Thursday, February 03, 2011
Advocacy for the Arts – Do it now, or stand in a bread line later
TheatreFace: "Recent announcements for the government to down-size and slash budgets on both a National and State level have had a chilling effect on the arts community. Plans to kill departments like the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) fly in the face of logic when the other announced goal is to improve the quality of education and better prepare a workforce that is competitive on an international scale.
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2 comments:
This article mentioned arts in high schools as a great way to get people interested in the many viable theater careers outside of acting and musical theater. One of the most important, and practical, reasons for having the arts in high schools is that we need someone to come see the arts! If the students don't end up being interested enough in the arts to pursue a career, hopefully they have been instilled with the desire to continue attending the arts. It's nice to get the job, but if there are no patrons, good luck keeping it.
As a whole, this article provides a multitude of important reasons for the arts in society, and the very practical jobs that are at stake if the arts do not receive enough funding. I hope that the NEA changes their minds!
I agree with what Ariel said. Having arts in high school is so important. Yes, it creates future patrons and provides jobs, but it does much more that that for the students in the program. For me, having theater at my high school most likely saved my life. I dont come from a very close or functioning family. In fact, i am one of the few in my family who never has been arrested. I am the first to go to college. Theater gave me something to look forward to. It gave me somewhere to go to get away from every bad influence in my life. And i am grateful for that. I hope that one day i can do that for somebody else.
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