“The policies that were in place almost parodied themselves. They were so specific on the one hand and totally missing the forest for the trees on the other that you really had to embed yourself into the logic of the particular platform, and of course every platform has its own set of policies that it makes up.” – The New Yorker
Author: Douglas McLennan
Dance Manchester Closes After 27 Years
It was the region’s dance support organization. A spokesperson for Dance Manchester said that as an “old school” company, the organisation was too reliant on public funding to remain “fit for purpose. We know now in the sector that you need more than that.” – Arts Professional
Why Are We Suddenly So Crazy For Cute?
“The craze for all things cute is motivated, most obviously, by the urge to escape from precisely such a threatening world into a garden of innocence in which childlike qualities arouse deliciously protective feelings, and bestow contentment and solace.” – Aeon
Familiar Argument: Why We Shouldn’t Feel Sorry For Paying Arts Graduates Less
Because the benefits of the jobs – it’s work that’s interesting, even fun… – are worth it? – The Telegraph (UK)
Why What You See Is Enormously Dependent On What You Believe
“Psychologists and neuroscientists have long wondered what strategies our brains might use to overcome the problems of ambiguity and pace. There is a growing appreciation that both challenges could be overcome using prediction. The key idea here is that observers do not simply rely on the current input coming in to their sensory systems, but combine it with ‘top-down’ expectations about what the world contains.” – Aeon
Motion Picture Academy Invites 842 New Members – Half Women
While for years the Academy made a concerted effort to limit the number of new member invitations and keep the number of voters to no more than 6,000, all the membership limits were abandoned in the wake of the 2016 #OscarsSoWhite controversy. In the aftermath of the protests that followed two consecutive years of all-white acting nominees, the Academy vowed to double the number of female and non-white members by 2020. – The Wrap
Houston Post Office To Be Converted To Sprawling Arts Complex (With A Rooftop Farm/Garden)
Called POST, the new complex will feature arts and music venues, entertainment spaces, creative workspaces, dining and shops. – dezeen
A Plea For Reality: Should Bots Have To Declare Their “Fake” Identities?
On July 1st, California became the first state in the nation to try to reduce the power of bots by requiring that they reveal their “artificial identity” when they are used to sell a product or influence a voter. – The New Yorker
How Jony Ive’s Designs Assaulted The Physical World
The late architect Robert Venturi praised the designers Charles and Ray Eames for bringing back “good old Victorian clutter” into modern design. Nothing similar could be said of Apple, whose designs are intended to absorb and centralize—and, in some cases, to wish the physical world out of existence. – The New Yorker
The Challenge of Doing Theatre In Mexico
“Currently, Mexico is going through a change of government, which has reduced the national budget for culture and has been removed a lot of art scholarships. On top of this, more and more states are moving away from the idea that arts hubs need to be in the capital cities, which is encouraging smaller communities across the country to create their own theatrical markets.” – Howlround