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Crunch time for uni arts troupe in protest swansong

Bridie Smith July 27, 2008 YOU'VE heard of Keating! The Musical. And probably of Eddie Perfect's soon to be unleashed Shane Warne the Musical. Now stand by for Melbourne Model: The Musical. Performed by students angered by the university's controversial move to introduce a US-style model of teaching, the musical will be performed at the 380-seat Union House Theatre from next month. Featuring potential campus hits such as Subject Cut Cancan and Gonna Sweep out This University, the musical may at first appear to be a bit of student fun. But it has a serious side, with students using satire to voice their concerns A rehearsal scene of a student rally from Melbourne Model: about the new teaching model, which began its The Musical , the last production for the 15-year-old creative first stages earlier this year. Students are also arts group Crunch. Photo: James Boddington critical of what they describe as a multimillion-dollar "blanket advertising campaign" promoting the changes. "A lot of students feel there are a number of flaws with the new model, including the cutting of a significant number of subjects for economic reasons," the musical's writer, Fregmonto Stokes, said. Under the Melbourne model, the university's 96 undergraduate programs will be replaced with six "new-generation" degrees and professional programs. Mr Stokes said the musical would be the last production for the 15-year-old creative arts group Crunch which, under the Melbourne model, will fold next year. He said creative arts had effectively been cut, following the introduction of the new teaching model. "(The university) said that they were replacing it with the VCA, because they'd bought the college," Mr Stokes said. "But the creative arts courses are quite different from the courses at the VCA. They have effectively closed down one of the major creative arts institutions in Melbourne and drastically altered another in the VCA." Under changes earmarked for the VCA, the number of schools at the arts college will halve to three fine arts, performing arts and music from next April as it is absorbed into the US-style teaching model. Mr Stokes, winner of the 2007 University of Melbourne Scriptwriters Award, was mentored by satirist Max Gillies while working on the script. The hour-long performance, starring students from the creative arts, arts, music, engineering, science and commerce faculties, is told through the eyes of impressionable first-year student Wally. Wally's allegiances are torn between "a gang of leftie hippies" representing the Student Union and a charismatic rock star representing vice-chancellor Glyn Davis. "He (the Davis character) goes to Canberra to spread his ideas and abandons Wally and the university," Mr Stokes said. Melbourne Model: The Musical will be on at the Union House Theatre from August 28-31. For bookings and information: melbournemodelbookings@gmail.com or . 0435 249 350

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