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CHAPTER THREE: TRAINING
Visionaries
The vision of a few provides opportunities for many. In the past, discussions
of Canadian cultural activities have tended to focus on the values and
traditions of European art forms, overlooking the fact that for hundreds
of years, Canada's Aboriginal peoples have maintained rich traditions of
music, dance, ritual and story-telling. Contemporary Aboriginal artists
remind us that, as much as Aboriginal culture may be rooted in the past,
it continues to evolve. The stage performances of Margo Kane, who blends
story telling with dance and drama; the raw energy of Ian Ross in his Governor
General Award Winning play, FareWel; and the way CD-ROM technology and
dream-inspired paintings have been brought together in the work of Iroquois
artist Raymond Skye, all attest to this.
Training and talent are lifelong companions, and the greater the talent
the more inspired and exacting the training needs to be. This has been
recognized in Western Europe and Asia for centuries where conservatories
and training institutes for the transmission of knowledge, craft, technique,
discipline and experience are given the highest priority. In keeping with
our past, we have borrowed freely from European experience in developing
our arts training institutions. However, the support provided to Canada's
arts training institutions by both the public and private sector over the
past forty years has not always been a model of constancy or generosity.
It is the Committee's view that the vibrancy of the arts in Canada is
vital to the quality of our collective social, cultural and economic life.
The importance of training in the arts was reinforced in the presentation
made to the Committee by the Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC).1
The quality of Canadian performing arts companies and the Canadian film
and television industry is strongly reliant on the training provided by
our national training institutions. The existence of national training
institutions is a unique defining feature of the cultural sector. Even
as labour-market training is being devolved to the provinces, the government
of Canada retains its cultural mandate and responsibilities. Continuing
federal support for the cultural training infrastructure is essential.2
The National Theatre School
It was the tireless support of Michel Saint-Denis, probably one of
the most famous theatre artists in the English- and French-speaking world
at the time, that led to the eventual creation of the National Theatre
School. What began rather inauspiciously on February 8, 1960, in three
rented rooms in the Canadian Legion Building on Mountain Street in Montreal,
can be traced back to Saint-Denis' first adjudication at the Dominion Drama
Festival, in 1937. He arrived with a formidable reputation.
In France, Saint-Denis set up his own theatre company, la Compagnie
des Quinze in 1930 and performed all over Europe until wartime hostilities
made touring impossible. He relocated to the relative safety of England
and continued working there as an actor and director. He co-directed the
Royal Shakespeare Company before he eventually returned to France where
he served as advisor to la Comédie Française.
Perhaps Saint-Denis' greatest influence was as a teacher. He developed
ideas about professional training for actors at each school with which
he was involved, beginning with London's Old Vic Theatre School, New York's
Juilliard School, and eventually Canada's National Theatre School, where
he served as a special advisor. In his book, Theatre: The Rediscovery of
Style, Saint-Denis writes about the influential interplay between the professional
theatre and theatre schools.
One can conduct experiments in a school, which cannot be attempted
elsewhere. For that reason a good and daring school can be of great help
to the theatre. 3
In 1932, with the encouragement of the then Governor General, the
Earl of Bessborough, the Dominion Drama Festival came into being. It was
designed as a showcase for the hundreds of non-professional theatre companies,
the so-called "little theatres," dotted all across the country.
This annual festival with its professional adjudication gave untrained
actors and directors an opportunity to develop their craft at a time when
there were hardly any professional training opportunities in the arts in
Canada. On four separate occasions beginning in 1937, Michel Saint-Denis
adjudicated the festival. He used these opportunities to advocate the creation
of a national professional theatre school in Canada.
Years of volunteer committee work and lobbying paid off and in 1960,
under the direction of the legendary theatre artist Jean Gascon, the school's
first director, Jean Pierre Ronfard took responsibility for the French-language
program and the late Powys Thomas took charge of the English-language program.
