Tate Britain had the “highest rise in visitor numbers among the country’s leading tourist attractions. The total number of visitors that passed through the Millbank gallery was 1,733,120 – up 58 per cent in 12 months. By contrast, almost all other leading attractions in London slumped after the 7 July bombings. The National Gallery had 15 per cent fewer visitors, the London Eye was down 12 per cent and the Tower of London by 9 per cent.”
Blog
Brainy Drainy
“When educated people emigrate, they leave with skills and experience crucial to solving their countries’ critical problems. The migration of doctors leaves poor countries (and eventually other global population centers) subject to the ravages of highly communicable diseases. Public services are deprived of trained personnel, and countries lose revenue from some of their highest-earning taxpayers. Sending countries also lose educated citizens who otherwise might play key roles in developing responsive governments and organizing civil society, often resulting in political instability and regional conflict.”
Edinburgh Fest Racks Up Deficit
The Edinburgh Festival has gone “£1 million into the red after losses of £850,000 in 2005, its organisers said yesterday. The festival ran up the deficit producing a record six new shows last year. Some of the cash is being recouped as the shows are sold on.”
Vegas’ Theatre Experiment Gets Some Cold Water
Theatre in Vegas seemed like a natural sell. So why didn’t Avenue Q fail to last more than five months? “Off the record, some Vegas producers hypothesized that Avenue Q struggled because it requires a knowledge of English (hard for foreign tourists), or because despite the puppets, it has some fairly serious themes.”
Finally – Scotland’s New National Theatre
“For those who work in the theatre, it represents the biggest change in scale and aspiration since the beginning of public subsidy for the arts more than half a century ago. For audiences, too, there are high hopes of bigger, better resourced shows, perhaps even featuring some of those fine Scottish actors, from Sean Connery — well, we can dream — to Tilda Swinton, who ply their trade everywhere except at home.”
The Man To Save Colorado Ballet
Colorado Ballet’s survival is on the shoulders of new director Gil Boggs. “It is not much of an overstatement to say that the very survival of the company rests on him as it tries to reverse a financial crisis and repair its image after the controversial firing of 19-year artistic director Martin Fredmann in October.”
Brokeback’s Big Night At The Baftas
In all Brokeback Mountain won four awards, including best picture, best director and best adapted screenplay. It is widely tipped to win many of the same awards at the Oscars in March.
Bob Edwards From The Heavens
In the 17 months since he jumped to satellite radio from NPR, “Edwards has displayed more range and reportorial chops than some at NPR had given him credit for. As Howard Stern is learning from his new home at Sirius Satellite Radio, speaking to a much smaller audience takes some adjusting. But it’s also liberating: On XM, Edwards has produced full-hour documentaries, long-form profiles and lyrical tributes to musicians and other artists, along with the newsier interviews that were his coin on Morning Edition.”
Of Dramaturgs And How Theatre Is Made
“I teach dramaturgy, and I spend a good two or three weeks with my students talking about what different dramaturgs think dramaturgy is. The problem is that the term is used to encompass so many things.” One of her favorite short definitions, she adds, is “information designer, [which tells people that] the dramaturg is part of the design staff. … I’m in charge of the text and context of the play.”
A Chicago Sullivan, Back In Focus
One of architect Louis Sullivan’s Chicago masterpieces is being restores. “For architecture lovers, the restoration is a revelation, like hearing the finale of a Beethoven symphony for which the music was long lost. But the job has implications that reach far beyond the southeast corner of State and Madison Streets. It proves that sensitive preservation architects and skilled craftsmen still can do this kind of thing, even though skeptics claim otherwise.”