<html><head></head><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div>Thank you Ms Irwin for your thoughtful and provocative post.</div><div><br></div><div>We must reflect too that our university and college system, nation wide, has been overtraining (in the sense that supply far exceeds demand) actors and other theatre students for years. As far back as the late 1970s the Canada Council sponsored Black report (after its author, theatre director Malcolm Black) warned of the trend then to have far too many theatre training programs to support an industry that has (among actors alone) a con<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">sistent 85-90% unemployment rate. He questioned then, and the questioned has never really been addressed, the ethics of creating so many training programs for so few jobs. Of course immediately on delivery of that report, it was shelved.</span></div><div><br>David Ferry<div>Appledore Productions</div><div>416 433 5826</div><div><a href="http://www.davidferryactor.com">www.davidferryactor.com</a></div></div><div><br>On Oct 13, 2012, at 8:38 PM, Kathleen Irwin <<a href="mailto:Kathleen.Irwin@UREGINA.CA">Kathleen.Irwin@UREGINA.CA</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><div></div><blockquote type="cite"><div>
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<font size="3" face="Lucida Grande" color="black"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; letter-spacing: 0pt; color: black" lang="EN-CA"><b>This may be of interest to Canadian Theatre/ Drama Departments</b></span><b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14.0pt; letter-spacing: 0pt; color: black" lang="EN-CA"><o style="font-size: 3; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-family: Lucida Grande; color: black" p="#DEFAULT"></o></span></b></font> </p>
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<span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font size="3" face="Lucida Grande" color="black">On September 26 2012, the University of Regina posted an update regarding the university-wide Academic Program Review (APR) on their public website. The information in the announcement regarded major changes to the delivery of programs within the Theatre Department. It was erroneous and, as many of you across Canada have asked about it, I want to correct the misinformation and provide a context for the statement. What was posted was news that the Theatre Department had retired its BFA in the Performance and Design / Stage Management streams effective January 1, 2013 – after 42 years. While this was true in part, it was only partial. The official statement from the Theatre Department on what really happened follows here.</font><font color="black" face="Lucida Grande"> </font></span><font color="black" face="Lucida Grande"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"> <o style="letter-spacing: 0pt; font-family: Lucida Grande; color: black" p="#DEFAULT"></o></span></font><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"></font></span> </p>
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<span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black">The Theatre Department at the University of Regina is focusing attention on the delivery of the core degree, the BA in Theatre and Performance (with optional concentrations i</font><font size="3" face="Lucida Grande" color="black">n</font><font color="black" face="Lucida Grande"> </font><font size="3" face="Lucida Grande" color="black">acting</font></span><span><font color="black"> </font></span><font color="black"><span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA">or design/stage management). We see this as a way of consolidating our course offerings into a flexible degree that optimizes our skills and resources and enables students to choose widely from a menu of courses that reaches across the Fine Arts disciplines or to pursue further training in theatre, a professional career or higher education. </span></font><span style="font-family: Times; color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black" face="Times"> </font></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"><o style="letter-spacing: 0pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: black" p="#DEFAULT"></o></font></span> </p>
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<span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black">We believe that this will educate students to be broad thinking and resourceful in their approach to creativity while they are here at the university and when they graduate into the world beyond whether they chose to pursue further training in theatre, a professional career or higher education. </font><font size="3" face="Lucida Grande" color="black"></font></span> </p>
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<span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black" face="Lucida Grande"> </font></span><span style="font-family: Times; color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black" face="Times"> </font></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"><o style="letter-spacing: 0pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: black" p="#DEFAULT"></o></font></span> </p>
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<span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black">In reality, nothing changes in the delivery of our program other than the name change. In doing this we feel we are reflecting a current shift across North America in the delivery of performance-based undergraduate training by allowing our student more control over their course of study. We are excited to offer a more progressive degree – A BA in Theatre and Performance that will highlight traditional training in addition to innovative courses in creative technologies and community-oriented practice.</font></span><span style="font-family: Times; color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black" face="Times"> </font></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"><o style="letter-spacing: 0pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: black" p="#DEFAULT"></o></font></span> </p>
