WTF is going on lately in our lovely little planet? Earthquakes and tsunamis and Health Care Bills, oh my! Not to mention that theatre, MFA programs and other arts institutions all over the country are being cut, put on hold or completely closed. Maybe that doesn't alarm everyone, but it certainly scares the bejezus out of me.
The National Theatre Conservatory is closing it's doors in 2012.
Washington State University is phasing its theatre department out as we speak.
Florida State University is cutting 2 theatre design programs and the Arts Education program. It is also requiring that the MFA in Acting program become self-sufficient (which is incredibly difficult for ANY theatre or arts department in this very tough economy!).
Through hearsay, I was recently yold that the Yale School of Drama may be facing a budget cut of 25%!
My own alma mater, the University of Washington Professional Actor Training Program, is facing budget cuts steep enough to force the department not to accept an incoming graduate class next year.
Good Lord, how can I find positivity amongst all this loss? I am an actress, a teacher, and a theatre-maker and I feel utterly helpless as I watch the arts in this country slowly get strangled out of existence.
Before I start getting the "why are the arts any more important than X, Y or Z??" questions, let me just say that I am very well aware that the arts are in the same boat as many other programs that are being affected by the financial crisis. I am sympathetic to all of it and I am not trying to say that the arts are any more important than the sciences, humanities, math, etc. I get it. We're all suffering.
However, let's be honest here; whenever there's a budget shortfall in any situation, the arts are usually one of the first ones to feel the effects.
Maybe it's because we're seen as a "luxury" or an expendable extra?
Maybe it's because people think that artists will do art for free because we have an overwhelming need to do it at any cost (which drives me CRAZY, but that's a whole other blog)?
Maybe it's because our country feels it's more important to keep up with China's math and science scores than it is to train our artists to further our understanding of humanity in subjects other than biology or physics?
Regardless of the reason, the fact is that the arts are sometimes viewed as the whiny, self-indulgent freaks of the global community when we ask for money. Aren't we supposed to THRIVE on pain and suffering? And, seriously, why do we need artists when we have so many high-caliber reality shows?
Yes, I am being facetious.
I can rant about this for days, so I'll get to my point: While I am very concerned for all aspects of our education system, I am truly frightened for the future of the arts in America. It's hard enough for artists to live- "starving artist" is no joke for many of us- but to have the space and mental focus to really create something meaningful in this world often requires support from one's community and, dare I say, government.
Would I rather a starving child be fed than get a grant to create a play? Of course I would. However, we cannot simply cut the arts out of budget as we would a designer purse or the yearly trip to the Bahamas.
But I digress. Seriously.
While our young artists may be denied an education that will help them explore and expand their artistic voices, the Great Recession could also bring some very necessary changes to our artistic community and society in general. As I try to find something positive in all this mess, I have come up with a few things:
- I've been looking at the Great Depression to follow the progression of the arts during that time. Incredible socially relevant pieces such as Waiting For Lefty , The Iceman Cometh and The Cradle Will Rock sprang from the social and economic unrest of the 1930's. These pieces are examples of how theatre reflected the struggles of American citizens and expressed the thoughts and feelings that so many could not. As unfortunate as it is, great art often does spring from great suffering. Perhaps we will see the same kind of amazing artistic creations come out of this current time of turmoil?
- I recently had a meeting with the head of the PATP at UW. He was interested in hearing a few ideas from alums that could help the department maintain its high standards of education amidst the mounting budget cuts to the school. I and three other alums discussed our views and concerns with him and left the meeting with a renewed sense of community. Could this possibly be an opportunity to make beneficial changes to the program itself? Could this be an opportunity to bring graduates from over the years together as a community? Although I fear for the future of my alma mater, I have to admit that I am excited by the possibility of what could come from pooling our resources together to face the mounting adversity.
- Unfortunately, I feel like much of the artistic expression I have seen in the last ten years has not lived up to the standards of the work I find so compelling. Throughout my teens and twenties, I watched my friends spend all their money on alcohol and clubs instead of theatres and museums (and I'll admit, I did quite a bit of that myself). Hollywood became so obsessed with money that our TV's shows were replaced with Reality Shows and movies became nothing more than a series of special effects thrown together around a ridiculous and often incoherent plot line. Broadway was a series of revivals and movie adaptations and music became nothing more than sex-fueled pop and bad attempts at grunge rock. I hate to admit it, but a little crisis might just be what our country really needed- within reason, of course. Already, I see the trend moving from "what sells" to "what's new and original". Even mainstream shows like American Idol are starting to take risks with talent that is outside the mainstream norm. Unless "different and unique" is becoming the new mainstream.
What if the loss of being "number 1" forces us to examine what's really important to us? Not just within the arts, but throughout society in general? People are obviously looking for a spiritual center (hence the recent boom in some churches and other religious institutions) and for me, that's my art. Art brings together a community of people to share in what could feasibly be called a spiritual experience. A group of people, all living in the same moment, sharing the same experience that focuses on what it means to be human. Art can bring many people of varying backgrounds together, as does adversity.
Check it: http://uwnews.org/uweek/article.aspx?id=56123
So I continue to be fearful- and hopeful. If we can get through this mess (and I am confident that we will), we could come out better for it... as long as we keep trying to make lemonade.
