Comments on: Renewing Theater the Right Way http://chrisashworth.org/blog/2009/03/04/renewing-theater-the-right-way/ Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:29:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: ChrisAshworth.org » Blog Archive » Public Money and the Arts http://chrisashworth.org/blog/2009/03/04/renewing-theater-the-right-way/comment-page-1/#comment-9712 ChrisAshworth.org » Blog Archive » Public Money and the Arts Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:49:14 +0000 http://chrisashworth.org/blog/?p=207#comment-9712 [...] mentioned this in the context of other arguments, but it’s worth stating more directly: I think fighting for the NEA is probably the wrong [...]

[...] mentioned this in the context of other arguments, but it’s worth stating more directly: I think fighting for the NEA is probably the wrong [...]

]]> By: ChrisAshworth.org » Blog Archive http://chrisashworth.org/blog/2009/03/04/renewing-theater-the-right-way/comment-page-1/#comment-9711 ChrisAshworth.org » Blog Archive Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:42:38 +0000 http://chrisashworth.org/blog/?p=207#comment-9711 [...] mentioned this in the context of other arguments, but it’s worth stating more directly: I think fighting for the NEA is probably the wrong [...]

[...] mentioned this in the context of other arguments, but it’s worth stating more directly: I think fighting for the NEA is probably the wrong [...]

]]> By: Cleophas http://chrisashworth.org/blog/2009/03/04/renewing-theater-the-right-way/comment-page-1/#comment-9578 Cleophas Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:58:09 +0000 http://chrisashworth.org/blog/?p=207#comment-9578 Hi I am an actor from Mumbai, India....I am seeking theatre groups who need actor's....I also write lyrics and sing but just need theatre...Please suggest what I can do for the same.... Hi I am an actor from Mumbai, India….I am seeking theatre groups who need actor’s….I also write lyrics and sing but just need theatre…Please suggest what I can do for the same….

]]> By: DarrenG http://chrisashworth.org/blog/2009/03/04/renewing-theater-the-right-way/comment-page-1/#comment-7393 DarrenG Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:04:05 +0000 http://chrisashworth.org/blog/?p=207#comment-7393 What art needs is not funding for art, but funding for education, and welfare. Art is the byproduct of a creative, educated person who has free time. In this economy, 10% of the people already have lots of free time and soon that will be 20% (unemployment, duh). Giving scholarships will keep the universities running, will keep young people off the streets and out of trouble. Welfare will provide those artists with the ability to create instead of accepting minimum wage jobs. There will be more than enough art for everyone, at very little cost, by funding things we need to fund anyway to prevent mass riots. Providing free college education to every citizen will cost much less than the money that would be wasted trying to prop up the corpse of the banks and businesses which are already dead. What art needs is not funding for art, but funding for education, and welfare. Art is the byproduct of a creative, educated person who has free time. In this economy, 10% of the people already have lots of free time and soon that will be 20% (unemployment, duh). Giving scholarships will keep the universities running, will keep young people off the streets and out of trouble. Welfare will provide those artists with the ability to create instead of accepting minimum wage jobs. There will be more than enough art for everyone, at very little cost, by funding things we need to fund anyway to prevent mass riots. Providing free college education to every citizen will cost much less than the money that would be wasted trying to prop up the corpse of the banks and businesses which are already dead.

]]> By: Renewing the economics of theatre http://chrisashworth.org/blog/2009/03/04/renewing-theater-the-right-way/comment-page-1/#comment-7391 Renewing the economics of theatre Mon, 30 Mar 2009 01:18:46 +0000 http://chrisashworth.org/blog/?p=207#comment-7391 [...] recession has hit the theatre world (and the arts scene in general) very hard - but some argue that theatre practitioners aren't doing themselves any favours when seeking funding. The main question insufficiently addressed is "who is the funding for?" - hint: it's not [...]

[...] recession has hit the theatre world (and the arts scene in general) very hard – but some argue that theatre practitioners aren’t doing themselves any favours when seeking funding. The main question insufficiently addressed is "who is the funding for?" – hint: it’s not [...]

