Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1995 - 71

EW INITIATIVES F NO
The NEW INITIATIVES FUND was created as an operating budget account in the 1995/96 fiscal year following discussions of the LSITT
Board of Directors in their winter 1994 meetings in Heno. The discussions at these meetings centered on planning and hlture directions for
USIIT, and the establishment of this hll1d was created to stimulate ne\\'
research and development of projects that are key goals of the LSITT
Strategic Plan. While this fund is geared towards research :U1d projects
outside of the creation of conference programming, the results of these
projects and research could form a vital component of conference programming together with strengthening our goal to provide information
to our members regarrung new technology or research.
Applications for hll1rung from the 1995/96 New Initiatives Budget
\I~ll be received until March 1, 1996 for research or projects to be concluded prior to March 1, 1998. Applicants for funding must be current
members of USIIT. Applications wilJ be accepted from an inruvidual or
group (commission, committee, section, working group, etc.). Application letters addressing how the proposed research or project wilJ benefit the performing arts community and further the mission, goals and
objectives of USIIT should be submitted to the USIIT President or to the
USIIT Officer who would oversee the research or project.

CONFERENCE & STAGE EXPO
The USIIT Annual Conference & Stage Expo pro~des a natural outlet for
the russemination of research and project results. Conference programming can take the form of workshops, lectures, slide or multi-media
presentations, round-table discussions or exhibitions. The production
of the Annual Conference is a continuation of the Institute's mission to
russeminate information to our members. Conference programming can
be proposed through the commission structure. The commissions wilJ
announce calls for progranl topics and titles in Sight/ines and during
their commission meetings at tile conference. Adrutionally during this
upcoming year Conference Session Hequest forms will be published in
Sightlines to pro~de adrutional input into the conference programming
process. This process, like the USlIT budget, works well in the future.
Progranlming for each year's conference is planned beginning before
the pre~ous year's conference and the planning process is complete
witllin several weeks folJO\~ng the previous year's conference.

SlIT NEEDS YO , OUR MEMBERS, TO HELP US
ACHIEVE 0 R MISSION TO COND CT RESEARCH A.l~D
PROJECTS AND TO DISSEMINATE THIS INFORMATION
TO OUR MEMBERS.

Aconsiderable amount of Board of Directors' and Officers' discussion
has centered on the issues of research and project deYelopment. Some
believe that our present society discourages intensiye research projects.
but this same society nOlI' proYides such a wealth of assistance in the
ability to perform research. Electronic data bases and the internet are
extraordinary boons to research. Another theory on the lack of research
is that Iyith the current attacks on the arts. the difficulties of arts hll1ding, and academic performing arts programs funding. our members.
suffering these chalJenges \\hile trYing to keep their jobs and continue
their productions trull' hal'e no time for research and creariYe project
development. Perhaps at the same time we decry the attacks on the arts.
we need to assume the responsibility, as members of LSITT and the performing arts community. to take the time required for the research and
projects that mal' do the most to guarantee our continued existence.
SilT needs vour assistance to achieve this chalJenge and will continue
to provide encouragement and assistance.
Christine L. Kaiser
LSITI TreasurerlPresident Elect
II/side USIIT. edited bJ' Willialll). BJ'/'lles. LSIT{ l'ice-Presidentfor.llarA'eting {Dereloplllent. is a colnllln derated to neil's and inforlllation abonl tbe Institllle. and
discllssion oftopics in greater de/Jtb tban space perlllils in tbe 1II01llbll' nell'slellel:
In additioll. Inside LSlir sel'l'es 10 gire non-lIIelllber readers sOllie insigbt illto tbe
bllsilless ofLSIIt: tbe Alllerican Association ofDesign and Prodllction Professiollals
in tbe Perforlllillg Arts. lOllr riell's alld cOllllllents are lrelcollle. lOllr partiClj}{/tion
in LSI7T collllllillees and cOllllllissions is also ill/lited and Ireicollle.

PROMOTING MORE RESEARCH
The dearth of research undertaken by our members and the resulting
lack of reporting of this research in our publications is a serious concern \~thin USITI. FolJO\~ng the SlIT Board of Directors August 1994
retreat and ruscussion on our periodicals, goals have been established
for both TD&T and Sightlines to include more articles which provide
information to our members to assist in their adv:U1cement in their chosen fields. To achieve this goal in TD&T, a group of associate editors,
each representing a specific performing arts discipline, has been
charged and empowered to work \~th their colJeagues to prO\~de assistance and guidance to achieve articles. Each commission is now in the
process of creating and implementing goals and objectives. The commissions have been ruscussing the lack of research and technical articles \~thin our publications and their goals and objectives will seek to
address tllese concerns.

TD&T

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1995