U of W exploring possibility of downtown Winnipeg arts school

A high school focusing on the arts may be coming to downtown Winnipeg.

The University of Winnipeg has put out a request for proposals for a feasibility study around a school that would enhance arts education in Winnipeg.

• Ballet explores truth and reconciliation through dance
• Students at public arts schools are twice as likely to be white, study finds

The Grade 9-12 University of Winnipeg Collegiate already offers high school education in downtown Winnipeg, and has an existing partnership with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. RWB students take their high school classes at the university so they can complete high school while also studying dance.

Now, the university wants to include students in Grade 6 through Grade 8, the request for proposals says.

The U of W and the collegiate also partner with the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Arts, Manitoba Theatre for Young People, the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, among others.

Many students take extra-curricular training in music, fine art and theatre but that can place scheduling and financial burdens on families, the request for proposals says.

"The intuition of stakeholders is that the opportunity to combine deep artistic training with high school education could be of interest to a sizeable cohort of students, given the level of artistic interest in Winnipeg," according to the RFP. "Interest could also be significant outside Winnipeg as specialty schools that cross artistic disciplines are rare."

The feasibility study, which may cost up to $25,000, will be financed by a donation from the Winnipeg Foundation, the RFP says.

The closing date for proposals is Aug. 22. The study itself is expected to be completed by December 2017.