“On March 27, The Canadian Almanac and Directory sent a letter to what its staffers termed ‘famous Canadians in the arts, sciences, sports, government and media’ asking them to contribute essays on Canada, the land, the peoples, and so on, for the publication’s 160th edition. A week later, the 159-year-old publication’s U.S. owner, ProQuest Co. of Ann Arbor, Mich., announced that it was laying off staff at the Toronto office. Workers still in place were told to cancel those requests for essay contributions.”
Blog
Will Podcasts Et Al Kill Local Broadcasters?
“The rise of the on-demand world has local suppliers of content everywhere unsettled. In one sense, it’s the classic tale of old-guard businesses struggling to withstand a disruptive technology. (Think Napster and the record industry.) But it’s also a lesson in how media are benefiting by embracing the new broadcast landscape of content without boundaries.”
Organ-Makers Run Afoul Of New European Union Laws
“Two European Union directives, which come into force in the 25 EU countries in July, ban the manufacture of ‘electrical equipment’ containing more than 0.1 percent lead. The statutes are intended principally to reduce the volume of lead seeping back into the environment mainly from discarded mobile phones and other disposable modern technologies. But the 1,000-year-old art of organ-building appears to have been swept up in the legislating zeal.”
Is Reggaeton Fading?
Today’s big music? Well, it was supposed to be reggaeton. But then again, maybe not. “In at least three markets — Las Vegas, Dallas and Miami — stations that gambled on the music’s growing popularity have since switched back to more traditional formats. And in perhaps the most worrisome sign yet, turnout was disappointing for a reggaeton concert last month at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., headlined by Daddy Yankee, the genre’s superstar, and rapper Snoop Dogg.”
Mix Up – The Culture Export
“Though the world’s diverse societies are continuously interacting, the process is producing a variety of hybrid regimes rather than convergence on a single model. Yet a belief that a universally accepted type of society is emerging continues to shape the way social scientists and public commentators think about the contemporary condition, and it is taken for granted that industrialization enables something like the way of life of rich countries to be reproduced everywhere.”
Does A Culture Minister Matter In Canada?
Another spring, another culture minister. “Veterans of the culture wars have seen a bewildering number of ministers come and go, both federally and provincially. Virtually all of them have stood up and proclaimed their deep respect, admiration and concern for the arts. But how many of them have actually delivered on their promises? And in the end, does it really matter who the culture minister is or what the minister says in speeches to the Canadian Club?”
Why Must We Always “Explain” Art?
“As humans, we have a constant discussion going on in our brains. On our right sides we have instinct, emotion, intuition; on the left, intellect, language, reason. As an artist, I feel that it is from this dialogue that inspiration comes. If a decision about how to proceed with a work is a toss-up between watertight concept and sensual intuition I tend to give in to intuition because of its track record.”
Broadway Fans Starstruck Over Julia
Julia Roberts’ appearance on Broadway has caused anightly scrum of fans outside the theatre. “Each night, as the performance ends, fans gather behind barriers and across 45th Street from the Jacobs to catch a glimpse and get playbills autographed. The theatre’s security team has set up an exclusive pen for ticket-holders, who can line up on one side of the stage door.”
Next Year’s Oscars Move Back To February
For its 79th Annual Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is moving back to the last Sunday in February, a spot the Oscar show occupied in 2004 and 2005 before moving back a week — to the first Sunday in March — this year in order to avoid going head-to-head against NBC’s broadcast of the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics.
A Pocket History Of Ballet
“Ballet’s origins are more diverse than its image suggests, however, and a look at the art form’s history shows its reputation for elitism to be surprisingly undeserved.”