Contact

Email:
Address: 100 Princess Avenue, North York, Ontario
Phone:(416) 395-3210 Ext:20137

About us

Earl Haig Secondary School opened its doors to the Claude Watson Arts Program in 1982. This program is designed to serve students possessing artistic talents within a specialized learning environment. Though a challenging dual thrust program, our students develop their creative and academic potential to the fullest.

Students will apply to one of the Program Focus Areas; Dance Studies, Drama Studies, Music Studies, Visual Studies.

All students in the four program areas will be blended and scheduled into the Integrated Arts courses in Grades 9 and 10 where they will have the opportunity to study a variety of art forms over the course of the semesters.

In Grades 11 and 12, all Claude Watson students will continue in their focus arts area and will take a second “Collaborative Arts” course where they will be creating with all other Claude Watson students in their grade.

Our main goals

• To provide a unique program where students pursue learning paths under the guidance of enthusiastic teachers with arts specialty training.
• To encourage the development of skills for everyday life -communication, cooperation, sharing, and self-discipline.
• To provide educational enrichment that focuses on the classical and contemporary arts through the study and application of concepts, skills, theory and performance. Guest artists, professional performances and field trips all contribute to the student’ appreciation and dedication to learning.
• To encourage students to apply their knowledge and awareness in the pursuit of lifelong enjoyment and contribution to the Arts.

Department Heads

Tara - Artistic Director and head of Dance

Tara Lee Blight is a graduate of the Claude Watson Arts program. She completed her B.F.A. and B.ED at York University and received her Master in Fine Arts from the University of Arizona specialising in Dance and Technology. As an educator and practising dance artist, Tara has written curriculum for the Can Asian Dance Festival and has choreographed and performed with many notable dance companies: Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre, Ronald Taylor Dance Company and Toronto Dance Theatre in Canada and the United States. Tara is passionate about diversity and equity. Her commitment to inclusion was instilled by her parents who immigrated to Canada from Jamaica and Guyana. With her leadership experience in education and the creative arts, she believes in creating spaces and platforms for student voices. Her goal is to ensure that every student is provided the highest quality education possible in a safe and supportive learning environment.

Lizzie - Head of Drama

Lizzie Kurtz graduated from the Musical Theatre Program at Sheridan College after which she went on to perform on stages across Canada and internationally. Some examples of work include CATS (Germany), Grease (Jean-Ann Ryan Productions), Forever Swing (The Winter Garden Theatre), and Living with Henry (NYC, Off-Broadway). She also graduated from York University's Glendon College Bilingual Drama Studies Program, Queen's University Artist in Education Program and is a graduate of The Claude Watson Arts Program. Lizzie has facilitated impactful partnerships for students with The Tarragon Theatre’s Young Playwrights Program, The Shaw Festival, Battery Dance (NYC) Global Learning Symposium, Shakespeare in the Ruff, The UpEnd Project, Toronto Musical Concerts and Artscape. Areas for sharing student voice have included participation in culminating workshops with The Paprika Festival, Second City Improv, The Toronto Fringe Festival, The Canadian Stage Company, Driftwood Theatre and The Edinburgh Festival. “I hope to broaden the overall scope of artistic agency by cultivating inclusion, equity and accessibility for students’ self-expression, urban cultural expression(s), collective creation, and voice.” Lizzie Kurtz is a member of The Canadian Actor’s Equity Association and ACTRA.

Debbie - Head of Music

Deborah Pady is a proud graduate of Earl Haig and the Claude Watson Arts Program. Following her secondary school studies she completed her Bachelor of Music (Honours) at the University of Toronto and went on to pursue her Post Graduate Certificate in Education at Cambridge University, England. Throughout her career, Deborah has been regularly invited to lead music education workshops at universities across Ontario and at educators conferences. She is a founding director of the Ontario Strings Association, and is a conductor with Mooredale Youth Orchestras and Interprovincial Music Camp. As a violinist, Deborah has played with several local orchestras including the Mississauga Symphony, Orchestra Toronto and Oakville Chamber Orchestra and continues to perform in chamber ensemble settings across the city. Deborah believes strongly in the concept of collaborative education through the arts. By exploring connections between art forms and other areas of study, students’ intuition, creativity and personal voice can thrive.

Nazy - Head of Visual Arts

Nazy Sakhavarz is an Iranian born artist and art educator, practicing both disciplines in Toronto, for the last 30 years. Since graduating from Queen’s University with a B.F.A (major in painting), she has combined her two passions of art making and teaching by exhibiting her work, freelance illustrating and instructing all age groups from primary junior to adult classes. Nazy has for decades exhibited her art in the city’s commercial galleries, artist collectives and public art festivals. She has exhibited at the Canadian Art Hop- Toronto, Tirgan Festival- Harbourfront Centre, and currently houses some of her pieces in public and private collections such as UofT- Harthouse and The Triggs- Jackson & Triggs, private collection. She has worked as a contributing writer for TDSB’s Arts Curriculum, illustrator for children’s books and taught numerous workshops for arts educators at both the elementary and secondary panel. Nazy is a proud graduate of the Claude Watson Program at both the elementary and secondary level. Hence, she continues to make the championing and the accessibility of public arts education a professional priority.