Wichita State University’s College of Fine Arts is partnering with Movement Musick to offer programing at the Somewhere Works music facility in downtown Wichita. Wichita State University and Somewhere Works will collaborate to open opportunities for innovation, applied learning, new classes and community engagement.

“This pilot partnership allows for enhanced creative collisions,” said Justin Rorabaugh, director of WSU’s School of Digital Arts, as well as WSU’s Shocker Studios. “This opens the door to the sound design world. The collaboration between music and the digital arts can bring sound design to Wichita in a way that’s never happened before.”

Somewhere Works is located at 235 N. Emporia. Wichita State’s collaboration will begin on Dec. 1. It will hold classes in the building next semester and continue Somewhere Music School instruction with youth students.

“This collaboration represents an important step in how Wichita State engages the creative industries of our city,” said Marie Bukowski, dean of the College of Fine Arts. “By operating in the heart of downtown, our students and faculty are sharing their work, ideas and energy directly with the community — an experience that defines what applied learning should be.”

The 7,000-square-foot building features rehearsal, production, performance and video editing rooms. Wichita State students will help with staffing and instructional applied learning opportunities. Students will use the building’s rehearsal, performances and recording rooms for audio and video projects, animation, film scoring, film sound design, game sound design and more.

The venue will continue to be available for community events.

The partnership adds new spaces and technology to the College of Fine Arts offerings and brings together music and digital arts students together in new ways.

“Our students can continue to do recitals and concerts but have more freedom of creativity with lighting, video and sound,” said Timothy Shade, director of the School of Music. “Instead of a performed recital, what if they produced an audio recording or music video? Those types of capabilities now exist because of what is available in the space.”

Movement Musick is dedicated to empowering artists and music industry professionals while driving positive social change – in Wichita and beyond. Music creators and professionals from all walks of life unite with a shared vision: to discover their talents, develop and apply their skills, and advance their community. We provide a platform for emerging talent, offering resources and opportunities to unlock their full potential, while encouraging ongoing innovation in the music industry. Learn more at www.movementmusick.org.

Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 25,000 students between its main campus and the WSU Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech), including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student-centered and innovation-driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.

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