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COLLEGE LIFECatz welcomes Kevinas the eighteenth Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor of Contemporary TheatreIN HIS INAUGURAL LECTURE the actorand director spoke of the fundamentalimportance of art and culture to society,while also offering those present a morepersonal insight into what motivated –and continues to motivate – him topursue a career that has seen him gaininternational recognition for his work.This is an edited version of that lecture.I’d like to share with you a little about myown background, because the story of howI got to this place in my life will help explainwhy I believe so passionately in the valueof what arts and culture – in particular thetheatre – can contribute to people’s lives. I believe thatarts and culture are not a luxury. They are a necessity.Movies, plays, music, dance and painting inspire, uplift,enrich and challenge us, stimulating our conversations,entering our debates and remaining in our hearts.Theatre creates a sense of family and communitythat can have a remarkable effect on a young person,whether they have an ambition to go into the... arts andculture arenot a luxury.They are anecessity.performing arts or not. Using the tools andartists of theatre we can teach young peopleto communicate, to express themselves, tofind their confidence, build their self-esteem.Because theatre requires participation, there’sno option to sit on the fence, watch from thesidelines, refuse to engage. It requires anemotional investment that helps us to openup and to express ourselves.I know how life-changing it can be for a youngperson to stand on a stage in a workshop,because when I was thirteen I attended aseminar conducted by the great actor JackLemmon. I cannot begin to tell you what itmeant to me when, after I performed a scene,he walked up to me, put his hand on my shoulder andsaid, in front of everyone, ‘That was a touch of terrific,kid. You got talent and you ought to think aboutbecoming an actor.’ Twelve years later, followingtraining at the Julliard School of Drama, I was castas Jack’s son in the Broadway production of EugeneO’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night. We workedtogether for over a year and I not only got the chanceto become Jack’s friend but also had the pleasure of10/CATZ WELCOMES KEVIN SPACEY