UCLA Extension opens its doors to provide new opportunities in downtown Los Angeles

As swaths of sunlight cascaded through the skylight windows of the wide-open sixth-floor space at UCLA Downtown last Tuesday afternoon, David Martel, an instructor for UCLA Extension's Actors Weekly Workout course, guided his students through warm-up drills as they faced each other in the round. By the end of the hour, each of them stood before the class and performed a short monologue.

Two days later, that same space was transformed into an assembly hall, with seating and a stage, as UCLA Extension alumni, friends and community partners gathered for an evening panel discussion on the benefits of Extension's certificate programs and their impact on career growth. Before and after, guests mingled, posed for photos and networked over hors d'oeuvres.

By the end of the week, UCLA Extension had completed the first steps in its plan to activate the versatile space it has christened the Bruin Collaborative, where Extension is advancing its mission of connecting with the city's diverse communities in meaningful ways. The opening marks a milestone for UCLA Downtown, the historic Art Deco-style building at 433 S. Spring Street, in downtown's Historic Core, that was recently acquired by UCLA with the goal of expanding the university's impact across the region.

"This space is more than bricks and mortar; it's a bold statement of purpose," said Eric Bullard, dean of UCLA's Division of Continuing Education and UCLA Extension. "It reflects our commitment to expanding access, deepening community engagement and creating new pathways for learning and collaboration."

In the months to come, the Bruin Collaborative will play host to workshops and courses, civic forums, and industry panels - a wide array of programming that reflects the vibrancy of Los Angeles and provides more opportunities for larger segments of the community to experience UCLA's world-class education and expertise.

The Bruin Collaborative: A versatile space for education and connection

With its high ceilings and exposed brick walls, the expansive, airy space helped participants in the acting workshop feel right at home. There was room to move, room to breathe and room to create.

"Like athletes, actors need to work out their creative, expressive and decision-making skills on a regular basis," said Erin Kaufman Gabrieloff, portfolio director for UCLA Extension Entertainment Studies. "The Bruin Collaborative space in DTLA encourages creativity and, with its central location, is more accessible to L.A.s creative community. Being in the Historic Core, right around the corner from legendary Broadway theaters, makes this the perfect place to study filmmaking, acting, music and more."

While the current acting workshop is a pilot course, more traditional acting and filmmaking classes will begin to utilize the Bruin Collaborative during the winter quarter, and additional courses from UCLA Extension's diverse portfolio - including offerings in the humanities, law, business and finance, education, life sciences, engineering, and more - will soon follow suit, according to Extension.

Building a 'beacon of innovation, inclusion and impact'

At last week's panel, three alumni spoke about the positive impact earning a UCLA Extension certificate has had on their careers - from sustainability to television and the film industry - and about the importance of the new space.

"I think it was exciting," said panelist William Samayoa, a talent strategist and recruiter for CBS News who graduated in June with a certificate in business and management of entertainment. "I love seeing the space's industrial aesthetic, and I think it speaks to how UCLA Extension right now is in an era of building, building itself to be bigger and better. And the fact that we got to launch this with, of all things, a panel, speaks to the fact we're building this from the ground up."

As UCLA Extension continues to develop a robust calendar of classes and events heading into winter and beyond, the coming weeks will feature several open-to-the public events, among them "From Boomers to Zoomers, Connect with Any Generation" on Nov. 6, which explores the generational shift reshaping today's workforce, and "Street Smart: Succeeding in a Man's World," a conversation with music attorney and activist Dina LaPolt on Nov. 13.

"Together, we are building something extraordinary in DTLA," Bullard said. "Let's make the Bruin Collaborative a beacon of innovation, inclusion and impact."