Well actually, the Gr8est Debate
Left to Right: Team Arts’ Bronwyn Cowell and Steve Hind, Anne Moore, CEO, SydneyTalent, moderator Steve Cannane and Team Science’s Kara Kidman and Paul Hunyor.
Thursday, 25 March 2010. Who would have thought, that as our country’s leaders debated this great country’s health reforms, it was equally important that we debated the age old topic of Arts Vs Science – the world would be a better place if we tipped the scales in favour of the arts and acknowledged their greater contribution to society.
To sum up, the division between generational wit and experience was challenged.
The clash was titanic in proportions.
Needless to say it was provocative and cheeky and hilariously entertaining, with the audience witnessing the debating prowess of the next generation of Australia’s leaders.
Leading the charge for the affirmative argument was the Generation Y debating team. Hot off the stage from winning the World Universities Debating Championships, Steve Hind paid homage to our political health debate and argued that the arts beautified our Australia and that a good piece of art was better than a pile of bricks they call a hospital.
As a former arts graduate, Paul Hunyor felt compelled to be the forerunner in the argument against it. He views himself as a living, breathing Generation X testimony to why the Arts just won’t do. Paul appealed to the audience’s love of technology and accredited science with saving more lives and shaping the world we live in today. Quoting provocative lyrics by international pop sensation Lady Ga Ga to illustrate a lack of inspiration in the arts, he said the arts just don’t matter to people as much as scientific breakthroughs. They are a ‘nice to have’ and not essential.
In response, Bronwyn Cowell argued that the often under-recognised contributions arts make to our society provide substance and culture in our world. She suggested Sydney and Melbourne must continue to use the arts to re-invigorate their cities much in the same way that Canberra does as it hosts the Monet exhibition to attract a procession of grey nomad tourists.
Kara Kidman proceeded to support her fellow Gen Xer, chorusing that without science, we will end up with our planet utterly destroyed. She counselled the audience and advised that art should be left to artists without interference, stating that as soon as you give art recognition, it spoils.
Steve Hind, who closed the debate for team Arts, said that while science made people live longer, it didn’t make them live better citing the enslavement of workers by technology as a failure of science’s contribution. By comparison, Paul Hunyor, concluded that arts degrees are not worth the fair-trade, organic paper they are written on.
ABC Lateline reporter and University of Sydney Graduate Steve Cannane, moderated the debate and announced our esteemed Gen Xers as the winners following thunderous applause from the mainly Gen Y audience.
Following the Gr8 debate, SydneyTalent announced an Opinion Editorial competition for all students enrolled at the University of Sydney. Students will be challenged to submit their opinion in editorial format of up to 750 words on either Why study Arts? OR Why study Science? All entries need to be submitted to the SydneyTalent website by Friday 30 April. For more details please click here.