Wacsmash 2020: Systems & Self will take place in Glorya Kaufman Hall located at UCLA on January 31 and February 1. There will be three showings of the dance performance: 1/31 @ 8pm and 2/1 @ 3pm & 8pm. The art gallery space will be open 1/31 – 2/1, with an opportunity to meet the WAC artists on 2/1 @ 6pm.
Tickets to the event are FREE but please arrive early in order to secure a seat. A minimum donation of $35 will ensure 1 ticket to the show of your choice (more information on donations and rewards can be found under “Support”).
Wacsmash is a free showcase of student work that is completely produced, choreographed, and curated by UCLA World Arts and Cultures/Dance undergraduate students. Our goal is to provide a formal space for experiential research, informed by practices learned inside and outside of the department. Wacsmash is a historically significant outlet for student creativity, and carries a deep legacy of showcasing student work that is unfiltered by the influence of our professors. It encapsulates why WAC/D students are in college: to take the unique processes they have learned and apply these experiences to the production of creative and self-driven dance and art. Wacsmash takes pride in having provided this opportunity for student artists for the past 20 years.
Wacsmash 2020 is titled “Systems and Self”, in an effort to capture the way our participating artists are digesting life’s institutions and the way in which their personal experiences fit into these structures. In the past, Wacsmash was primarily a space for the undergraduate Dance majors to present their own choreography and research. This year, we are introducing a pop-up art gallery to highlight the student work of undergraduate World Arts and Cultures majors. We hope this addition will open new doors for the future of Wacsmash, and encourage collaboration between both sides of the department. Our goal is to provide all undergraduate students in the WAC/D department the unique opportunity to showcase personal art and choreography they are passionate about.
The biggest challenge Wacsmash faces each year is securing funding for this student-run event while remaining a free event for all. We do not receive departmental funding for the costs associated with producing a professional event. Our main funding requirements include facilities, advertising, and printing. Wacsmash is an opportunity for all to experience performative and visual art, and we do not want to limit any individual from attending our event. We are grateful to have been granted some of the required financial support from on campus funding sources such as the Campus Programs Committee and Campus Life Support for Student Programming. However, we do still require funding for the items listed below in order for Wacsmash 2020 to be the best possible production for all of the participants as well as our wonderful supporters and attendees. The funding gathered from this Kickstarter will go toward any of the following integral expenses that are not secured by on-campus grants: Marketing materials Program printing T-shirts Reception Future WACUS programs including workshops, master classes, and next year’s Wacsmash production. The continuous support from our Kickstarter community has allowed Wacsmash to become a 20-year long tradition for young student artists. We are asking for donations to ensure that this incredible opportunity can continue for undergraduate students in the UCLA WAC/D department and to ensure accessibility to this event with free entry for all audience members. No amount is too small! Thank you for all of your support and we look forward to seeing you on January 31st and February 1st! Much love, Wacsmash 2020