Judges of a major UK regional theatre awards program, after years of warning of the dire state of regional theatre, have declared a new “golden age” of regional theatre. “It seemed to all of us that there were significantly more productions on a larger scale, lots of work for actors, lots of Shakespeare, lots of new plays, and lots of touring and co-production, with companies exploiting new productions by taking them around to other theatres.”
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The Drama Of Prague
.Even at its darkest moment, when the euphoria of the Prague Spring was crushed by the Soviet invasion of 1968, Czech culture threatened resurgence. ‘A secret streamlet trickles on beneath the heavy crust of inertia, slowly and inconspicuously undercutting it,’ Václav Havel wrote in his famous 1975 open letter to communist president Gustav Husak, which resulted in Havel’s arrest. When the trickle became a torrent at the end of the 1980s, theatre played a vital role.”
Out Of Africa – The Continent’s Most Innovative Dance Company
“Burkina Faso – or “Land of Men of Dignity”, surely the most beautifully named country in the world – is the home of Africa’s most important film festival, held twice a year in the capital, Ouagadougou. The city also has a thriving music scene. Against all the odds, Burkinas had found ways in which they were not poor”… But “it is still a surprise to find that Burkina Faso is home to one of the most innovative contemporary dance companies on the European circuit.”
The Fashion Of Art
Does an Armani fashion exhibit belong in the British Academy? “Prejudice, fear and suspicion still surround the status of fashion within many galleries. This sometimes takes the form of fashion being tolerated as a form of entertainment which will pull in the crowds, with no acknowledgement of the serious contribution it also makes to the educational role of the museum. More than anything else, however, it is fashion’s slippery nature that helps to perpetuate the prejudice.”
Getty: No To Taking Over Barnes
Last Sunday, LA Times art critic Christopher Knight suggested that the Getty step in to rescue the Barnes Collection in suburban Philadelphia so it wouldn’t be moved to downtown Philly. But Getty president Barry Munitz flatly turns down the idea. “It can’t generate enough revenue, and why squabble incessantly with the neighborhood when you can have a new facility in the company of other great cultural institutions along that corridor? This keeps the collection intact and keeps the hanging pattern intact, and it will have the educational philosophy still at the core.”
How Much Is Music Worth?
Is 99 cents a fair price for a downloadable music track? “Some analysts are beginning to realize that lower prices could greatly expand the size of the digital-music market, still minuscule despite iTunes’ success. A July survey by Jupiter Research of 2,500 adults who use the Internet found that 35% of people are willing to pay 51 cents to $1 for a song by a favorite artist; 20% are willing to pay 50 cents or less; and 19% would pay more than $1 (26% say no price is right, they’ll pay nothing). Problem is, online-music services cannot significantly lower prices without losing money.”
North Carolina Conservatory – Tools For The Job
The North Carolina School of the Arts has long had to contend with inadequate facilities. Despite the limitations, the school has turned out an impressive list of music graduates. But now the school is opening a new $10 million home, and with the right tools…
LA’s Disney Hall – The Aesthetic Challenge
“This hall is our opportunity to take that evolutionary step in creating an orchestra for the 21st Century. We now have the possibilities of enhanced programming and new concert formats, of providing a new gravitas with the community. I’ve always had this feeling that an orchestra should not just be an orchestra but, rather, something that has an intellectual and spiritual impact on the lives of people in the community. You cannot open a new building and simply carry on business as usual. There must be a match of programming and ideology, with the music matching the signals given out by the building.”
Opera House In A Laptop
Canada’s first real opera house is under construction in Toronto. For now, though, it exists in software. “In a opera house, sound is sacred. The worst nightmare is to pour the concrete, build the place, and then find out the acoustics are poor. So computer software has been heavily pressed into service to establish what kind of sound every person in the hall will hear – before the hall is built. This is something that has only become possible in the past four years, and Toronto’s opera house will be the first to receive the benefit.”
Getting Ahold Of A Strad
There are only 500-600 Stradivari violins left. To play at in the top ranks of soloists, you want to have one of them. “Say you are a gifted young musician and you need an illustrious instrument to develop your musicianship, career and reputation. To buy one you have to be able to command the fees that only a career on the international circuit can provide. And for that you need a fine instrument. You are stymied.”