“The Arts Council has warned that such cuts over the next four years would mean dropping at least 200 arts organisations out of more than 800 they fund, with the loss of thousands of jobs. A group of major philanthropists” cautions the government “that its aspirations for a major growth in private funding giving cannot bridge the gap left by a collapse in state cash.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
LA County Arts Grants Decline, But Less Than Expected
“[T]he $4.1 million in grants from the Los Angeles County Arts Commission is still down 6.8% from 2009-10. The Arts Commission had been facing an overall 10.6% reduction in its budget for 2010-11, in keeping with cuts that faced many county operations as officials tried to cope with revenue shortfalls in a poor economy.”
Next Up On White House Stage: Broadway Talents
“The Tony-winning performers are actor-singers Nathan Lane (two Tonys), Audra McDonald (four Tonys), Idina Menzel, Tonya Pinkins and Karen Olivo (one each, for ‘Wicked,’ ‘Jelly’s Last Jam’ and ‘West Side Story,’ respectively), and pianist Marvin Hamlisch, a Tony winner for his score to ‘A Chorus Line.'”
How To Soften The Effect Of Arts Funding Cuts
“All building schemes must be pared to the bare minimum: one thing we don’t need at present is any new or bigger galleries, museums or theatres…. It is better to curtail the expansive empire-building of the Tate, British Museum and V & A than to squeeze lesser fry of the ability to keep up basic levels of operation.”
Beethoven’s Symphonies All In One Day: Brilliant Or Mad?
“We’re more used to consuming culture in complete cycles and series today than ever before (we’ve all sat down to watch one episode of 24 and ended up slumped on the sofa hours later having got through a whole day with Jack…). But is Beethoven really ripe for the Jack Bauer treatment? Will the result be blazing Beethovenian insight or mere musical overload?”
Latest DIY: Presenting Performing And Visual Arts At Home
“House concerts are a folk tradition that’s as old as ‘Oh! Susanna.’ But nowadays they’re the stage for pop performers, too — everyone from Wilco’s revered Jeff Tweedy to Canada’s Be Good Tanyas to your neighbor’s aspiring singer/songwriter college student. Other arts — dance, theater and even visual arts — are being presented in Minnesota houses, apartments and back yards, as well.”
How To Present Art, And Artists, At Home
Tips range from consulting your insurance agent to this bit of Midwestern nice: “If your performer is from out of town, make sure he or she has a place to stay — even if it is your home.”
Victory Gardens Artistic Director Dennis Zacek To Retire
“Zacek, who will be 70 in November, has directed more than 250 productions at the Gardens and was responsible for the creation of its famed ensemble of playwrights, a group of 14 writers to whom Zacek has been fiercely loyal.”
Powerful Women In Television? The Numbers Are Bleak.
“[A]n ongoing gender-bias class-action suit against Wal-Mart alleges that, among other things, only 33 percent of the company’s management is female…. The percentage that helped launch a lawsuit from Wal-Mart employees would represent an improvement for women in the entertainment industry.”
In A Found Space, Immersed In Theatre
“I go to the fridge for milk, the garage for petrol and the vet to fix my dog. It’s a conventional approach to life, but it works. If, however, I want to go to see some of the latest and most exciting theatre, I have to spend hours rummaging around for a pair of walking boots, a raincoat with a hood and an up-to-date Ordnance Survey map.”