>The notion of "cutting edge" literature among institutional officials is
>apparently that it has got out of the museum of print and is on the streets
>of stage. That is their dominant idea of how it can be up to date and
>politically correct and thus viable.
Even odder, yesterday we received a fax outlining an idea for a
(ticketed) conference of a panel of speakers including (not very
surprisingly) mostly arts bureaucrats of one kind or another, who would
give five-minute keynote speeches which would then be improvised by two
groups of improvisational performers. These speeches and performances
would be recorded, videoed, notated, put on CD rom (for sale), and then
workshopped up into a (ticketed) 50 minute performance of some kind which
would also be videoed, CD romed &c&c (for sale). The whole shebang is
organised by a "consultant" and somehow will predict the new shapes of
the arts in the new millenium. I can't say how profoundly I hope it
doesn't.
Perfect though for government sponsored arts: a whole lot of (ticketed)
fuss signifying absolutely nothing.
Best
Alison
Alison Croggon
Editor
Masthead Literary Arts Magazine
PO Box 186
NEWPORT VIC 3015
Masthead online: http://www.masthead.com.au
Home page: http:www.fortunecity.com/victorian/bronte/338
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