Saint-Denis was insistent that a theatre school should not teach as if
art was somehow frozen in time. Professional training must be "related
to an active theatre," he said. 4
Since 1960, more Canadian universities and community colleges have
begun to offer courses in theatre, some as part of a liberal arts degree,
others in the form of a professionally-oriented BFA degree. The National
Theatre School is not a degree granting institution. For three years, students
"experience the interdependence of writing, acting, design and production
on a daily basis. This fundamental characteristic of the school's environment
helps students master the collective art of theatre."5
Thus, the school operates as kind of conservatory, providing intense
and focused training in all aspects of the theatre from teachers with extensive
backgrounds in the profession.
Students are accepted into the school based on their audition, their
portfolio of work, and an interview. The National Theatre School is a "co-lingual"
rather than a bilingual institution, a place where students from all over
Canada can together hone their craft6
The Need for Training
Canada has a number of schools and training centres that specialize
in discipline-specific instruction to prepare Canadians for professional
careers in the performing and audio-visual arts. These include, with the
year of their establishment:
Canada's film and television training organizations include:
These and other institutions provide professional training to Canadians
with the requisite talent and stamina to endure the rigorous demands of
their chosen profession. The teaching faculty is drawn from the most experienced
professionals in each field. The curricula and training programs are based
on fundamental and changing needs of the professions.
Training to Compete
While some celebrated Canadian artists and creators are self-taught,
they, like many of the artists, technicians, directors, and managers who
graduate from Canadian professional arts training institutions, can measure
themselves against the best of their colleagues from other countries. As
mentioned earlier, artists who have been trained in Canadian professional
schools are in high demand. This speaks well of Canadian standards and
the calibre of instruction at our arts training institutions, and it also
points to the strong foundation that exists for the development of professional
arts training in Canada.
Over the last 50 years, the performing and creative arts have gained
international recognition. Many Canadian playwrights are now known internationally
and their works are performed throughout the world. Michel Tremblay, the
Montreal playwright, is a case in point. His plays have been performed
in dozens of countries and in many languages. Evelyn Hart of the Royal
Winnipeg Ballet has performed as a guest artist in the United States and
Europe. R. Murray Schafer's compositions have been performed by music ensembles
throughout the world. The Montreal Symphony Orchestra's recordings of Ravel
and Debussy are sought after by music lovers everywhere. These are but
a few examples of Canadians who are performing successfully on the international
stage.
A Record of Achievement
Despite the many difficulties encountered, the development of arts training
opportunities in Canada over the past 50 years has been a success. Moreover,
it is a story to which thousands of Canadians have contributed over two
generations.
A federal task force on professional training in the arts in Canada
submitted its report, Art is Never a Given, to the Minister of Communications
(now Canadian Heritage) and the Minister of Employment and Immigration
(now Human Resources Development) on December 1, 1991. As Table 3.1 shows
the report identified the number of post-secondary institutions offering
specific categories of professional arts training in Canada.7
Table 3.1
Number of Post-Secondary Institutions Offering Professional Arts Training
(1991)
Some of these institutions offer training across the full range of arts
disciplines, but most offer a more limited selection.
Many of Canada's leading dancers, orchestral musicians, actors, screenwriters,
circus artists, producers and directors, choreographers, artistic directors,
and teachers received their training in national training schools. They
provide ideal environments for the transmission of knowledge and professional
development. In their pursuit of excellence, professional training institutions
work closely with other organizations in Canada and abroad. This collaboration
provides students and teachers with opportunities for domestic and international
exchanges.
Over time, Canada's national training schools have attracted some of
the finest teachers and most promising artists. They have earned their
reputations by adopting sound management practices, by consistently meeting
the demands of the arts disciplines they serve and through innovative approaches
they have taken to professional arts training.
The Committee notes that the federal government on April 17, 1997, announced
long-term funding for these training institutions. As a result, $8.5 million
is being provided annually to recognized national professional training
institutions in theatre, dance, music and film.
