Although the fine arts have been grouped as a faculty for years at  Trinity Western University, its School of Arts, Media + Culture (SAMC)  formed just last spring, and kicked off with a two-week festival featuring student work from all the disciplines that fall within the school鈥檚 sphere.

From March 29 to April 11, they鈥檒l do it all again as SAMC presents the second annual Festival of the Arts, Media + Culture.

David Squires, dean of the fledgling school, sees the annual festival as an opportunity to put students鈥� talent on display in a big way.

鈥淚t鈥檚 such a lively arts climate here at TWU, there鈥檚 so much creativity,鈥� he said.

鈥淪tudents prepare all semester long and (at the end) their work comes to fruition.鈥�

The fact that the end of this semester also marks the end of the school year adds an extra element of celebration to the event, said Squires.

Projects which students have worked on for the past four months will be on display for two full weeks, with presentations in the areas of visual arts, music, theatre, film and creative writing.

Ask Squires to name a few of the highlights of the festival and he chuckles.

鈥淐lose your eyes and point (at the schedule).鈥�

He does note, however, that this year鈥檚 big theatre production, The Bacchae, represents a collaboration among three disciplines, with a score written especially for the performance in the digital music department and sets designed by a SAMC visual arts student.

And while most of the events are taking place on campus over the two-week period, a few will be scattered throughout 91原创 and even cross borders into neighbouring communities, with concerts scheduled for Surrey and Abbotsford.

The senior student art show 鈥� titled A Parade Marching Backward in Time 鈥� will hang from March 31 to April 30 in the 91原创 Centennial Museum鈥檚 gallery space in Fort 91原创.

Meanwhile, new student art will be on display in the President鈥檚 Gallery on campus throughout the two-week festival.

While Squires encourages people to come out and support the disciplines they鈥檙e familiar with 鈥� often that means music and theatre 鈥� he鈥檇 like them to branch out and explore a few other mediums, too.

Perhaps, he suggests, take in Vignettes, An Evening of New Student Literature, on April 7.

鈥淥r, if you like movies, check out some student films,鈥� he said. Cinergy, the student film night, takes place on campus on the final evening of the festival.

For the full schedule of TWU arts festival events, go to twu.ca/samc and click on the link under 鈥渂reaking news.鈥