SMU's Meadows School hires new director to teach arts students business-savvy, entrepreneurship

By Melissa Repko

SMU's Meadows School of the Arts has been trying out new approaches to make sure its art students of today aren't the starving artists of tomorrow.

Meadows Dean José Antonio Bowen, has emphasized teaching all of the school's arts students business skills -- especially since so many of them aspire to open a business of their own, such as a dance studio or theater, or will have to market themselves as qualified actors or musicians.

On Wednesday morning, the school announced a related initiative -- it has hired James Hart, an actor, director and producer, as its first director of arts entrepreneurship, a newly-minted minor. Along with his leadership role, Hart will teach classes.

Hart is the owner, founder and former dean of TITAN Teaterskole (The International Theatre Academy Norway) in Oslo. It was among the first European conservatories to train students in arts entrepreneurship, along with teaching performance. He's taught at numerous other schools, including the Yale School of Drama, New York University, Fu Ren University in Taipei, Taiwan and Harlem School of the Arts.

Teaching at SMU will be a homecoming of sorts. Hart graduated from SMU with a B.F.A. in theatre in 1996. He earned his M.F.A. in acting from the Yale School of Drama in 1999.

Q & A with James Hart:...