A footnote to the ICA saga is evoked in the last two paragraphs of Lyn
Gardneršs blog
> The Arts Council has apparently been involved in this decision. But in the
> recent round of funding it recognised the current vibrancy of live art by
> supporting a number of artists and organisations, including Duckie, Marisa
> Carnesky, the Pacitti Company and the Live Arts Development Agency. Why would
> they be doing so if the work "lacks depth and cultural urgency"? In response
> to my questions, the Arts Council put out a statement saying "We do not
> endorse the ICA's view of live and new media arts, but we recognise that their
> resources have been under considerable strain, and we have worked closely with
> them while they conducted their strategic review. Arts organisations sometimes
> have to make difficult decisions, and in this case we have regretfully
> supported the ICA's decision to close the Live & Media arts department."
>
> Under the circumstances, I would suggest that the Arts Council takes away a
> proportion of the subsidy that it gives to the ICA, and assigns it to those
> who actually take an interest in live arts. In this way, the work can maintain
> the "cultural urgency" that it so clearly demonstrates.
>
As previously noted in this thread, in its most recent restructure and in
earlier restructures, ACE has operated a strategy of attrition in respect of
media arts. Film and Video was subsumed into visual arts, with clear
subsequent negative impace for the sector, and interdisciplinary arts was
lost in the last shift in focus. There is now no specific program, financial
or strategic, that addresses the media arts in any of its forms. ACEšs
ŗregret˛ should be viewed in this context.
Regards
Simon
On 24/10/08 10:51, "Michelle Hirschhorn" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> FYI -
>
> Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:08:47 +0100
> From: Lois Keidan <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Live and Media Arts at the ICA
>
> * This email is sent via the Liveart mail-list. 'Reply' will send your
> response to that list *
>
> Lyn Gardner has written a Guardian blog about the ICA's decision to
> cut its live programme, but, more importantly, about Ekow Eshun's
> extraordinary statement that such work lacks 'depth and cultural
> urgency'
>
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/2008/oct/23/ica-live-arts-closure
>
> I have just spoken to Lyn and she would like everyone on this list to
> know that Guardian blogs can be VERY effective, but its important that
> people respond to them and contribute to the debates they provoke.
>
> So, please do add a comment to her blog and please do spread the word
> to anyone and everyone who should see it and ask them to respond with
> comments.
>
> Lois
> On 24 Oct 2008, at 00:00, NEW-MEDIA-CURATING automatic digest system
> wrote:
Simon Biggs
Research Professor
edinburgh college of art
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Edinburgh College of Art (eca) is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC009201
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