Happy New Year, UBC Arts!
From cheering on your Thunderbirds at the Winter Classic to concerts, readings, and career-focused workshops, January is full of ways to reconnect with campus and each other. Here’s a look at what’s coming up this month.
UBC Recreation Free Week
January 5–11 | Various locations across campus
Free
UBC Recreation’s Free Week offers a full week of registered fitness and group classes at no cost, open to all abilities with no prior experience needed. Classes run throughout the week across a range of formats and times.
The Compass Open House
Wednesday, January 14 | 12:30 PM–2:30 PM | The Compass Hub (Brock Commons South)
Free
Swing by the Compass Open House to get a feel for what the Compass offers. Learn about upcoming events and programs designed to support your learning and your life beyond the classroom. Free food and a Compass tote will be available while supplies last. 🧭👜
Chan Centre Made in Canada: Beverly Glenn-Copeland and Elizabeth Copeland
Friday, January 16 | 7:30 PM | Chan Centre, Chan Shun Concert Hall
Tickets: $30–$69
Join life partners and creative collaborators Beverly Glenn-Copeland and Elizabeth Copeland for a rare live performance. Rooted in themes of community, connection, and hope, the evening brings together music and reflection from two artists whose work reminds us of the power of coming together, even in uncertain times.
Career Prep with Tesla: Resume Writing Session for UBC Students
Wednesday, January 21 | 6:00–6:30 PM | Online
Free, registration required
Join recruiters from Tesla for a short, focused session on how to strengthen your resume for internships and full-time roles. You’ll get practical tips on standing out in competitive applicant pools, along with insight into applicant tracking systems and how recruiters review resumes.
Design Your Future: A Workshop for Arts Alumni
Thursday, January 22 | 6:00–8:30 PM | Brock Commons South, Room 2102
Tickets: $15
Thinking about your next step? This interactive workshop invites Arts alumni to pause, reflect, and reimagine the path ahead. Guided by a design-thinking approach inspired by Designing Your Life, you’ll explore what matters to you, map out possible futures, and leave with practical next steps you can put into action.
The Phil Lind Initiative: Thomas L. Friedman
Thursday, January 22 | 6:30 PM | Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
Free, tickets required
Join New York Times columnist and bestselling author Thomas L. Friedman for an evening of insight into today’s rapidly changing world. Drawing on decades of reporting and global analysis, Friedman will explore the forces shaping geopolitics, technology, and the climate, and what they mean for the future we’re collectively navigating. Moderated by: Peter Klein (School of Journalism, Writing, and Media).
Arts at UBC Winter Classic
Friday, January 23 | 4:00 PM | Thunderbird Arena
Tickets required
The Winter Classic returns to UBC as your UBC Thunderbirds face the Trinity Western University Spartans in a hockey doubleheader, starting with the women’s game at 4:00 PM. Come cheer on the Thunderbirds from the Arts-designated section! Discounted ticket pricing available for the Arts community. Arts staff can use code WCARTSSTAFF40 and Arts students can use WCARTSSTUDENT40 for 40% off tickets. 🏒
💜 Don’t forget to show your Arts pride and wear something purple!
Wednesday Noon Hours: Daniel Moody, Countertenor
Wednesday, January 28 | 12:00–1:00 PM | Roy Barnett Recital Hall
Free
Guest countertenor Daniel Moody joins UBC School of Music faculty and students for a midday concert featuring works by composer Alfredo Santa Ana, including a chamber arrangement of Mahler’s Rückertlieder. A thoughtful lunchtime concert with a mix of classical and contemporary music. 🎶
Kayla Czaga Reads “Midway”
Wednesday, January 28 | 5:00–6:30 PM | Green College
Free
Poet Kayla Czaga reads from her third poetry collection, Midway, a sharp, searching, and often darkly funny exploration of grief, memory, and meaning. Moving between the everyday and the surreal, Czaga’s work blends tenderness, strangeness, and wit in poems that are both unsettling and unexpectedly comforting.
The Art of People and Culture
Wednesday, January 28 | 6:00–8:00 PM | Brock Commons South
Free
Curious about careers in People and Culture? This panel brings Arts alumni together to share how they built people-focused careers in Human Resources and organizational leadership, and what helped them find their path along the way. Stay after the panel to ask your questions, enjoy free pizza, and enter to win prizes.
Chan Centre Made in Canada: Kiuryaq
Wednesday, January 28 | 8:00 PM | Chan Centre, Chan Shun Concert Hall
Tickets: $30–$55
Kiuryaq is a circumpolar performance inspired by stories of the Northern Lights, created by Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists from Canada, Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland), and Sápmi (Norway). Blending theatre, live music, and video design, the work explores ancestry, memory, and connection through a powerful story of return.
Presented with PuSh International Performing Arts Festival.
