Bow Valley College Centre for Entertainment Arts opened its doors on March 4, 2022, to a crowd of supporters, including the honourable Minister of Advanced Education Demetrios Nicolaides, our partners at the CEA, donors, members of the creative industry, and friends and family.

Attendees celebrated the grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours of the state-of-the-art facilities that will give students access to the latest and greatest tools of the trade.

The Bow Valley College Centre for Entertainment Arts is a monumental step in the digital transformation for the College, the city of Calgary, and the province of Alberta. The College is responding to the province's economic demands for skilled creative talent with this venture.

"Bow Valley College Centre for Entertainment Arts represents the Alberta we know: a place where hard work, collaboration, and risk-taking are valued attributes of innovation, and economic and social prosperity, says Bow Valley College President and CEO Misheck Mwaba. "It's a proud moment in the College's history. It provides a dynamic venue to innovate and help diversify Alberta's economy and to influence the well-being of our community."

"The Bow Valley College Centre for Entertainment Arts demonstrates that Bow Valley College is ready and willing to expand and adapt programming to meet the labour market needs of Alberta now and in the future," says Minister Nicolaides. "This goes hand in hand with our Alberta 2030: Building Skills for Jobs strategy as we ensure students are equipped with the knowledge and skills for the economy of tomorrow."

The College is excited to be a leader in visual and entertainment arts. The partnership with Centre for Entertainment Arts allows the College to provide creatively-minded individuals with opportunities to build dynamic, future-proof careers. 

"The Bow Valley College Centre of Entertainment arts brings a unique set of high-quality programs to Alberta and the College. Leading students to in-demand and creative jobs within entertainment arts industries, which as we know is growing rapidly in our city and our province," says Tyler Weiss, CEA Vice President Strategic Initiatives. 

The grand opening of the Centre also signifies promise for our students and Alberta entertainment industry hopefuls. Res Boitumelo, a first-year student of the Centre's Advanced 3D Animation program, described some of the advantages of learning here: "Our teachers are very qualified and experienced animators who are currently working on big projects in the industry. So, we have an advantage at the CEA being in touch with people who can help us get into the industry."

The College would like to thank CEA co-founders Peter Walsh and Diwakar Gandhi, and the honourable Demetrios Nicolaides for their continued support.

The Centre is currently offering Foundation in Entertainment Arts, Advanced 3D Animation and 3D Modelling. In May, the first cohort of Advanced Visual Effects and Virtual Production will begin their programs and, in September, the first classes of Advanced Game Development will begin. In addition, the College will offer Film Production beginning in the fall 2023 term.

Learn more about the Bow Valley College Centre for Entertainment Arts here.