Minnesota, like many states, has a film office whose job it is to lure movie companies to film in the state. The office helps arrange permits, scout locations and generally make filmmakers’ lives easier. It also offers rebates – called “snowbates” here – to bribe production companies. But the state’s governor has cut the ofice’s budget, and it looks like much of the Minnesota film business will go away. “The board keeps a tally of money spent on filmmaking in the state and compares it to the amount it gets in state subsidies. Over the past 10 years, the ratio is 33 to 1.”
Blog
Are We Reading More Poetry Than We Used To?
“On almost any day these days, somewhere in Chicago and its suburbs, a poet is conducting a reading. A poet in residence is opening a world of words to a class of wide-eyed 5th graders. An editor in a cluttered, cramped home office is lovingly cobbling together a poetry journal that will be seen by a tiny audience appreciative of its presence, concerned for its survival. A boisterous bar crowd is giving encouraging applause or withering hisses to contestants in a poetry slam. “That sure wasn’t the case in the ’70s or ’80s. Every once in a while, there’d be a reading, but not all that often.”
NPR – Is Growing 300 New Member Stations Reasonable?
National Public Radio has ambitious goals – 300 new member stations and 5 million new listeners by 2010. But where are they going to come from? “In today’s crowded radio market, increasing the number of NPR stations by half can seem far out of reach. Most large and medium markets lack room for new frequencies. Licensees such as state universities have no money to buy frequencies anyway.”
War Is Good For Art?
War may be terrible, but it’s good for art, writes Jan Dalley. The 20th Century “produced in the western world a rich array of art inspired by war, and invented or exploited new art forms with which artists of all sorts could express their responses. War is, let’s face it, a great subject. And once the subject was liberated from the constraints of previous centuries – that was, the adherence to right-thinking patriotic norms that demanded unconditional and uncritical support (“my country right or wrong”) – there was a flowering of art in response to conflict.”
Scottish Minister Announces A New National Theatre – Critics Laugh
The Scottish culture minister promises that the government will fund the long-awaited National Theatre in the next session of parliament. Ha! roar the government’s critics. That’s what the government promised at the last election. “Opposition politicians said the timing of the announcement, in the run up to the election, smacked of political opportunism rather than any real desire to invest in the arts. Critics also pointed out that the establishment of a national theatre was a key policy commitment of Labour’s first term in office. Its abandonment has been seen as one of the key failures of the Scottish Executive.”
Are Our Universities Being Bought?
“Just how far have industrial sponsors actually gone in seeking to use higher-education institutions and professors for their own commercial ends? How willing have universities been to accept money at the cost of compromising values central to the academic enterprise? Now more than ever, they [universities] have become the principal source of the three most important ingredients of progress in a modern, industrial society: expert knowledge, highly educated people, and scientific discoveries. At the same time – in a depressed economy, with the federal budget heavily in deficit and state governments cutting investments in higher education – campus officials are confronting a chronic shortage of money to satisfy the demands of students, faculty members, and other constituencies.”
New York City Revives Decency Commission
New York City’s “Decency Commission is back. But this time “instead of acting as a culture vice squad, their role includes recommending policy, writing reports, and coordinating city, State, and federal agencies. Jitters concerning the return of a Decency Commission are understandable. It was only a few years ago that Rudolph Giuliani reconstituted the long-dormant commission to advise on what kinds of art should get city funds.”
Saving Music Education?
With budget cuts across America, music education programs are being cut. Supporters are rallying to try to save them, but it’s a hard sellRecognizing that parents nationwide are facing the same battle, a coalition of national music groups launched a new Web site this month to help them make their case. SupportMusic.com provides local groups with research and tips.
SF Ballet Rehires Dancer
San Francisco Ballet has reversed a decision not to offer a contract to one of its dancers. On March 1, Joan Boada, received a notice that he would not be re-engaged along with three other dancers. “At the time, Tomasson said he took into account economic and artistic considerations. The ballet is projecting a $1 million deficit for next season.” Though the other three contracts were not renewed, Boada’s has been.
Alabama Symphony: Riding Out The Storm
Five years ago the Alabama Symphony was in bankruptcy. And with no executive director currently and a music director preparing to depart, ticket sales and endowment down, the orchestra is working hard to keep things going. “Yet in the face of reports nationwide of unprecedented deficits, curtailed seasons, canceled concerts, layoffs and bankruptcies, ASO is holding up quite nicely, thanks to loyal support from corporate sponsors and dedicated board members and musicians.”