The Spinoza Project, the issue being examined is “religious freedom and separation of church and state." Phase 1 of The Spinoza Project launched in Spring Semester, 2010. The mission of the project is threefold:
To create a rigorous multi-disciplined approach intersecting the arts and the academy to examine a specific issue.
--to enhance opportunities for research and dialogue through public fora activities on campus
--to share documented information, gathered through the above-mentioned activities, utilizing social networking and cutting-edge information sharing technology both inter and extra-campus.
Phase I of the project includes the following elements:
1) Inter-disciplinary courses offered in concert through three departments:
A. Religion 138 – “Religious Freedom”, Broad emphasis on history as well as philosophical, political and social theories
B. Music 212 – “UNC Opera", Preparation of student actors and technicians for the world premiere of the new musical, “Searching for Spinoza”
C. Econ 327 – Business Venturing/cross-listed Music 286-"Arts Entrepreneurship", Study of how arts can inform entrepreneurship and business literacy for artists.
D. WMST 290 – "Women in Contemporary Art" – Interview with Artist/Entrepreneur, Suzanne Ishee detailing how her art serves to stimulate dialogue on the issue to be included in the documentary archive of contemporary women artists housed in the Department of Art.
2) Service-Learning Initiatives
A. UNC Opera Presentation—World premiere of the musical “Searching for Spinoza”
B. The Program for Humanities and Human Values, “Adventures in Ideas Weekend Seminar—The Spinoza Project”, April 16 & 17, Nelson Mandela Hall, Fed Ex Global Education Center
C. Campus Y – activities sponsored and promoted by the Y with focus on the issue throughout the semester involving UNC student groups.
D. Ackland Art Museum—Special Study Gallery Exhibition
Spinoza Project Partners
Faculty Chair— Dr. Terry Rhodes, Music Department Chair, UNC Opera Director,
Professor, Music 212
Faculty Partners— Dr. Randall Styers, Religious Studies,
Professor Religion 138
Dr. Mark Katz, Music/affiliated with Economics,
Professor, Econ 327/Music 286
Susan Harbage Page, Art/affiliated with Women’s Studies,
Professor. Art 230
Associates—
Tim Matson, Post Graduate, Project Coordinator
Zachary Kyle Ballard, B.Mus. (Dec. ’09), Project Manager
Senior Project Consultant—
Suzanne Ishee, Producer, Broadway Center Stage, Playwright , Searching for Spinoza
Project Consultant
Eve Duffy,Director The Program for Humanities and Human Values
For further information contact: Spinozainfo@unc.edu