Social Justice & Activism

A group of people holding signs on a Vermont State University stage.

Every social movement has used performing arts to spread its message and create change. The best performances are political. The two cannot be separated. In the Social Justice and Activism Concentration in the Performance, Arts & Technology degree program, faculty won’t run your shows — you will. You will design, write, and direct your own performances for external professional venues, on the streets, or at Dibden Center for the Arts. You’ll study the history of injustice, movements of change, politics of gender, and more. You’ll take acting, directing, and scriptwriting, courses that develop you as a performer. This unique performance and social activism degree program will give you the knowledge, skills, and confidence to combine arts and social justice to make your impact on the world.

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Abbey Dooley

Admissions Counselor

802.635.1492

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Why Study Social Justice & Activism at Vermont State

  • The Study of the Root Causes: In addition to studying best practices in acting, directing, and performing, you’ll take courses in history, psychology, and political science that will give you insight into the sources and remedies of injustice.  
  • Learning by Doing: You’ll learn by doing: writing, designing, directing, and performing. You’ll have the opportunity to work on every aspect of show production. 
  • Career Preparation: We’ll get you ready for your professional performing arts career after Vermont State, helping you with everything from preparing for auditions to creating a resume and portfolio, from honing interview skills to developing self-promotion and branding. 
  • World-Class Facilities: Dibden Center for the Arts, our home for performance arts, is a professional venue with exceptional acoustics, originally built for the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. 

Student Stories

A black and white photo of a girl with braids.

“I was blown away by the theater program here… It seemed like there’s more effort in making plays great here rather than just reading lines to an audience.”

Brittney Malik