]]> By: Tiara http://chrisashworth.org/blog/2009/03/04/renewing-theater-the-right-way/comment-page-1/#comment-7390 Tiara Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:41:11 +0000 http://chrisashworth.org/blog/?p=207#comment-7390 Oh wow. Bravo! I'm in Australia where there are similar debates happening within the arts scene. Many community arts groups have lost their funding and some have been forced to shut down. While I do think that the Government should at least show some support for the arts (especially when it relates to community cultural development), I find it troubling that so many arts orgs are a step away from closure when they lose one source of funding. What I feel should be encouraged is diverse income streams, so that when one funding source breaks down it's not a complete loss. There were research and reports about this concept some years ago in Australian arts (I had to write a uni essay about them!) though not much in the way of "listen to how you sound". As a budding performer I do find it hard to justify getting support, especially financial - I do it because I love it, but I'm not exactly solving world poverty. Is "because it makes me totally happy" a good reason to sponsor me? What would be? Oh wow. Bravo! I’m in Australia where there are similar debates happening within the arts scene. Many community arts groups have lost their funding and some have been forced to shut down. While I do think that the Government should at least show some support for the arts (especially when it relates to community cultural development), I find it troubling that so many arts orgs are a step away from closure when they lose one source of funding.

What I feel should be encouraged is diverse income streams, so that when one funding source breaks down it’s not a complete loss. There were research and reports about this concept some years ago in Australian arts (I had to write a uni essay about them!) though not much in the way of “listen to how you sound”. As a budding performer I do find it hard to justify getting support, especially financial – I do it because I love it, but I’m not exactly solving world poverty. Is “because it makes me totally happy” a good reason to sponsor me? What would be?

]]> By: ChrisAshworth.org » Blog Archive » Theater Economics http://chrisashworth.org/blog/2009/03/04/renewing-theater-the-right-way/comment-page-1/#comment-7270 ChrisAshworth.org » Blog Archive » Theater Economics Sun, 15 Mar 2009 16:26:11 +0000 http://chrisashworth.org/blog/?p=207#comment-7270 [...] my recent post arguing that artists should not receive public funds for the purpose of making art, I’ve been [...]

[...] my recent post arguing that artists should not receive public funds for the purpose of making art, I’ve been [...]

]]> By: Hannah http://chrisashworth.org/blog/2009/03/04/renewing-theater-the-right-way/comment-page-1/#comment-7259 Hannah Sat, 14 Mar 2009 21:29:01 +0000 http://chrisashworth.org/blog/?p=207#comment-7259 I read this the other day and am still thinking about it. I have been imagining how I can best break into the arts from church and community organizing. Which is exactly art for the purpose of something that is already important to a group of people... art shifting worldviews, creating hope, nurturing a healthy sense of agitation that will move us along to a better place. Hope we can be in the same place at some point this summer and talk! I read this the other day and am still thinking about it. I have been imagining how I can best break into the arts from church and community organizing. Which is exactly art for the purpose of something that is already important to a group of people… art shifting worldviews, creating hope, nurturing a healthy sense of agitation that will move us along to a better place. Hope we can be in the same place at some point this summer and talk!

]]> By: Tom Loughlin http://chrisashworth.org/blog/2009/03/04/renewing-theater-the-right-way/comment-page-1/#comment-7115 Tom Loughlin Fri, 06 Mar 2009 03:41:29 +0000 http://chrisashworth.org/blog/?p=207#comment-7115 Nicely done Chris - well worth the effort! Nicely done Chris – well worth the effort!

]]> By: Kelly Kleiman http://chrisashworth.org/blog/2009/03/04/renewing-theater-the-right-way/comment-page-1/#comment-7098 Kelly Kleiman Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:06:17 +0000 http://chrisashworth.org/blog/?p=207#comment-7098 Bravo for challenging the conventional wisdom in the arts community. I still hold that exposure to the arts is an essential branch of education, and that funding education (for adults as well as children) is a fundamentally public responsibility; but I don't actually conflate "arts" and "education," and if someone challenged me I'd have to say that money to fund tours of Rembrandt (or Ailey or Shakespeare) should stand in line behind money to pay high-school science and math teachers. People who are "deeply opposed to publicly funded education" are insufficiently concerned with the inequality produced by its absence. I don't doubt their sincerity, just the breadth of their awareness. Bravo for challenging the conventional wisdom in the arts community. I still hold that exposure to the arts is an essential branch of education, and that funding education (for adults as well as children) is a fundamentally public responsibility; but I don’t actually conflate “arts” and “education,” and if someone challenged me I’d have to say that money to fund tours of Rembrandt (or Ailey or Shakespeare) should stand in line behind money to pay high-school science and math teachers.

People who are “deeply opposed to publicly funded education” are insufficiently concerned with the inequality produced by its absence. I don’t doubt their sincerity, just the breadth of their awareness.

]]>