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<span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black">The BFA programs are suspending admissions as of January 1. Current students have 6 years to complete.</font></span><span style="font-family: Times; color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black" face="Times"> </font></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"> <o style="letter-spacing: 0pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: black" p="#DEFAULT"></o></font></span> </p>
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<span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black">While the official Theatre Department statement points to exciting new directions in course delivery (digital media, community–oriented practice, links with indigenous communities, ACTRA mentorships, international exchange), it also puts a slightly optimistic spin on a slow decline that masks a self-fulfilling prophecy (the annual department budget is now $40,000 less than it was 16 years ago). Cuts and changes are almost always read in a negative way. What is self-fulfilling is that the withdrawal of funding and the loss of 2 key faculty positions in the studies area (due to cuts and attrition) and the elimination of many sessional positions in a department already stressed by tight overall budgets and static numbers is demoralizing and it immediately impacts registration. When current and potential students sense weakness, they look elsewhere for education and training. This is not only true at the U of R. Anecdotal information indicates that many smaller departments across the country are suffering as administrations slowly withdraw support in those areas following fiscal strategies that prioritize student numbers and research dollars over less directly quantifiable measures of success that the arts amply produce – strong and transferable skills training, vibrant community building activity, creative problem solving, enhanced tourist activity, and so forth. Students will take note and Theatre Departments will continue to crumble.</font></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"> <o style="letter-spacing: 0pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: black" p="#DEFAULT"></o></font></span> </p>
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<span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black">In our case, following APR directives to modernize old courses, the Theatre Department was aggressive and proactive in cleaning up programs thereby making them more focused, accessible, flexible and aligned with current interdisciplinary pedagogy. However the overall net gain is negative as the perception that we are now closed for business, fed by the University’s fatal error in reporting changes to our program, persists despite retractions, rebuttals and statements that stress otherwise. This is, in fact, why I am so emphatically making two points simultaneously: 1. The Theatre Department at the University of Regina is open for business; 2. The University is slowly pulling the rug out. The third point is: if it is happening here, it will happen elsewhere. </font><font size="3" face="Lucida Grande" color="black"></font></span> </p>
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<span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black">This is all happening within a wider provincial context. Over the past 6 months, the film business in Saskatchewan has received a deathblow through changes to the Saskatchewan Film Employment Tax Credit. This has affected the entire creative industry and it is estimated that approximately 600 arts professionals are leaving the province for greener pastures. As head of the Theatre Department at the University of Regina, I am, in part, responsible for the training of our undergraduate students to prepare them for a future in the Theatre, Television and Film industry in Saskatchewan. Every year we graduate young people who are trained in acting, technical direction, costume, set, props, lighting and sound design. These are the troops on the ground who help make the industry vibrant and successful. Without jobs to go to, our graduates will join the flood of young people leaving the province and they will take our training / their education with them. </font></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"> <o style="letter-spacing: 0pt; font-family: Times New Roman; color: black" p="#DEFAULT"></o></font></span> </p>
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<span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black">These two events are, of course linked in important and obvious ways. The arts feed into a complex ecosystem – when one part is jeopardized, the rest of the organism begins to fail as well. Is this important? You tell me.<o style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" p="#DEFAULT"></o></font><font size="3" face="Lucida Grande" color="black"></font></span> </p>
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<span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black">Kathleen Irwin, Head <o style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" p="#DEFAULT"></o></font></span> </p>
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<span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black">Theatre Department, University of Regina<o style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" p="#DEFAULT"></o></font></span> </p>
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<span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" lang="EN-CA"><font color="black"><a href="mailto:Kathleen.Irwin@uregina.ca">Kathleen.Irwin@uregina.ca</a><o style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0pt" p="#DEFAULT"></o></font></span> </p>
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