The National Theatre Conservatory is closing it's doors in 2012.
Washington State University is phasing its theatre department out as we speak.
Florida State University is cutting 2 theatre design programs and the Arts Education program. It is also requiring that the MFA in Acting program become self-sufficient (which is incredibly difficult for ANY theatre or arts department in this very tough economy!).
Through hearsay, I was recently yold that the Yale School of Drama may be facing a budget cut of 25%!
My own alma mater, the University of Washington Professional Actor Training Program, is facing budget cuts steep enough to force the department not to accept an incoming graduate class next year.
Good Lord, how can I find positivity amongst all this loss? I am an actress, a teacher, and a theatre-maker and I feel utterly helpless as I watch the arts in this country slowly get strangled out of existence.
Before I start getting the "why are the arts any more important than X, Y or Z??" questions, let me just say that I am very well aware that the arts are in the same boat as many other programs that are being affected by the financial crisis. I am sympathetic to all of it and I am not trying to say that the arts are any more important than the sciences, humanities, math, etc. I get it. We're all suffering.
However, let's be honest here; whenever there's a budget shortfall in any situation, the arts are usually one of the first ones to feel the effects.
Maybe it's because we're seen as a "luxury" or an expendable extra?
Maybe it's because people think that artists will do art for free because we have an overwhelming need to do it at any cost (which drives me CRAZY, but that's a whole other blog)?
Maybe it's because our country feels it's more important to keep up with China's math and science scores than it is to train our artists to further our understanding of humanity in subjects other than biology or physics?
Regardless of the reason, the fact is that the arts are sometimes viewed as the whiny, self-indulgent freaks of the global community when we ask for money. Aren't we supposed to THRIVE on pain and suffering? And, seriously, why do we need artists when we have so many high-caliber reality shows?
Yes, I am being facetious.
I can rant about this for days, so I'll get to my point: While I am very concerned for all aspects of our education system, I am truly frightened for the future of the arts in America. It's hard enough for artists to live- "starving artist" is no joke for many of us- but to have the space and mental focus to really create something meaningful in this world often requires support from one's community and, dare I say, government.
Would I rather a starving child be fed than get a grant to create a play? Of course I would. However, we cannot simply cut the arts out of budget as we would a designer purse or the yearly trip to the Bahamas.
But I digress. Seriously.
While our young artists may be denied an education that will help them explore and expand their artistic voices, the Great Recession could also bring some very necessary changes to our artistic community and society in general. As I try to find something positive in all this mess, I have come up with a few things:
- I've been looking at the Great Depression to follow the progression of the arts during that time. Incredible socially relevant pieces such as Waiting For Lefty , The Iceman Cometh and The Cradle Will Rock sprang from the social and economic unrest of the 1930's. These pieces are examples of how theatre reflected the struggles of American citizens and expressed the thoughts and feelings that so many could not. As unfortunate as it is, great art often does spring from great suffering. Perhaps we will see the same kind of amazing artistic creations come out of this current time of turmoil?
- I recently had a meeting with the head of the PATP at UW. He was interested in hearing a few ideas from alums that could help the department maintain its high standards of education amidst the mounting budget cuts to the school. I and three other alums discussed our views and concerns with him and left the meeting with a renewed sense of community. Could this possibly be an opportunity to make beneficial changes to the program itself? Could this be an opportunity to bring graduates from over the years together as a community? Although I fear for the future of my alma mater, I have to admit that I am excited by the possibility of what could come from pooling our resources together to face the mounting adversity.
- Unfortunately, I feel like much of the artistic expression I have seen in the last ten years has not lived up to the standards of the work I find so compelling. Throughout my teens and twenties, I watched my friends spend all their money on alcohol and clubs instead of theatres and museums (and I'll admit, I did quite a bit of that myself). Hollywood became so obsessed with money that our TV's shows were replaced with Reality Shows and movies became nothing more than a series of special effects thrown together around a ridiculous and often incoherent plot line. Broadway was a series of revivals and movie adaptations and music became nothing more than sex-fueled pop and bad attempts at grunge rock. I hate to admit it, but a little crisis might just be what our country really needed- within reason, of course. Already, I see the trend moving from "what sells" to "what's new and original". Even mainstream shows like American Idol are starting to take risks with talent that is outside the mainstream norm. Unless "different and unique" is becoming the new mainstream.
What if the loss of being "number 1" forces us to examine what's really important to us? Not just within the arts, but throughout society in general? People are obviously looking for a spiritual center (hence the recent boom in some churches and other religious institutions) and for me, that's my art. Art brings together a community of people to share in what could feasibly be called a spiritual experience. A group of people, all living in the same moment, sharing the same experience that focuses on what it means to be human. Art can bring many people of varying backgrounds together, as does adversity.
Check it: http://uwnews.org/uweek/article.aspx?id=56123
So I continue to be fearful- and hopeful. If we can get through this mess (and I am confident that we will), we could come out better for it... as long as we keep trying to make lemonade.
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I love this blog Mary Bliss. Really. Please keep writing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lisa! Just trying the "Choose your own Happiness" idea... let's see if it works!
ReplyDelete