When the Harrison Arts Festival kicks off July 11, a University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) alumnus will be in the middle of the action.  

Bryan Cutler is the festival’s general manager, a role he’s held since 2016. He’s a driving force behind an amazing community event that’s now in its 46th year, a 10-day (July 11–20) celebration of arts and music. 

“It’s the best job in the world because I get to meet artists from around the world, and I get to work with super great people including our amazing volunteer base,” he says enthusiastically. “It can be exhausting and nerve-wracking, but ultimately it’s super rewarding and exciting because of the energy people bring to it.” 

“Plus, I get to do this in a very beautiful and special part of the world.” 

Bryan says he may never have landed his dream job if not for the time he spent at UFV. He enrolled in UFV’s Theatre program in 2005, first earning a diploma and then a Bachelor of Arts in theatre in 2011. 

“I first got involved in theatre at Brookswood Secondary School,” Bryan says. “I was a shy kid and the first day of drama class opened my eyes to how much fun it could be. They were nice people, I felt safe in the environment, and I had a talent for it. 

“I realized I was comfortable on stage in front of 200 people, and kind of glommed onto it.” 

UFV’s Theatre program offered Bryan the opportunity to do everything in more than 30 productions. He was on stage for The Romans, MacBeth, and The Taming of the Shrew, among others.  

“I was Hamlet in Hamlet,” he recalls with a smile. “That was my title role.” 

The beauty of the UFV Theatre program is that it offered Bryan the opportunity to experience all things theatrical, from props to set design to costumes to stage managing.  

“Acting is more thrilling because you’re in front of the audience and it’s intimate, intense, and emotional,” Bryan says. “Some people like to lead teams, and that’s where stage management comes in, and others thrive on being backstage in a supportive role, making it happen with lighting and sound and everything else that goes into a production. 

“All of those roles are incredibly important experiences for developing, growing, and finding yourself.” 

With dwindling days to go before the start of this year’s 46th Harrison Arts Festival, Bryan is employing all the skills he acquired at UFV.  

“If I didn’t have the ability to work within a team and lead a team, I wouldn’t be able to do this job as well as I do,” he says. “UFV taught me that and instilled in me a commitment to making a show the best it can be under time and budget constraints.  

“Everything I use today, I learned as a student.” 

Once the festival is done, Bryan will stay busy producing and promoting a series of concerts that take place in Harrison throughout the year.  

“We bring in world roots, and traditional music,” he says. “We bring new forms and fusion, and all kinds of different stuff people don’t hear on Spotify or see on YouTube. It’s unique and fun and I’m very proud of that.” 

Bryan often reflects on the long list of UFV people who helped get him to where he is. 

“Ian Fenwick was the founder and head of the UFV Theatre department for many years, and he’s played a major part in my career,” Bryan says. “He directed Hamlet and taught me how to be part of a production team at all levels. You learned something new every day you spent with Ian.” 

Other theatre faculty and staff who influenced Bryan along the way include Bruce Kirkley (also a former UFV Theatre department head), Heather Robertson, Sandy Tait, Astrid Beugeling, Mark Sutherland, and Rick Mawson. 

“There’s more of course,” he says. “Tons of people I worked with taught me a lot and made my UFV experience a great one.” 

UFV was a major sponsor of the Harrison Festival of the Arts in its early years, and the university partnered with the festival to present theatre evenings and literary cafes for several decades. The late Phyllis Stenson, executive director of the festival until her retirement in 2014, also served as chair of the UFV board of governors from 1999 to 2002 and received an honorary degree from UFV in 2006. 

UFV Alumni are eligible for discounted rates for concert hall performances at the Harrison Festival of the arts. Use the code UFVALUMNI at checkout when purchasing tickets to receive 10 per cent off the ticket price.
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