Howard Gardner: “Given little or nothing new in the human firmament, traditional morality – the ‘goods’ and ‘bads’ as outlined in the Ten Commandments or the Golden Rule – should suffice. My view of the matter is quite different. As I see it, human beings and citizens in complex, modern democratic societies regularly confront situations in which traditional morality provides little if any guidance.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Skin Color Is Not A Problem In British Ballet, Say These Dancers
“On Friday 5 October, at the Birmingham Hippodrome, Céline Gittens and Tyrone Singleton of Birmingham Royal Ballet will dance the lead roles in the company’s production of Swan Lake. In doing so, the pair will turn an important page in the art form’s history. Both are mixed-race, and it will be the first time that the ballerina role has been taken by a non-white dancer.”
Where Might Video Gaming Be Leading The Arts?
For instance: “I can see a time where we sell tickets to stories, ones that are told through the written word, film, games and theatre to various degrees. I would love to be in a violent shipwreck as part of an immersive experience and then go home and play a survival horror game continuing that story.”
San Sebastián Film Festival Hangs On Through Spain’s Crisis
“Ticket sales have been hit by a VAT increase, while state spending on the industry has been slashed by 30% and production has dropped by two-thirds. Still, … it’s managed to keep its funding from Madrid untouched. The regional government actually increased its contribution by £200,000, such is the Basque country’s enthusiasm for an event that brings it rare global attention.”
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Contract Talks Stall
“Contract talks between the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra management and musicians once again are at a standstill after the latest round of negotiations ended without a solution in sight.” On minimum pay, the sides are still about $10,000 apart.
Kenya Gets Its First E-Bookstore
“Digital Divide Data (DDD), a social enterprise BPO with a subsidiary in Kenya, will offer the e-books service through the e-Kitabu online portal and free Android application. … [The portal] offers over 250,000 titles in different categories across fiction, romance, religion, education, engineering and beyond.”
Atlanta Symphony Musicians Offer To Accept Pay Cuts – On One Condition
“The musicians of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra – locked out since Aug. 25 with no paychecks or insurance – are willing to accept $5.2 million in salary and benefit cuts if it means they can get back on the stage soon. But as both sides try to come up with an agreement that would help erase a projected debt that could top $20 million, there is one caveat.”
Making Theatre Into A ‘Social Enterprise’
Wayne Ingram of Tap the Table Theatre: “Most theatre companies are looking to create social change – they make work that reflects society and try to communicate messages they hope will make a difference. But for many theatre companies it’s all about putting on a show, and social change is often a by-product. What we do differently is make social change the sole driving force behind what we do.”
The Industrial Revolution In Color
“Up until the mid-19th century, bright colors were the preserve of the wealthy, the only people who could afford them. Yet the dyes used in even the most expensive items were so unstable that they often faded or discolored. The development of chemical dyes” – starting with mauve in 1858 – changed all that.
The Temporary Light Sculpture That Kosovo Doesn’t Want To Give Up
It’s some seven-meter-tall scaffolding with “A PLACE BEYOND BELIEF”, and it sits in Pristina, “between the new government education offices, the Kosovo Art Gallery, and the half-built, half-ruined Orthodox church raised by Slobodan Milosevic in the 1990s.” Nathan Coley’s piece has surprising resonance with Kosovars.