Author: Matthew Westphal

Australia’s Arts Funder Slashes Grants, Leaving Companies In Shock

The Australia Council for the Arts’ four-year funding program for 2021-24 has reduced the number of organizations included by a quarter, from 128 to 95, and has cut the planned grants for the first of those years by 30%. Because of the current COVID-related shutdowns, the Council is extending for one year funding for current grantees dropped for 2021-24, but even that extension will be cut by 30%. – Limelight (Australia)

New York Philharmonic Players Fired For Sexual Misconduct Reinstated

“The Philharmonic dismissed the players — its principal oboist, Liang Wang, and associate principal trumpet, Matthew Muckey — in September 2018. Both men denied wrongdoing, and the players’ union filed a grievance challenging their dismissals. The case was heard by an independent arbitrator, who found that the players had been terminated without just cause and should be reinstated.” – The New York Times

London’s West End Theatres To Remain Closed At Least Through May 31

“London’s theatres first shuttered their doors on March 16 in the wake of the escalating coronavirus pandemic. The mass closures, in an effort to curb the spread of the virus, mirrored those on Broadway on March 12. … While theatres in New York were initially scheduled to re-open April 13, an update from the Broadway League is expected to arrive in the coming days.” – Playbill

Singer-Songwriter John Prine Dead Of COVID At 73

“A onetime Army mechanic and mail carrier who wrote songs rooted in the experiences of lower-middle-class life, Mr. Prine rose to prominence almost by accident. He was at a Chicago folk club called the Fifth Peg one night in 1969, complaining about the performers, when someone challenged him to get onstage, saying, ‘You get up and try.’ … Within a year, he released his first album and was hailed as one of the foremost lyricists of his time, even as a musical heir to Bob Dylan. He went on to record more than 20 albums, win three competitive Grammy Awards and help define a genre of music that came to be called Americana.” – The Washington Post

This Ballet Company Is Sending Practice Barres And Special Flooring To Its Dancers In Lockdown

Says the Head of Performance Health at Queensland Ballet in Brisbane, “They’ve been using everything from bench tops, to tables to ironing boards as well as ballet barres, and practicing on surfaces that can be slippery. Keeping 60 company dancers fit and injury-free is challenging at the best of times. At least now we know they have a small surface and barre which is closer to their normal situation, where they can practice safely.” – Limelight (Australia)

With Everyone Else Avoiding Museums, Will Thieves Stay Away, Too?

Recent thefts of van Gogh and van Dyck paintings indicate that the answer is no. “Alarm systems and uniformed guards are still in place, of course, and the sale of museum-famous stolen art has never been easy. But … cavernous floors are now largely empty throughout the day, not just at night. Police departments in many places are stretched thin by illness. Social distancing has meant that the many people who might once have witnessed a burglary are now tucked in at home.” – The New York Times