The impacts from the drastic decline in the number of international students continue to be felt at post-secondary institutions across the province, and they hit close to home this week for students, faculty, and alumni at Langara College.
Studio 58, the college’s professional theatre training program, announced on Wednesday that it had “heartbreaking news” about its long-running Theatre Arts at Studio 58 (Theatre Production) Program.
“Changes made by the federal government have required colleges and universities to adapt to a new financial climate,” said Studio 58 in posts to social media.
“With these changes, Langara College has remained focused on providing an exemplary experience for its students while developing a resilient path forward.”
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Studio 58, which has been operating for over 60 years, shared that the Production Program was recently paused while an evaluation was conducted to see how it could meet the current needs of the theatre industry while remaining financially stable.
“Following this review, the College made the difficult decision to suspend all future intakes. There are no plans to reopen the program.”
Langara’s Studio 58 will continue operation, as will its acting program. It is only the Production Program which is closing.
Many of the more than 100 comments on the announcement to its community expressed frustration and sadness at the news.
Studio 58, Langara College
“It is an absolute abomination that so many universities, colleges and institutions are cutting their drama programs, their arts programs, and their music programs in the wake of the cuts, preventing foreign students from coming and losing all that revenue,” shared one commenter.
“I have recommended Studio 58 to students from across the country for decades,” added another. “This is a huge loss for the theatrical community.”
“I am so proud to be a graduate of the Studio 58 production program, and it launched me into a career in the arts that I love,” shared another.
“It’s devastating to know there won’t be any more students getting the same opportunity at Langara.”
Studio 58, Langara College
Earlier this year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) updated its international student numbers based on statistics up to March 31, 2026.
According to the agency, there are 75 per cent fewer arrivals between January and March of this year when compared to the same period in 2024.
The decrease in new international student arrivals is a part of the federal government’s immigration levels plan to “restore balance, integrity and sustainability.” It aims to reduce the temporary population to less than five per cent of Canada’s population by the end of 2027.
Several B.C. universities recently conducted layoffs of dozens of staff members due to financial pressures, including the University of the Fraser Valley and Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
Pauline Greaves, the president of the Langara Faculty Association, told Daily Hive in 2025 that whole programs in the humanities, English, and business could be lost.
Studio 58, Langara College
Studio 58 thanked the many students, instructors, staff and community members who have supported its Production Program throughout the years.
“The legacy of the program will live on in the ambitious and creative work of our graduates, who continue to shape the Canadian and global theatre scenes.”