Patricia Ferguson was puzzled when she couldn’t get a publisher for her new book, especially since she had a good track record. Eventually she signed on with a tiny publish-on-demand business. “After a slow start and a couple of favourable reviews, the book, It So Happens, takes off. At first the author and publisher are bemused at the sudden influx of orders. All becomes clear when the author, reading her daily newspaper, comes across a feature on the Orange Prize longlist – and discovers to her amazement, that she has made the grade.”
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Foetry: Of Lotteries And Poetry Contests
The Foetry website has been on a mission to expose conflicts of interest in poetry competitions. But if a poetry competition judge awards prizes to former students and colleagues, does that really prove bias? “They haven’t proved manipulation per se, by producing a smoking gun. But if you are running a big state lottery like Powerball, how does it look if the buddy of the Powerball operator keeps winning the big prize? Maybe it was just a random drawing, but it sure looks funny.”
Sony Wants Digital Movie Download Service
Sony says it wants to create an “iTunes for movies.” “Films will be put onto flash memory for mobiles over the next year. Movie studios are keen to stop illegal file-sharing on peer-to-peer nets and cash in on digital the download market. Movie piracy cost the industry £3.7bn ($7bn) in 2003, according to analysts.”
UK Arts Leaders Unite For Manifesto
Leaders in the UK visual arts world are banding together for a manifesto it is hoped will “transform the arts”. “Arts leaders, bitterly disappointed that the Government has failed to follow through on its early investment in culture, have pledged to force politicians to accept that the public has a right to art. They are hoping that the united front, from a sector that has traditionally been fragmented, will place arguments about cultural entitlement firmly on the agenda for this election, for future spending rounds and beyond.”
Canadians – A Book-Buying People
A new report on book-buying habits in Canada “shows that 48 per cent of all Canadian households bought books, spending a total of $1.1 billion on them. Though a greater percentage of Canadian households spent money on newspapers (63 per cent) and movies (61 per cent), the total amount spent on each category was similar to that spent on books: overall spending on newspapers and movies amounted to $1.2 billion each. By comparison, Canadians spent $451 million on live sporting events.
Mark Cuban’s Digital Movie Dream
“As co-owner of Landmark Theatres, a chain of 60 cinemas he purchased two years ago, Mark Cuban is building the first all-digital theater empire. His goal is nothing less than to take the film out of the film industry. In March, the conversion to digital begins with two Landmark theaters in San Francisco and Dallas.”
BBC Governors Reject Springer Complaints
BBC governors have rejected 60,000 complaints against the recent showing of Jerry Springer, The Opera. “The committee admitted the show had caused offence but said it had been justified by its “outstanding artistic significance”. But one governor accused BBC management of a “degree of naivety” in failing to realise the offence that would be caused by the opera, which included hundreds of swear words and portrayed Jesus in a nappy admitting he is a “bit gay”.”
The Uber-Consultant
In an era when cultural institutions are growing and building at an unprecedented rate, arts consultant Adrian Ellis can be counted on for some straight talk. “His sobering message may not be what museums with big dreams want to hear. But Mr. Ellis’s clients say his unvarnished advice is not unwelcome. “He’s a reality check,” said Charles Saumarez Smith, director of the National Gallery in London. “I think it’s healthy for every institution to have a good reality check.”
In Store AT The Museum…
Museum shops have become an increasingly important source of income. “The Metropolitan has long been the leader in museum marketing. Last year, sales at its 20 gift shops around the country generated $80 million of its $260 million in revenue. But as the bling binge soars, others are following suit, promoting jewels in shops, catalogs and on the Web.”
Museums – It’s All About The Brand?
Museums are increasingly turning to branding experts to redefine their image. “There’s a realization that museums need to understand what the world thinks of them. Art is a code that can and should be broken and museums are not always good at communicating that code to the outside world,” he said. “It’s a translation process. We’re the interpreters. We’re not writing the script, but helping articulate the message.”