Visiting Russian Academic

[JENNIFER HARVIE]

Dear colleagues,

I am writing to ask for your support and suggestions in helping to
bring Katya Novikova, a Russian academic, to our ACTR/ARTC conference
at Memorial University in May.

Katya has agreed to participate in a proposed panel entitled
“Graduating Professionals:  The Efficacy of  Current Graduate Theatre
and Drama Training.”  The panel has been formed in response to
concerns raised at the meetings of both the Professional Concerns
Committee and the Women’s Caucus of the ACTR at Brock University in
May/June 1996.  Its central subject of analysis is current graduate
degree programmes in Drama/Theatre/Performance Studies.  Its project
is to evaluate the effectiveness of those programmes in developing
graduates for employment, and to make recommendations for improvement.
 Its panellists are currently studying, teaching, and working across
Canada and Quebec, and in the USA, UK and Russia.  Their diversity of
experience is intended to provide broad and constructive comparative
analysis.  The spring ACTR newsletter should hold more information
about the proposed panel and will solicit your contributions and
opinions.

Out panellist from Russia, Katya Novikova, is a PhD candidate at the
St. Petersburg Academy of Theater Arts.  Her research is on the art of
Sam Shepard and problems of modern aesthetics.  She also writes for
various Russian newspapers and magazines on modern theatre and does PR
work for the St. Petersburg clown-mime theatre, Licedei.

I am chairing the panel and am very pleased that Katya has agreed to
participate.  We are presently trying to secure funding for her travel
to St. John’s and that is why I am writing to you.

We are applying to the Professional Partnerships Program at the
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada for travel funding
for Katya.  A representative of that Program informs me that
“attendance at a brief conference by itself is often not funded,” so
we are seeking other professional opportunities for Katya while she’s
in North America, as well as other funding sources to help pay her
other expenses.  To get Professional Partnerships Program funding,
Katya’s activities in North American have to be seen to contribute to
democratic, social, and/or economic reform in Russia.

She would like to pursue archival research on Sam Shepard and
off-off-Broadway theatres.  She’s also interested in the Cirque du
Soleil, Robert Lepage, and contemporary theatre performance generally.


I am submitting the Professional Partnerships Program application on
behalf of Katya.  If you have any suggestions about professional
invitations Katya could seek or funding she could apply for, will you
please send it to me?

Thanks for your attention.

Dr. Jennifer Harvie (a.k.a. Jen)


Dr. Jen Harvie
Department of English Studies
University of Nottingham
University Park
Nottingham
NG7 2RD
UK

phone:  (0)115 951 4847
fax:  (0)115 951 5924
email:  aezjhe at aen1.english.nottingham.ac.uk