Shakespeare wasn’t just a great playwright, he was a skilled politician who worked hard to make his acting company the most successful in London.
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Gotta Brainstorm? That’s Not Very Creative
“The trouble with brainstorming is that it reduces people into impersonal little thought bites, little sound bites. It doesn’t allow them to access their imagination the way they can with avatars, and it doesn’t allow personal emotional investment. Its emphasis on nonjudgmental positivity prevents animus and its bitter, exciting battles. Brainstorming, with its image of storm troopers from faceless military platoons or free-associating advertising drones, encourages hivemind rather than originality.”
The Smartest Countries In Europe (A List)
Germany comes out on top in a new study, followed by the Netherlands. Researchers say “that populations in the colder, more challenging environments of Northern Europe had developed larger brains than those in warmer climates further south. The average brain size in Northern and Central Europe is 1,320cc and in southeast Europe it is 1,312cc.”
Rescue For Theatre Museum?
The Royal Opera House in London is putting together a rescue plan for the Theatre Museum. “The museum, which is part of the capital’s Victoria and Albert Museum, is under threat because it had a £2.5m lottery grant bid turned down.”
Da Vinci Code Hype (Get Ready)
The book seems like a license to print money. “It certainly has meant ‘print more books.’ Now it also means “print movie tickets, paperbacks, store displays, posters.” Think of a tickertape parade with all that paper raining down: Dan Brown’s controversial thriller about a murdered art curator and a centuries-old Vatican conspiracy is going to generate heaps of paper in the next two months. And a lot of it will be green.”
The Mystery Of Da Vinci Code’s Success
On the eve of the release of the Da Vinci Code in paperback, Julia Keller wonders: “why is “The Da Vinci Code” such a hit? What accounts for its sensational success?”
Religious Books Hit The Bookstores
With the impending release of the Da Vinci Code movie, bookstores are being inundated with religious-themed books…
Sotheby’s Makes A China Bet
“Though still in its infancy, the appetite for contemporary Chinese art is booming in Europe and Asia. Betting that the trend is fast moving West, Sotheby’s has put together a sale that includes some of China’s hottest names. The auction house has timed it to coincide with Asia Week, the annual round of sales and exhibitions that draw dealers and collectors from across the globe to New York each spring.”
McBain Revamps Arts Magazines
Louise McBain has been building a $600 million publishing empire af arts magazines. Now she’s restructuring. “In five years, MacBain bought Art + Auction, Modern Painters and Museums Magazines and Gallery Guides, which publish guides for eight or more cities each. She added a data service, Art Sales Index, and a French publisher, Somogy. She launched a Web site, Artinfo.com, in 2005, and Truman will help start a new magazine, Culture & Travel, in September.”
Cardiff “Ring” Sells Out In Four Hours
Tickets for the Kirov Opera’s production of Wagner’s Ring in Cardiff, Wales, went fast. “Cardiff Fans from across the world have bought seats costing as much as £750 for the performance by Russia’s Mariinsky Theatre – formerly the Kirov Opera. The shows in December will be their only planned UK performance. Tickets have gone to fans as far away as Russia itself, as well as the USA, the Middle East and France.”