: Labor Arts LEXANDER DANILOV ' i ‘HE current release by the Workers’ Educational Association of # Raymond Arthur Davies’ special report under date of May 5 ‘rom Moscow, should proveé-an inspiration to every worker and urtist. It is hoped, for the-sake of all these, and for the sake ; : of those concerned about eventually bring- ing -our local labor-art infant to matur- “ity. that WEA affiliated trade unions will 4nclude-this and other such releases on _ their meeting agendas. Even a mere read- ing of these stories will stimulate thinking Sand eventually translate the perspectives thus envisaged into action—action in the ‘trade union, shop, factory, mine, mill, camp, home and life of the worker. amazing story of Alexander Danilov: me- chanie in the Moscow Ballbearing Plant, . editor of the factory newspaper, press cor- respondent, journalist, leader of the fac- ® ory’s Circle of Worker-Dramatic Critics. and withal and through il, involyed in production and living conditions of the workers. #5 is also the story of his Union’s press department, with its all newspapers and worker-artists’ drawings, library, reviews 'f performances by the Factory Dramatic Ensemble, and records 'f cultural. activities and Standards of factory newspaper read- ‘rs. And it is above all. the story (a classic in itself) of the ‘incle of Worker-Dramatic Critics, which was started voluntar- y some ten years ago by Danilov and a group of theatre lovers i the plant. hey had long talks, they read, they studied, they ent to the theatre, produced their own and wrote dramatic Sciticisms, all of which began to attract attention, because then s now the opinion of the broad masses is the chief criterion of | production’s success in the Soviet Theatre. The Circle became ne talk of the theatre world; recognized by prominent actors, froducers playwrights, scholars and the masses. it forged a 'owerful Imk between the worker-audiences and the great “oviet Theatre. All of which is fine for Russia, but this is Vancouver! So Fay you; and so what, say we. Vancouver is itself; an entity ‘roduced by its own history, its own environment, reflecting its eople’s own accummulation of social, econemic, political geo- [raphical, racial, cultural and educational elements, both from Sithin and without. Certainly these elements are different from “#)n0se in the Soviet Union; likewise from those in Chilliwacls, > ew York, Lynn Valley, Paris or Fimbuctoo. No place is ever sactly like another. or can follow precisely the pattern of an- bther And “tis well ’tis so. And again we say, so what? The | oviet tackled their people’s problems from the starting point of Dieir existine conditions. We can and must do likewise, regard- "ss of the Contrast im social systems or anything else. What oes it matter (taking the longs view) that they had a lot to start "ith that Vancouver may not have for a long time? Or that == ancouver has plenty right now that still does not exist in the P SSR? e JE ARE Vancouver, not Moscow. But we emphatically con- tend that this does not mean that the potential Alexander ' anilovs in Vancouver’s industrial plants cannot work to mould ind build and create from their own elements at hand, in the Same way as the mechanic of Moscow. We can not imitate or --ansplant or model after Moscow or any place else, because fais is not scientifically or historically sound. We can be guided nd inspired and stimulated by the achievements and wider =“) orizons of peoples elsewhere. But our own pattern must be = at from our own Cloth and fitted into the world design. We can Pot copy. History and common sense decree otherwise. ' To be vital, permanent and effective. our developments i5me in answer -to our own needs—must grow out of such needs and above all; must-start from our own preconditions. For Precisely the same basic reasons that it is utter folly to shout out socialism for a country where its people neither want nor e ready for socialism, it is sheer nonsense to argue, as some fould try to do, that under “our system” it is hopeless to even ‘alk about our trade unions having people’s symphony orchestras, ‘peras, ballets, art galleries, libraries and theatres, just because Eur State isn’t that of the Soviets. 7 What we can do is start. We can work with what we have 't hand. Something can be done now by all those who would ome pouring out of shop, factory, camp, mine and mill to lead ‘he crusade for a real Ganadian national culture rooted in the asses. These same workers and true people’s artists Ize already here right now, and among them more than one \lexander Danilov. It is known, for instance, that some of whem who were among the “Messiahs of«the Hungry Thirties,” Wuxing the days of the Post Office and Art Gallery chapters ot »ur people’s history in the making inned up their own draw- €s in the Gallery. which for stark alism surpassed anything er to hang on these walls before or