National cuts to arts funding

I am not sure of the answer, but with all the talk of cutting funding to the NEA and other arts organizations, I wanted to take the moment to attempt to define the problem, at least as I see it.

First, the reason I believe that arts are an important is that the arts are the place in our culture where innovation happens. Within the conversations of art we can start conversations about family, politics, social problems and outrageous, innovative solutions. The arts serve as a venue where the common man can stand up and be heard.

It has been said that "the arts are the flower of a free society." This isn't just a pretty metaphor, it's a perfect, detailed one. A plant doesn't flower unless it is healthy. The arts can't flourish unless society is free. If the arts start to die, it is probably a sign that we are becoming less free and independent thinkers.

The arts also parallel the biological function of a flower in that the arts are the place where our society reproduces, where new ideas are born and grow. These new ideas may not seem practical in the moment, but those same, freely expressed ideas are the ones that inspire the innovation, individualism and free expression that continue to make our country a leader in the global economy.

It is for these reasons that I understand the arts to be vitally important to the survival of our society. It is for these reasons, I believe, that since the ancient Greeks, major governments have made it a point to support artists and the arts.

Conservatism is defined by a desire to keep things as they are or as they have been. Conservatives generally desire for progress and change to occur as slowly as possible, and desire to maintain the status quo. The flowering of new ideas, voicing of radical opinions and exploration of controversial topics that the arts inspire work directly against the desires of conservatism.

I am not suggesting that the majority of conservative Republicans in our government are conspiring to stomp out speech, innovation, exploration and change (though in doing so they are preserving the power of the current elite, which could be seen as serving their interests).  I do believe however that those conservative decision makers lack an understanding that the arts have these powers. Conservative politicians are likely to have come from conservative families. More than likely they would not have been exposed to the kind of art that creates real and positive change. When they think of artists, the mental pathway has not been laid for them to logically connect the art of the moment to the social movement, entrepreneur or political activist it will eventually lead to. Unless we are taught to see it, there is no direct visual evidence to show a casual, one time observer, that this slam poet, fringe theatre company, dance concert, photographer or choral group is vital to the everyday operation of our society. And so a conservative politician confronted with  a budget crisis does what any of us would do, they cut the things that appear most indulgent and unnecessary.

So the problem we are faced with is, how do we access a group of people, whose basic approach to the world is to avoid change, and convince them to continue to support an institution that serves to provide the change and the progress that our society requires to survive.

I don't have an answer yet, but I feel that framing the question this way gives me a better grasp of the situation. "They don't understand" is no help; "these are the specific things I need them to learn and understand" is much more productive, and I feel that if I continue to attack the problem from this angle, I am going to find a way to change minds.

How theatre changes the world

I believe that arts can change the world. That is why I do what I do (besides having a ton of fun doing it). I believe that the arts are important. After a conversation with a friend tonight though I have decided that there is a need for me to further articulate that idea. It is no good for me (and my fellow artists) to just talk about whether arts make a difference; we have to specify how  they make a difference.

The scientific basis for my thoughts comes from a psychological research tool called an implicit association test (or IAT). These tests ask people to group sets of words as quickly as possible. For example I just took an IAT that asked me to click the "e" if I was presented with a "male" word (father, son, uncle, boy, etc.) and the "i" key if I was presented with a "female" word (mother, daughter, aunt, girl, etc. ). I was then presented with a series of words that were either liberal arts or sciences. Finally I was asked to do the two sets of words in conjunction; press "i" for male or science and "e" for female or liberal arts. Later the combinations were switched with female and science grouped together and male grouped with liberal arts. The idea is that by measuring how quickly I complete each task and how many mistakes I make, assumptions can be drawn about how closely I associate women with the arts and men with the sciences. In other words, to reveal my subconscious prejudices. This gender study is only one of many IATs looking into opinions about race, ethnicity, age, culture, sexuality and lots of other cultural markers. If you would like to learn more about these tests, or take a few, you should check out Project Implicit.

In one of my classes in college (I can't seem to recall which specifically) we were discussing implicit association tests and the professor told us a story of a man who took a test on race and was upset at his results. The results told him that he had a strong association of Caucasian with good and African American with bad. He took IAT over and over again trying to improve his results and had no luck. Then one day the results changed, and his score improved. In reflecting on what could have changed that day to alter his score he noted that he had spent most of the day watching the Olympics. All day long he had been seeing positive images of African American athletes overcoming challenges, working hard and succeeding. After that influence it was much more natural for his brain to associate African American with good when he was asked to do so.

I believe that arts can change the world because art can change people, but I don't think this change happens radically or quickly or even noticeably (at least in most cases).  I think the arts change people by exposing them to new ideas, foreign places, and unknown cultures. I believe and hope that the people who come see the productions that I am a part of, leave with just a little more understanding of the people and cultures and ideas that piece of theatre explored. I doubt that the change would be dramatic enough that the people in the audience would notice it, but if their metaphoric IAT score changed by just a point or two, that's progress.

My vision of a better world is based on the golden rule of treating others as you would like to be treated. I believe that treating others with respect comes from tolerance of difference, and tolerance comes from knowledge, and knowledge comes from exposure. The theatre is a place where we can be exposed to foreign ideas in a safe environment. Hopefully, eventually, that exposure leads to more tolerance worldwide and the ability to work together with respect and kindness to create a better world.

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I believe that every theatre company should read this list and make sure they pass the test. The Theatremaker's Theatregoing Manifesto
It seems so simple, but if you are struggling to fill seats, are you also making sure that you aren't doing any of these little annoying things that are putting off potential audience members. 


Some of my favorites include:
-If a patron's cell phone went off repeatedly at your last show, or someone was talking at an inappropriately loud level, and your house staff did nothing, don't expect me to come to your next show. Also, it's not their fault--it's yours for not training them better
-If I have met the artistic director of your theater company and he/she was dismissive, snooty, or just a downright asshole to me, don't expect me to come to your show.
-If I heard that you didn't treat your interns, volunteers, actors, or artists well, don't expect me to come to your show.


Others that I would include- 
-If you are dismissive or rude to critical comments (whether in person or on some online forum) instead of taking the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussion, don't expect me to come see your next show. 
-If I hear that you continually rely on "company members" for donations, fundraising volunteers, administrative tasks, and extra labor at set build and strike, but do not offer them design positions or cast them in your shows, do not expect me to come see your next show.