You can now read the most recent newsletter from STAA President Jim Helsinger along with some of the 2010 Conference notes after you log on. Look for the Member Services heading and then click the Member Files link.

Delegates representing over 100 Shakespeare-producing theatres and festivals from the USA and Canada attended the twentieth annual conference of Shakespeare Theatre Association of America (STAA) at Shakespeare's Globe in London January 6 - 9, 2010.
The conference programme, entitled Who Owns Shakespeare?, was devised in cooperation with then current President of STAA, Philip Sneed, Artistic Director of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Peter Kyle, Chief Executive of Shakespeare's Globe; Dominic Dromgoole, Artistic Director; and Patrick Spottiswoode, Director, Globe Education all led sessions during the conference. Adrian Noble, former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company was a guest speaker.

Delegates were taken on a private visit to Middle Temple Hall, the venue of the first recorded performance of Twelfth Night where Tim Carroll, former Associate Theatre Director at Shakespeare’s Globe, explored the influence of playing spaces on performance. Tim Carroll directed Twelfth Night at Middle Temple Hall before its transfer to the Globe for the play's 400th anniversary in 2002.

Other highlights of the conference included an introductory performance by Globe actor Peter Hamilton Dyer of selections from Goethe and George Bernard Shaw, a Paul Robeson exhibit and talk, warm-ups on the Globe stage led by the theatre's exuberant Head of Movement Glynn MacDonald, tours of the Globe led in part by its builder Peter McCurdy, visits to the archeological sites of the Rose Theatre and the original Globe Theatre, and many enlivening and enlightening sessions with conference participants. STAA members enjoyed the hospitality of the Globe's bar and restaurants, evenings free to take in productions on the West End and at the National Theatre, and time for a bit of sightseeing and shopping around the great city of London.

Prior to the conference, Patrick Spottiswoode, who is also a member of the STAA Executive Committee, says: "Shakespeare's Globe is honoured to be hosting this conference and looks forward to discussing key issues of ownership with fellow artistic, managing and education directors including the influence of the recession on choices of repertoire, who really owns Shakespeare's text, how theatres are responding to changing demographics and reaching out to new audiences, particularly youth. Young people taking ownership of Shakespeare has always been at the heart of our work at the Globe - a theatre where actors and audiences share the same light.”

Participants agreed that, despite snow and ice and a few delayed flights, the 20th STAA conference was a rousing success. The 2011 conference will be hosted by the Colorado Shakespeare Festival in Denver, Colorado January 5 - 8, 2011, with a possible pre- or post-conference training session to be offered as well.

The 2010 STAA Conference in London hosted by Shakespeare's Globe has just concluded. Please watch this space for highlights.

Thank you to Shakespeare's Globe for hosting our 20th anniversary gathering!

Registration for our conference in London, hosted by Shakespeare's Globe is now closed. We are looking forward to seeing all of our members who are able to attend next month.

The 2010 STAA dues invoice is available online. Please log in and look for the Members Services heading on the right. Click Members Files and open the dues folder. From there you will be able to print out the invoice and send it to STAA treasurer, Lesley Malin.

If you are attending the 2010 STAA conference in London, we respectfully request that your dues are current prior to attending the conference.

Happy New Year from everyone at STAA!

The schedule for the Shakespeare Theatre Association of America Conference 2010 has now gone live on the Globe Education website – to see it, please log in with your previously-sent username and password here:

http://globe-education.org/communities/shakespeare-theatre-association-o...

Kind regards,

Claire Bridge
staa2010@shakespearesglobe.com

STAA Associate Members can now log on to the members only site and download an application to attend the 2010 STAA conference in London, England being hosted by Shakespeare's Globe. Log in and click the Member Files link under the Member Services heading on the right side of the page. Open the folder 2010 STAA Associate Member Conference Application and you will be able to download the pdf file.

The 2010 STAA dues invoice is now available. Please log in and look for the Members Services heading on the right. Click Members Files and open the dues folder. From there you will be able to print out the invoice and send it to STAA treasurer, Lesley Malin.

If you are planning to attend the 2010 STAA conference in London, we respectfully request that your dues are current prior to attending the conference.

Thank you!

August 7, 2009

The U.S. Senate confirmed Broadway producer Rocco Landesman to serve as the next National Endowment for the Arts chair and former Congressman Jim Leach to serve as National Endowment for the Humanities chair. Both are expected to begin work next week. Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch issued the following statement:

"Today's Senate confirmation of Rocco Landesman and Congressman Jim Leach marks a moment of great opportunity for our nation's cultural agencies. Landesman embarks as Chair of the nation's arts agency with a robust agenda, an upward trajectory of funding, broad Congressional approval, and a White House committed to attracting national attention to the value of the arts and integrating them into broader domestic policies."

Upon his nomination, Mr. Landesman said, "I am honored to receive the Senate's vote of confirmation. I look forward to serving the nation as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. I believe this is an auspicious time for the NEA and the country. Art is essential to the civic, economic, and cultural vitality of our nation. It reflects who we are and what we stand for -- freedom of expression, imagination, and vision. I am eager to work with our many partners to bring quality arts programs to neighborhoods and communities across the country."

Congress has now recessed for August. When they return after Labor Day, the House and Senate will resume work on finishing the appropriations process for FY 2010. Currently, the House has approved NEA funding at $170 million but must await the Senate's completion of their bill, which the Appropriations Committee set at only $161.3 million. While both of these funding levels represent increases above its current budget, these bills will need to be reconciled and a final compromise bill signed into law by President Obama this fall.

The National Endowment for the Arts announced direct grants as part of the $50 million federal economic stimulus recovery package on July 7. The NEA will distribute more than $29 million to 631 nonprofit arts groups nationwide. View by state by clicking the link below.

http://www.nea.gov/grants/recent/09grants/states2/arra_states.html

Friday June 26, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a $15 million increase for both the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for FY 2010. Currently funded at $155 million, this increase would bring both agencies' budgets to $170 million. Please take two minutes to write to your Senators and urge them to support this important funding increase!

Thanks to the arts leadership of House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Norm Dicks (D-WA) and Congressional Arts Caucus co-chair Louise Slaughter (D-NY), this House-approved funding increase for the NEA exceeds President Obama's budget request by $8.7 million and is the highest proposed appropriation for the NEA since its $176 million peak in FY 1992. On June 25, corresponding legislation in the Senate Appropriations Committee set NEA and NEH funding at only $161.3 million each.

Next Steps:
We must now put pressure on the Senate to match the funding level set in the House of Representatives. Please take two minutes to visit Americans for the Arts E-Advocacy Center to send a letter to your Senators.