The new Savoy Opera in London is a grand experiment in the business of art, writes Norman Lebrecht. “The revolution was, unseen, in the bottom line. This was opera without subsidy, opera with an entrepreneurial spirit – opera as it used to be, organised by resourceful enthusiasts for an audience that consisted not of bow-tied aesthetes and glams in gowns but, in the main, of working men and women who might otherwise have been watching farce in Whitehall, a musical on Shaftesbury Avenue or a DVD at home. After sixty years of public support for the arts and a general recognition that they are a jolly good thing, here was a genuine attempt to test the market and see what sort of people, and how many of them, might go to the opera if it was brought to them at a guaranteed professional standard and at a reasonable price.”
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The Paper DVD
A new DVD made of paper can hold five times more data than the current model. “The disc is 51% paper and could offer foolproof security, said officials. Since a paper disc can be cut by scissors easily, it is simple to preserve data security when disposing of the disc.”
Of Value And Art
Sure, there’s the obvious connection between art and money, writes Thomas Crow. But art also “has its business in the world, in how a society functions and sees itself. As works of circulate from creator to patron, from dealer to collector, from private interior to public gallery, the transactions can be as much about sheltering the emotional, cultural and intellectual value of art as they are about money, even as prices climb and currency changes hands.”
Warning: US/Aussie Free Trade Proposal Will Harm Aussie Culture
Cultural leaders in Australia are warning that a proposed free trade agreement with the US will impinge on Australia’s home-grown culture. “The proposed deal caps the amount of local content at existing levels of 55 per cent on free-to-air commercial television and 25 per cent for commercial radio, and at 10 per cent on pay TV. If the government reduces these content levels, they cannot be raised again. The deal also prevents the government from regulating local content levels for new media without consulting the US, which can challenge any proposed changes.”
Wanted: Poet Laureate
Canada is looking for a new poet laureate. “Officially the Parliamentary Librarian is looking for someone who can, according to their press release, ‘demonstrate literary excellence though a substantial history of published works, including poetry; have written work reflecting Canada and the Canadian experience; have made a contribution to the writing community; have influenced other writers; and be a Canadian resident.’ Not everyone thinks having a veteran as the officially endorsed face of Canadian poetry is the best idea, however.”
John Kerry’s Share In A Dutch Master
Senator John Kerry’s biggest source of income after his Senate salary last year was the sale of a Dutch master painting. Kerry’s wife Teresa Heinz Kerry and her first husband, the late Senator John Heinz, “were famous art collectors, specializing in 17th-century Dutch works, primarily still lifes. Kerry, too, has become quite knowledgeable about art during his second marriage. ‘He’s fairly intellectual,’ one dealer noted, admiringly.”
The Angry Black Woman
“Stereotypes about black women have coursed through pop culture for centuries. They range from the smiling, asexual, and often obese Mammy to the promiscuous Jezebel who lures men with her sexual charms. But the one getting a major workout these days is the angry black woman.”
Broadcasters Protest Decency Crackdown
“Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) joined a coalition of two dozen broadcasters, professional organizations and free-speech advocates that filed a petition Monday asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reconsider its aggressive new approach to regulating broadcast decency, calling it unconstitutional and chilling.”
Writer McEwan Gets Apology From US Border Officials
“British writer Ian McEwan was ‘erroneously’ prevented from entering the United States on March 30 at the Vancouver, B.C., international airport and has received an ‘extremely rare’ letter of apology from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.”
NEA Announces New Writing Program For Troops
“The NEA this week is unveiling ‘Operation Homecoming,’ in which troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will attend workshops run by such writers as Tom Clancy, Tobias Wolff and James McBride. The best submissions will be published in an anthology, scheduled to come out at the end of 2005. ‘I’ve always believed that one of the signs of a healthy society is when all aspects of that society communicate with each other,’ NEA chairman Dana Gioia said.”