A Leadership Role for the Government of Canada
The role played by the federal government in support of training in
culture has been more varied than is generally recognized. As noted above,
the Government of Canada has provided core funding to a small number of
national cultural training institutions over the past 40 years. Until recently,
that support came from the Canada Council for the Arts, but it is now channelled
through the Department of Canadian Heritage with the financial participation
of the Department of Human Resources Development. What is less well documented
is the valuable contribution made by federal cultural agencies such as
the National Film Board and the CBC in training.
The federal government has not acted alone. Provincial governments have
long been involved in support for training. As was documented in Art
is Never a Given, their involvement has grown over the past 30 years,
particularly at the CEGEP, college and university level. The Committee
notes that there has been an ongoing effort by the federal and provincial
governments to harmonize the intervention of both levels of government
in support of professional cultural training. For example, the National
Theatre School receives operating or program grants from:
The private sector has also played a part in supporting cultural activity.
For example, the National Theatre School receives operating or program
grants from du Maurier Arts and Pratt & Whitney Canada Inc.
Although there has been progress in the support for training, Andrew
David Terris reminded the Committee that there is still work to be done:
I don't think the news is very good. We're seeing less money for training
and we're seeing a province [Nova Scotia] that really doesn't want to deal
in any substantial way with the cultural sector in terms of any kind of
separate priority for training.8
The Committee believes that new training initiatives should be developed.
Trainees should have employment opportunities in Canadian cultural enterprises
that would allow them to apply their training. This would establish a functional
relationship between training institutions and cultural enterprises and
would be particularly desirable in areas such as new media.
In its brief to the Committee, the Canadian Conference of the Arts made
a number of points about training:
That the Department of Human Resources Development Canada in collaboration
with the Department of Canadian Heritage secure stable multi-year funding
for nationally significant arts training, and for professional development
and skills upgrading for artists and cultural workers.9
The Committee sees four areas where the federal government can provide
leadership and where new initiatives are required. These are discussed
below.
A. National Training Schools
National training schools offer conservatory-type training that focuses
on the needs of individuals intent on pursuing a career in the arts. These
schools serve students who have determination and talent. The Committee
supports the principle that Canadian students should be able to choose
between a professional training program and a general arts program at a
university or college. Accordingly, the Committee endorses the continued
federal support of Canada's national schools, and recognizes the need to
support new national training schools as the needs are identified.
Recommendation 7
The Committee recommends that the federal government affirm its commitment
to the continuing development of Canada's national training schools and
support additional national training schools with appropriate resources
as they emerge.
Recommendation 8
The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada's support
to national training schools be provided on a stable, multi-year basis.
B. Co-operative Training
The Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC) made a number of points
concerning the training of young Canadians in new media. The Committee
has found these to be of particular interest because of the way they apply
to the broader cultural sector. According to the CHRC, the challenges in
training are related to costs, the time required to train, the availability
of qualified trainers and the relevancy of the courses being offered. The
Council made the following recommendations about training for new media
that can be applied to training in the cultural sector as a whole:
- Train young Canadians through co-op and internship programs similar
to those that have proven to be successful in other areas of the Canadian
economy.
- Develop business skills in new media workers.
- Ensure the effective marrying of creativity and technical skills.
Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) has acknowledged and acted
upon the specific needs of the cultural sector with respect to professional
training. Its contribution, in collaboration with Canadian Heritage, the
Canada Council for the Arts and the Canadian Conference of the Arts, was
key to the resolution of the long-term funding needs of national cultural
training institutions. Its support of the Cultural Human Resource Council
is a further indication of its interest in finding solutions to training
needs in the cultural sector.
The Committee believes that earning while learning should be attractive
to trainees in cultural creation, production, preservation and distribution.
A nationally accessible co-op program for young professionals in the cultural
sector would prove beneficial. As the musician Eddie Bayens reminded the
Committee, training is a life-long challenge and commitment.
[T]he amount of preparation it takes to become a musician is not three
or four years, as in law. It's not seven or eight years, as in medicine.
