Futures of Performance

"What is most meaningful about Futures of Performance is the focus on what individual and collectives of college and university faculty can (and should) do to insure a vibrant and impactful future for the performing arts. Futures of Performance explores the intersection of the vitality of the performing arts in society with the profound potential tertiary education has on preparing vocational professional artists and avocational arts lovers to make and love even more art. The extent to which the volume investigates the socio-political, economic, media, and cultural systems inherent in both the making of art and its consumption, as well as upon the entire educational enterprise, is significant."

Tayloe Harding, Dean, School of Music, University of South Carolina, USA

"Futures of Performance is distinct in that it places the performing arts in dialogue with each other through an interactive set of responsibilities–to the field, society, and academe–that continually influence and impact each other. One of the strengths of this volume is the personal journeys of the authors as they respond to devising new modes of interaction, the cultural history of their students, unanticipated historical events as well as the politics of the academy, the professional field, and society. Other strengths include the volume’s focus on DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion). Throughout there is an emphasis on wholistic student centered approaches, responsiveness to unique cultural histories, and an open attitude toward an ever-evolving historical context. The essays in this volume are successful in providing this discursive dialogue and therefore provide an important contribution to a consideration of the future of performance in higher education."

Barbara Sellers-Young, Professor Emerita, York University, Toronto, Canada