The local theatre community is reacting to the University of Windsor's decision to cease operations of University Players due to restructuring as part of a multi-year strategy to balance its base budget.
Kristina Garswood is the executive director of Riverfront Theatre Company, a theatre group that provides youth regardless of ethnic, social or economic background, the opportunity to participate in a collaborative theatre experience.
Garswood wrote an open letter to university president Dr. Robert Gordon and says she was shocked to learn of the news.
"I understand that the university is in a situation where they have to consider budget cuts. I understand that as an economic reality, but I am appalled that the easy answer is always the arts, and that it seems to be a simple matter of numbers and not a responsibility to the students in the drama programs and to the community at large."
She says she's spent the last 14 years 'funnelling' kids into the university.
"Telling them this is a great place to go. This is a wonderful place to study. And I really feel like the integrity of the institution is called into question and I don't know if I can recommend this anymore when the experiential component has to change dramatically."
Garswood is calling on the university to reconsider their decision.
She says she isn't sure what measures the university has taken to try and boost the success of the program or to make allowances to bounce back from COVID.
"When I think about the fact that people who are in the BSA program right now, on the cusp of graduating with one year left or two years left, these are the same kids who lost everything in their graduating years in high school and they're having the rug ripped out from under them again in university."
Garswood says in the past her group has tried to rent out the university's theatre in the off-season but was told it wasn't an option as rentals were not approved by university administration.
Something she says the university may have not properly considered as a revenue generator from working with local community groups.