The information that the universities in Athens are already interested in “encapsulating” the public school of performing arts is not paradoxical for the residents of university Jerusalem. They are interested, and they declared this not to the officials of the Ministry of Education, but to the party organs of the ruling party. Moreover, it is clear that the current political leadership of education has never worked consistently to resolve the urgent issue of popularizing art studies and creating a kind of High School of Performing Arts. The actress Lydia Koniordu, when she was Minister of Culture under SYRIZA – especially friendly to artists, let’s not forget this – find a solution, meeting resistance (strong, as the evil tongues say) of the then Minister of Education Kostas Gavroglu. Will Niki Kerameos seek to get involved in a politically thorny path with artists “against” her? Thus, now university students are turning to party headquarters, hoping to consolidate their request in the post-election environment.

There are two possibilities for the institutional status of the new school: will it become a School of Performing Arts according to ASKT standards, or will it join a university – in the center or perhaps in West Attica? Both possibilities agree that the school will be administered by the Ministry of Education. Therefore, the project will be complex for the simple reason that it will have to serve the interests of not one, but two guilds: artists and academics. The war declared by the academics of the existing theatrical faculties of universities against the teaching of artists in schools “shows” that the professional rights of graduates of the new higher school will be to pursue an artistic profession, and not be assigned to schools.

At the same time, an art school under the Ministry of Education requires teachers with a doctorate degree, unless they are specifically selected on the basis of their significant artistic work for practical courses. How will “significant” be defined? Today, in state art schools (for example, theater schools), teachers are chosen by the artistic director of the theater, who, of course, has the right to put on a “personal play”. And how will his students be selected? Will there be a repeat of the grim scene that happened a few years ago at the drama school, when the professor and jury member leave the room as he prepared – in good times costing up to 40 euros an hour – a candidate?

Artists already have one foot out of the theater schools they currently teach (and are criticized for this by colleagues), because they are looking for a place in the university theater departments of AUTH and EKPA or in a new school. Art education has always been a livelihood for many. However, when this is treated as unbuttoning, sooner or later it fades into the background. Let’s not laugh, right now?