tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305136415588905855.post1798269318273465366..comments2023-02-25T02:12:33.148-07:00Comments on The CCTC Blog: How exactly are we an ecology?Canadian Centre for Theatre Creationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785149212068491927noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305136415588905855.post-23256836428649267502012-04-11T09:01:42.393-06:002012-04-11T09:01:42.393-06:00Hi Ian,
This is a fantastic post. Thanks.
I must...Hi Ian,<br /><br />This is a fantastic post. Thanks.<br /><br />I must admit off the bat to being single-minded as of late in pushing ecology or ecosystems as a lense to understand contemporary culture. Mostly because it helps to support the notion that our institutions and artists are interconnected and impact one another. <br /><br />I also took pause to reconsider this analogy when I read Jacob Zimmer's post. I linked to it in a my own post which used ecology as a lense to analyze Toronto's theatrical ecosystem. <br />http://praxistheatre.com/2012/03/luminato-walks-away-from-toronto-theatre/<br /><br />I think it's important to distinguish between the tools we use to advocate broadly for the value of theatre, and how we talk amongst ourselves as artists and institutions about the art we are making and how we are interacting with one another.<br /><br />If nothing else, the ecology paradigm is less corrosive than the Creative Cities model which has dominated the understanding of culture in Toronto for the past decade, places economic value at the core of its analysis, and in my opinion, has really messed things up here.<br /><br />Nevertheless, eventually for the arts to thrive in Canada the best argument is not going to based based on any sort of self-interest model, economic, ecological or otherwise. The value of art is not measurable and if it was it would cease to be art. <br /><br />Perhaps it is still possible though to understand this to be true and advocate for a healthy and robust culture that cooperates with itself?Michael Wheelerhttp://www.praxistheatre.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305136415588905855.post-12025781044983053412012-04-10T13:15:15.156-06:002012-04-10T13:15:15.156-06:00Ian,
Great addition to the conversation and I thi...Ian,<br /><br />Great addition to the conversation and I think you're right about the limited and ambiguous nature of "ecology". Especially in the changing of the status quo. I've also been thinking about Brecht's admonishment to never think of anything in the social realm as "natural" lest we think we can't change it.<br /><br />JacobJacob Zimmerhttp://www.smallwoodenshoe.org/blognoreply@blogger.com