FW: (re censorship)

[jumpy]

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From: Jenny Rainforth <jenny.rainforth at NTLWORLD.COM>
To: LIVEART at JISCMAIL.AC.UK
Subject: Re: Unique Masters Programme in PERFORMANCE/LIVE ART at The
Nottingham Trent University, UK.
Date: Fri, Jul 25, 2003, 12:34 pm


Anyone seen the Times Higher yesterday?  If not see below an article which
might be of interest to those thinking of applying for the Masters in
Performance at Trent


Nottingham Trent art professor who organised striptease loses director post

Phil Baty
Published: 25 July 2003

The art professor who invited a former lap-dancer to perform a striptease
for his students at Nottingham Trent University has lost his role as the
UK's only university artistic director, writes Phil Baty.

Robert Ayers, a respected performance artist and professor of contemporary
art at Nottingham Trent, has been told his post will disappear through
redundancy after a strategic review at the university.

Angry staff have suggested that university managers were unhappy with his
controversial projects and were still smarting from embarrassing headlines
in 2001 when he arranged a show by feminist performance artist and former
lap-dancer Cathy MacGregor.

Professor Ayers was appointed artistic director of Nottingham Trent in
1994, and given a personal chair a year later. He had a lead role as curator
of the Future Factory, a university-run project at the Bonington Gallery,
which will be discontinued.

He was also instrumental in inviting often-controversial performance artists
to the campus.

Recent performances have included Vulva's Morphia by artist Carolee
Schneemann, described by Future Factory as a "taboo-breaking performance
artist and writer on the subject of the ecstatic body as the source of
knowledge".

Professor Ayres incurred the wrath of his dean, Simon Lewis, in March 2001
over the stripping incident. Although the performance involved only a
limited amount of striptease, combined with video and narrative to
illustrate her feelings and experiences from her former career as a
lap-dancer, university managers were furious that the show attracted media
interest.

Mr Lewis wrote to Professor Ayers in an email: "You can't be so naive as to
believe that the press will not view this an an absolute gift!

"Sex, academia, the education debate, double standards in public life, the
'Is it art? Is it pornography?' merry-go-round.

"I can see the headlines now: 'Professor of Sleaze proud to present
lap-dancing as Art', 'First degrees in knitting, now doctorates in
lap-dancing, what next from the ex polys?'"

This week, Professor Ayers, who is understood to be appealing against his
redundancy, was advised not to comment by his trade union.

A university spokeswoman said she could not comment on individual personnel
matters, but she added that the university had decided to scale down its
art symposium activities after an independent review of its provision in
May, carried out by a dean outside the school. Mr Lewis played no part in
the review.

"The symposium is not closing but it will be made smaller and will be
absorbed into the School of Art and Design to focus more directly on the
needs of students," the spokeswoman said.









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-----Original Message-----
From: Live Art, Performance Art and New Performance
[mailto:LIVEART at JISCMAIL.AC.UK] On Behalf Of Simpson, Stuart
Sent: 25 July 2003 11:48
To: LIVEART at JISCMAIL.AC.UK
Subject: Unique Masters Programme in PERFORMANCE/LIVE ART at The Nottingham
Trent University, UK.



Unique Masters Programme in PERFORMANCE/LIVE ART at The Nottingham Trent
University, UK.



Announcing a new and unique Masters Degree Programme in PERFORMANCE/LIVE ART
in the School of Art & Design at The Nottingham Trent University, U.K.



Commencing January 2004 a Taught Masters Course in PERFORMANCE/LIVE ART.
International in direction, content and recruitment, this one year fulltime
course offers a rare opportunity to participate firsthand in the rich
traditions of innovative performance and live art -  work at the cutting
edge of late Twentieth and Twenty-First Century performance ideas - and to
develop ideas around your own practice.  With access to unique UK and USA
performance art archives, live events and visiting experts and
practitioners.



Further details regarding course content, qualifications, career
opportunities, fees and living costs, the City of Nottingham and its arts
festivals etc are available from:



Andrea Beniston

Postgraduate Coordinator NTSAD

The Nottingham Trent University

School of Art & Design

Burton Street, NOTTINGHAM

NG1 4BU, UK.



email:  postgrad.ntsad at ntu.ac.uk <mailto:postgrad.ntsad at ntu.ac.uk>



*N.B. Please feel free to forward this e-mail to any
colleagues/students/individuals or lists that you think this may be of
interest to*







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