Elections (fwd)

[Richard Plant]

Hello Ric:

Many thanks for your reply. And to Denis, Reid and others.

One of the reasons I felt it important to forward the missive from the
Federation is exactly reflected in your replies. I have the same
reservations as you about the Federation approach. However, I am so often
defensive about the marginalization of theatre and the arts, in fact the
humanities in general, by the emphasis on science and technology, that I
worried that my immediate response was another emanation of my bunkered
mentality.

I sense that there are at least a few of us who feel a letter should be
sent  drawing attention to the shortcomings of the Federation communique.
I am wholly aware that the pressures being faced by ALL types of research
and learning -- by that I mean that the sciences, medicine etc, are also
underfunded -- are hugely damaging. And that a strong united voice will be
more effective in most cases than smaller isolated voices. But it would be
decidedly more constructive, and more conducive to the formation of a
strong united voice, if the theatre, arts, humanities were not
marginalized and treated as second-class citizens by those who should be
allies.

However, I have seen only a very very snmall number of replies to this
Federation communique. Is this just because everyone is too damn busy to
reply or is it that the danger some of us sense is not a threat or is
it just apathy?

Richard Plant
President
ACTR/ARTC