“Los Angeles biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong is nearing a deal to buy the Los Angeles Times and the San Diego Union-Tribune from their owner, Tronc … The nearly $500-million cash deal, if consummated, would return the Times to local ownership after 18 years and end a tumultuous relationship with its corporate parent in Chicago.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
‘Texas Monthly’ Hemorrhages Staff Under New Owners
“Eleven major fixtures of Texas Monthly‘s editorial team have quit since a hedge fund bought the publication for $25 million in October 2016 … According to multiple interviews with former staffers, the environment inside the Austin-based publication is now largely characterized by fear and precariousness, with employees worried about job stability and unsure if they can trust their leadership.”
Chicago’s Spertus Institute Finally Stabilized And Flourishing
“The Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago has turned a corner in recent months, re-emerging after years of financial problems and curatorial trepidation to organise more note-worthy shows … The slow and deliberate process of Spertus reinvigoration began in 2016,” with a new gallery space and new curator.
Scotland’s Arts Funding Body Backs Down, Reverses Elimination Of Funding For Five Key Orgs
Creative Scotland “has raided £2.6 million from other budgets to pay for the climbdown, which has been announced in the wake of widespread criticism online and an intervention from the Scottish Government.” Two of the five groups whose funding was restored after the outcry are children’s theatre companies; two more work with disabled artists; the fifth, the Dunedin Consort, has racked up many international awards for its recordings of Bach and Handel vocal works. Still among the zeroed-out is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
India’s Art Market Comes Into Its Own, Despite Bureaucracy And Currency Upheaval
The country’s economy is growing at around 7% annually, and the art market has reportedly grown 13% in just the past year. Art fairs, led by the Kochi-Muziris Biennale in Kerala state (along with the Dhaka Art Summit in neighboring Bangladesh), are booming as well. All this is despite uncertainty around a new tax and last year’s tumultuous currency reform, which saw all 500- and 1,000-rupee notes withdrawn.
Australia’s National Radio Network Dismantles Its Sound Libraries
“The ABC is dismantling its historic sound and reference libraries across the country and making 10 specialist librarians redundant to free up floor space and save on wages. Radio National, Classic FM, JJJ and all the other ABC programs rely on the Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Hobart libraries, which are packed full of CDs and vinyl as well as books and journals after 85 years of collecting.”
The World’s First Theatre Festival Dedicated To Fertility (?)
Well, we’ve seen stranger ideas. The Bush Theatre in London will present Fertility Fest 2018 this May. “The line-up will include talks, visual arts, literature, theatre and film with over 150 artists, scientists and experts exploring fertility in the 21st century.” Among the three plays on the programme will be Joanne Ryan’s Eggsistential.
North Korea’s National Orchestra Met With Protests As It Arrives In South Korea For Olympics
“The 9,700-tonne ferry, the Mangyongbong 92, was escorted into the eastern South Korean port of Mukho, where throngs of demonstrators were waiting. Some held large photos of the North’s leader, Kim Jong Un, with black crosses drawn through them.”
Why Do Wizards, Monarchs, Ancient Greeks And Romans, And Similar Characters In Fantasy Movies Always Have British Accents?
“Wizards like Gandalf and Romans like Russell Crowe’s gladiator share a common trait: Hollywood’s insistence that all of its fantasy and epic heroes speak like a Brit. And it’s not just because the British accent sounds grandiose and glorious. Well, a little bit. The real answer is rooted in the obsession with Empire – and how accents were actively cultivated by society elites as signifiers of global power and stature.” (video)
Inside The Audition That Lets Dancers Try Out For Ten Ballet Companies At Once
“‘Our main goal is really to help dancers,’ says David Makhateli, a former principal with The Royal Ballet who launched the Grand Audition with his wife, dancer Daria Makhateli. With 10 artistic directors from a wide range of countries present, a dancer who might not fit one company’s requirements has many more opportunities to be noticed. … Most [participating] companies are based in Europe, but American directors have also taken part in past editions.”