Three Questions with Oscar Tsukuyama

World Arts & Cultures student Oscar Tsukuyama uses the arts to affect change

April 12, 2018

Oscar Tsukuyama always planned to study something that would help him leave the world a better place than he found it. When he enrolled at UCLA, he planned to study Atmospheric, Environmental, and Oceanic Sciences to tackle the issues of climate change. Through pursuing his passion for theater with different campus organizations, he eventually found the World Arts and Cultures (WAC) program in the Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance, which gave him the tools to combine his work in the arts with his desire to be an activist and affect change. The department was a natural fit. This spring, Oscar sat down with UCLA Arts to talk about his experiences at UCLA, and how his time in WAC has allowed him to shift his perspective and connect with communities through the arts.

Why did you choose to study in the Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance rather than a  more traditional dance or theater program?

I've worked at a professional theater since I was 12, and from a young age, no matter what show I was working on, I immersed myself into the culture of the show and became interested in who made it, the context in which that show was made, who the characters were, and how they were portrayed. Often I realized, "Hey, some of these theater shows are a bit oppressive and many of the shows are pretty offensive." I always took things to a deeper level and began to critique.

My World Arts and Cultures education allows me to zoom out of the theater scene and follow this instinct to see if I really want to participate in this art form, if I really want to pursue this show that I got cast in because of the quality of the lines or the content of the work.

World Arts and Cultures also gives you the opportunity to study a lot of different elements of art. I like to dance so I took advantage of a lot of dance classes in the department. I started taking film classes through the department and I learned how to edit, learned how to frame, learned how to use the camera. I've taken classes that taught me how to operate in museums, and classes that examine how systems like colonization have shaped our world and oppressed certain cultures throughout history. Other WAC majors are poets, graphic designers, directors, filmmakers, music producers, and songwriters. We’re able to connect with other communities across UCLA and take advantage of resources within the department to further extend our artistic abilities. It's given me a wide range of different art elements that I can use in my career. Instead of having one single route, World Arts and Cultures allows me to go in multiple directions.

I'm very active in a theater company on campus called HOOLIGAN, and have helped produce for other theater companies on campus. So even though I'm not in the major, at UCLA, I still have resources to pursue theater and still practice it seriously.

How has the department helped you to engage with different communities both inside and outside the university?

WAC has a focus in arts activism, and I am following that pathway. One of my favorite classes that I've taken is UCLA Sex Squad, which is an upper division course taught by Bobby Gordon that is grounded in community service throughout local high schools. In that class we use theater to teach sexual health education to high school students across the Los Angeles Unified School District. Learning about sexual health can very scary for high school students and can make them feel very vulnerable. So being able connect with students to burst people out of that shell is really just empowering. You see their reactions, which is just as strong as the reaction that you might have yourself.

Another class I took with Bobby Gordon focused on the techniques of the Theatre of the Oppressed, which was founded by Augusto Boal in Brazil. It's all about using people's personal stories, to help them come to terms with experiences they’ve had and who they are as people. Learning techniques like this really show how bringing theater and the arts out into communities can truly affect change and make a difference in people’s lives. I’m energized by learning something in a classroom and taking what I’ve learned out into the world and practicing it.

We’re in a university with 40,000 other people. So if you didn't agree with something a politician said, if you didn't agree with how a situation was handled in Florida or in Seattle, or anywhere about the world, you can create a movement and you will find people who are passionate about the same thing. That is a huge opportunity. No matter what you have a passion about, UCLA just gives you the opportunity to express your passion.

What is unique about the culture of the World Arts and Cultures program?

WAC students are highly collaborative and open, and taught to really think about who we are and try our best to respect other peoples’ cultures. There is a great deal of group work in the program, and I’ve never had a difficult time working collaboratively in this department, which is pretty surprising. The professors and the TAs are so passionate about their work. Seeing their passion for their work really drives the students to find their own passion and learn from the professors and TAs. One TA who has inspired me is Shamell Bell, who is a graduate student. She’s one of the founders of Black Lives Matter LA. In every single class I’ve taken with her I’ve just become a little more woke about her situation and a little more aware of my surroundings. Working with these passionate people has taught me so much and helped me really evaluate my life.

When I first came to UCLA, I thought I was confident, but I had many different insecurities. My experience in World Arts and Cultures has definitely allowed me to face a lot of those insecurities so I'm more comfortable with myself. Now, if I get shot down, if I get rejected at any time, then I'm not going to let it discourage me. I just know that's the way of life. I know I have to keep on pushing forward, and keep on trying.

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