Arts Development Index

I have been thinking about Paul Mullin's article on local theatre. I agree that many other businesses are "localized" while the arts still has a long way to go. But the movement for localized economies is based on a re-evaluation of "economies of scale". That is, while corporations will be more efficient in the classical (monetary) economic sense, they may not be contributing to their well-being. Translating this to the arts, while big arts houses will be more efficient in the classical (monetary) economic sense, they may not be contributing to their well-being.

So, how does one measure how well an "arts house" contributes to the communities well-being?

Perhaps we can borrow from current indices. Relying in the UN's Human Development Index, and transposing this idea to the arts domain, we could get a concrete measurement of how well an arts house serves its community. We could calculate an Arts Development Index. Calculation of the the ADI would be as follows: 1/3 (arts life expectancy) + 1/3 (education index) + 1/3 (Arts GDP).

Arts life expectancy would be the achievement of an arts house in arts life expectancy at birth; education would be the adult literacy plus combined primary, secondary and tertiary gross enrollment; and Arts GDP would be the GDP per arts house. How well the arts house serves the community would be included under the investment parameter that makes up the GDP.

This is absolutely a quantifiable value and one, if taken up, would be invaluable in demonstrating the role that arts houses play in their community and in the lives of its patrons; and lastly, one that could figure in the awarding of grants based on these parameters.

Gainesville

For those of you who know, smile now. Parking at UF sucks. But after going to campus police and getting my "do not go to jail" decal, I trucked up to the Library East and spent four more fascinating hours researching. You know you're researching the past when the boxes they bring up from the vault are cold...

Oh, and Friday evening traffic getting out of there also sucks...do I see another smile?

Tallhassee Part II

I'm beat. Got to Gainesville and basically collapsed. But what a great day! Eight hours of research and the FSU librarian was really helpful. Felt like I took a trip to the mid-twentieth century. It's amazing to hold pieces of paper in a person's handwriting on some stationary where they worked or the hotel they stayed at, and it makes it all very real. Also listening to tapes of people's voice makes them come alive to you and it really helps you to draw a character that is closer to the reality of who that person was. Let's hope tomorrow/today in Gainesville is just as sweet!

Tallahassee

Well, I'm finally at my hotel in Tallahasse, and I can honestly say, I can't wait to do research tomorrow for my play. I've got all my research points, I've set up an appointment with the librarian who specialized in my topic, so it's about as much as I can do. Then it's on to Gainesville tomorrow for more research on Friday. It'll be like a time warp for me. Wish me luck!

Locally Grown Art

Paul Mullin's piece on local arts in Seattle has many parallels to the Tampa Bay arts scene. His point about art being local throughout history dovetails with my point that most artists in NY come from somewhere else. He also talks about collaboration between artists. As far as I've seen in the Tampa Bay area, in the past few years, I've seen a rise in the collaborative process and people making efforts to collaborate. His play that was "about Seattleites, for Seattleites, by a Seattleite" made me smile. Maria's Song is a play "about Floridians, for Floridians, by a Floridian". And I will say, they did embrace it. As for the "Big Houses" that pay "lip service" to the local artists, here again we have another strong parallel in this community. But that's not the only community I've seen pay "lip service" to the local artists. In the numerous festivals I performed in, many gave most of the advertising and TV spots to "big names" to the detriment of the smaller artists--this and yet the reason for the founding of the fringe was because uninvited theatre companies showed up to the Edingburgh International Festival. But I do disagree with Paul about the "big house" responding. If it does, great, if it doesn't, self-produce, and sell out. That way you begin to establish your reputation for your future works. Actors and directors want to work on challenging projects. Patrons will want to see your work again. "Word of mouth" is the top reason patrons attend an event--more than any other type of advertising. Good luck!

New Seeds Mic - Jan - Feminist Economics

Next New Seeds Mic goes down Jan 20st--THIS IS A SCHEDULE CHANGE--and we will be presenting information on feminist economics, and differing perspectives on how aspects of nation's well-being is defined. Looks like it will be a great night again!

New Seeds Mic

As part of my non-profit, I have started a mic from a feminine perspective. This goes once a month and there is a topic that will be presented and from that, I ask that the artists try and create some art based on that subject. Last month the topic was mass media--history, conglomeration, and influence on the public. Venus Jones wrote a great poem on the subject, Karyn Lomyn did a poem on the war, and Vanessa Brown sang about homelessness We had great discussions afterward ranging from the war to the prison industrial complex. Looking forward to next month!

Long Break

Well, it was quite a ride doing Maria's Song. We had a great cast, great reviews, and sold out all our shows, so I have to say the process is more than I expected, and what a great way to start my non-profit! You can see more at: http://www.silverglassprods.org/migRevFrame.htm . I think the Tampa Bay community is more supportive of new challenging theatre than most people give it credit for.