It is some fifteen or twenty years of preparation that starts at the age
of five and continues until one finally lies down listening to the trumpeter
playing `The Last Post'.10
Recommendation 9
The Committee recommends that the federal commitment to professional
training for arts and cultural industries and institutions give priority
to the development of co-op and intern programs. These programs should
promote strong links between training institutions and arts and cultural
organizations, allowing trainees to earn while they learn.
C. Professional Training and New Technologies
As noted in Chapter Two, new technologies11
offer a tool for new forms of artistic creation. The mastery of new technologies
poses another challenge for training. This training is important because
it can enhance access to educational materials.
Testimony provided by witnesses, as well as briefs submitted to the
Committee, urged the federal government to consider financial assistance
for the development of new media in measures similar to the assistance
provided to feature films and Canadian television programming. The Committee
believes that the federal government should provide assistance for new
media training.
Given the challenges posed by changing technologies and the fact that
new media are increasingly being used for training materials that focus
on marketing, Web page design and financial advice, the Committee makes
the following recommendations:
Recommendation 10
The Committee recommends that the federal government, through sector-based
training and professional development councils, develop a shared cost program
with cultural organizations that is designed to provide professional training
in the effective use of new media.
Recommendation 11
The Committee recommends that the Departments of Canadian Heritage
and Human Resources Development Canada develop new media programs and training
packages that can be used by community-based cultural organizations.
D. Broadening the Base of Professional Training
Over the past five decades, professional training for Canadians wishing
to pursue careers in all sectors has grown in scope and sophistication.
The opportunity to pursue graduate studies in business administration has
drawn Canadians from a variety of professional backgrounds. The cultural
sector is a sizeable segment of Canada's economy, yet case studies of Canadian
cultural issues are rarely developed. This is somewhat surprising in light
of the fiscal, regulatory and investment challenges facing Canadian enterprises
in broadcasting, publishing, film, and arts and heritage. The Committee
believes that this discrepancy in professional training for senior managers
will hinder Canada's future cultural development. The federal government
should therefore take the initiative to develop a stronger and more productive
link between research-oriented graduate studies in culture and some of
its cultural agencies: for example, the Canada Council for the Arts, the
CBC, the CRTC, the NFB and Telefilm.
Recommendation 12
The Committee recommends that the Department of Canadian Heritage
and the Department of Industry jointly develop a program that will support
more research and study of domestic and international cultural issues in
Canada's graduate schools through the financial involvement of key federal
cultural agencies.
Consistency
Implementing recommendations related to training would require changes
to existing programs and the development of new initiatives. For example,
support for the study of business cases in the arts and cultural industries
could be added to an existing program or introduced as an entirely new
initiative. These changes and new initiatives should be consistent with
each other and complement all existing training initiatives supported by
the federal government.
Recommendation 13
The Committee recommends that one year after Recommendations 11 and
12 have been implemented, the Department of Canadian Heritage, in partnership
with other federal departments and agencies, conduct a review of federal
training support initiatives to determine the overall adequacy of the support
measures and their consistency in application among different client groups.
1 CHRC
"assists members of [Canada's cultural] sector to achieve a better
livelihood and better future by stimulating coordinated efforts to respond
to career development and planning issues." See « http://www.culturenet.ca/chrc
» for further information.
2 Brief
submitted to the Standing Committee by the Cultural Human Resources Council,
March 27, 1997.
3 Michel
Saint-Denis, Theatre: The Rediscovery of Style, Theatre Arts Books,
New York, 1960, p.108.
4 Ibid.
5 See:
<http://ent-nts.com/NTSEnglish/School.htm>
6 Ibid.
7 More
recent data on this topic have not yet been compiled by the federal government.
8 Andrew
David Terris, Nova Scotia Cultural Network, Halifax Round Table , February
23, 1999.
9 Conference
of the Arts, Final Report of the Working Group on Cultural Policy for
the 21st Century, Canadian, June 1998, p. 23.
10
Eddie Bayens, Musician, Ottawa Round Table on the Arts, March 10, 1998.
11
See the chapter on Production and Distribution for a discussion of issues
related to new technology and new media.