Frames and Faces
A creative journey between Visual Arts and Theatre with Artist-in-Residence Damián Siqueiros
What happens when you bring together a classic play about life’s fleeting beauty, a group of young artists, and an internationally recognised photographer? At East Campus, this creative collaboration blurred the lines between visual art and performance, resulting in something truly memorable.
In the lead-up to this year’s Grade 11 production of ‘Our Town’ by Thornton Wilder, Theatre and Visual Arts students took part in a special Artist-in-Residence (AIR) programme with Canadian photographer Damián Siqueiros. Known for his multidisciplinary approach spanning artistic direction, set design, make-up, and fashion, Damián guided students over four immersive days in January to explore how the play’s themes of time, connection, and the rituals of daily life could be expressed through both image and movement.
‘Our Town’ invites its audience to pause and take notice of the ordinary: a shared breakfast, a walk home from school, a wedding, a goodbye. Inspired by this, students worked in pairs and small groups to build visual narratives that echoed the play’s mood and message. Theatre students reimagined their characters for a still image, adapting performance techniques such as posture, gesture, and facial expression to suit the camera. Visual Arts students took on the role of directors, guiding their peers from composing to crafting each frame.
A key part of Damián’s practice is what he calls ‘Art for Impact’—an approach that sees art not just as self-expression, but as a way to question, reflect on, and respond to the world. In his workshops, students explored how photography and performance can be used to engage with themes like justice, identity, and environmental responsibility. Rather than focusing solely on technique, they were encouraged to think deeply about what images communicate and what they might challenge.
Throughout the process, students stepped beyond the familiar, exploring mood, texture, and symbolism to discover how a photograph can capture the same emotional depth as a moment on stage. They developed fresh ways of approaching creative challenges: How do you photograph the passing of time? What does connection look like in a single frame?
As Theatre students took to the stage with a new understanding of how to frame scenes and convey meaning, the Visual Arts students showcased their photographs just outside the theatre, offering a thoughtful and visually layered introduction to the world of the play. Subtle yet powerful, the images reflected the same intention, emotion, and storytelling found in the performance, showing the parallels of how the two art forms shaped and strengthened one another.
“Working with Damián shaped how I approached lighting design for ‘Our Town’. His guidance on creating strong portraits and visuals inspired me to think more deeply about how to craft the world of the play.”
– Tanay, Grade 11, IB Theatre student
“Having Damián’s perspective on how to bring our own vision to life was incredibly valuable. It was amazing to see how he helped us create striking artworks using just a simple studio setting.”
– Magdalena, Grade 11, IB Visual Arts student
At UWCSEA, programmes like this are designed to stretch the imagination and encourage bold, interdisciplinary learning. Collaborating with professional artists such as Damián pushes students to go deeper, think creatively, and approach collaboration from new angles. The outcome speaks for itself: a thoughtful performance and a striking collection of images that revealed just how far creative learning can go when students are given the space to explore and the support to grow.
This article was published for Dunia June 2025
Photo credits: UWCSEA East IB Theatre and IB Visual Art students.
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