The lack of almost any original ideas, a true understanding of the history of festival structures – other than at Do Lab — and experimentation with new images, forms, or structures seems to preclude anything but a giant trash heap, where the remains of these designs will join the millions of plastic water bottles and other detritus left behind by the event in just burdening our planet even further. – Dezeen
Author: Douglas McLennan
Damning Report On Perceptions Of Arts Council England’s Workplace Culture
An independent assessment of ACE’s reputation as an employer concludes that applicants from diverse demographic groups perceive the funder as inaccessible and feel that ACE looks for a particular ‘type’ to join its workforce. – Arts Professional
Frank Gehry’s Design For The New Warner Brothers Studios HQ
The Canadian-American architect hopes the project will “recapture that feeling of old Hollywood splendour” that existed during its early years. “Once upon a time, Hollywood Studios had an important architectural presence in the city – they were like monuments to the movie-making process,” said Gehry. – Dezeen
Arts Funder Tells Its Winning Artists To Pay Themselves Better
The call to artists to apply for this self-defined professional development support encouraged applicants to include a fee for their own time. However, of the 263 applications received, 62% didn’t include one and many of those that did asked for fees lower than the rates recommended by sector bodies. – Arts Professional
CEO Jack Dorsey On What He Would Do Differently If He Was Starting Twitter Now
“If I had to start the service again, I would not emphasize the follower count as much. I would not emphasize the ‘like’ count as much. I don’t think I would even create ‘like’ in the first place, because it doesn’t actually push what we believe now to be the most important thing, which is healthy contribution back to the network and conversation to the network, participation within conversation, learning something from the conversation.” – The New Yorker
Netflix’s “Woke” Tweets Versus Its Corporate Decisions
Netflix’s Twitter feed talks like it’s a person, making comments and observations, and trying to be your best friend. It’s a tough act to pull off… – Washington Post
We Need A Better Definition Of Troll
Asking a troll to define trolling is a bit like asking a terrorist to define terrorism. The question backfires; it invites prevarication and propaganda. But in the past few years, an answer has become increasingly necessary—and elusive. Without one, can we clearly distinguish teasing from hate speech? – Wired
Is “The Death Of The Critic” A Tired Trope That Needs Retiring?
“What if the critic doesn’t need more audacity, or more ruthlessness; what if there isn’t one “tone of the time” waiting for their elucidation – indeed, what if nothing but mass popularity is missing? Relinquish the assumption that the mainstream is the critic’s rightful inheritance, and the anxiety might start falling away.” – Times Literary Supplement
How Changes In Facebook’s Algorithm Disadvantaged The Arts
The algorithm discouraged sharing of news. “While every subject group saw major reductions, on a percentage basis arts and entertainment referrals from Facebook to news pieces took the greatest hit. Legal issues may have been down 25%, politics down 34% and education down 35%, but arts and entertainment referrals were driven down by 71% overall.” – The Stage
Suggestion: Canadian Theatre Needs A New Funding Narrative
Jesse Lavercombe: “I think Canada needs a new narrative for itself that isn’t so much about buttressing a fortress or perfectly defining our national identity, but participating in a larger conversation. I’m not advocating for changes in CanCon regulations, and I’m certainly not advocating for less public funding (because it pays my rent, which in Toronto ain’t cheap), but those efforts shouldn’t come from a place of insecurity. Our public funding should be dedicated to raising the bar of our work and showing off that work to the world, not protecting us from the threat of our big brother to the south.” – Howlround