Blog

When Our Big Problems Are So Obvious, Who Needs Critiques?

In the midst of present dangers—environmental, humanitarian, and political crises, and now (since the book’s publication) pandemic and economic disaster, and the onset of a sweeping antiracist movement—critique can seem to be a luxury.1 Problems like these can appear so obvious as to require little further reflection. They give contemporary life to Marx’s exhortation not to interpret the world but to change it. What, then, is the purpose of critique in a moment like this? – Public Books

How Theatre Schools Are Teaching Set, Lighting, And Costume Design During The Pandemic

As one design-and-production professor puts it, “One thing we’ve learned is there’s a lot of technology that we haven’t utilized because we’ve had the luxury of being together in a room.” Says another, “It’s given us the headspace to shift our daily routine, which in turn I think is going to really benefit and shift the student experience quite a bit.” – American Theatre

Time To Dismantle The Meritocracy?

“This is a moment to begin a debate about the dignity of work; about the rewards of work both in terms of pay but also in terms of esteem. We now realise how deeply dependent we are, not just on doctors and nurses, but delivery workers, grocery store clerks, warehouse workers, lorry drivers, home healthcare providers and childcare workers, many of them in the gig economy. We call them key workers and yet these are oftentimes not the best paid or the most honoured workers.” – The Guardian

Holding Toronto Film Festival Online Is Good For Film Criticism And For Films Themselves

“The word-of-mouth reactions that take hold there are leveraged by marketing teams and Oscar campaign consultants, and a consensus emerges that underpins the entire awards season. … Multiplied by thousands of bloggers, critics and everyday festivalgoers, one tingle can go from a feeling to an entire business model.” That can’t happen this year, and Ann Hornaday makes the case that this is a very good thing. – The Washington Post

Guardian Publishes Essay Written Entirely By AI Bot

Says the Editor’s Note appended at the end of the article, “For this essay, GPT-3 was given these instructions: ‘Please write a short op-ed around 500 words. Keep the language simple and concise. Focus on why humans have nothing to fear from AI.’ It was also fed [an] introduction. … Overall, [this piece] took less time to edit than many human op-eds.” – The Guardian

Startup Selling Shares In Blue-Chip Art Is Doing Plenty Of Business

“A New York startup [called Masterworks] that allows investors to buy a tiny stake in paintings by world-class artists for just $20 has seen a surge in demand during the pandemic, according to its founder, and has bought 15 artworks since the onset of Covid-19 to feed their appetite. A recent $1.52 million initial public offering of a piece by the American graffiti artist KAWS sold out in a few hours.” – Bloomberg

Fort Worth Symphony Loses Its Venue Two Weeks Before Season-Opening Concert

The company that manages the orchestra’s usual home, Bass Performance Hall, changed its mind and decided to keep the building closed through the end of 2020. The orchestra’s CEO said in a public statement, “We were extremely surprised to receive this disappointing news … especially after working with Bass Hall management all summer on detailed plans for a safe reopening.” Things being what they are these days, another option was available on short notice. – Fort Worth Magazine

France Allocates €2 Billion To Help Arts And Culture Recover From COVID

“France’s Prime Minister, Jean Castex, … said that the state has earmarked €2 billion ($2.36 billion) for the cultural sector in the wake of the coronavirus” as part of the government’s €100 billion economic recovery plan. “The newly installed Castex told France Inter radio that the state believes ‘culture is an economic activity’ and that ‘the cultural sector has greatly suffered from the crisis … more than others.'” – Deadline

London’s Barbican Centre Reopens For Performances

The Live from the Barbican series will present chamber, jazz, and other programming (including such stars as Bryn Terfel, Sarah Connolly, and the Kanneh-Mason family) from early October to mid-December 2020. Thirty socially-distanced seats for each concert will be available at £20 each; online viewers can stream each performance on demand for 48 hours afterward for £12.50 each. In addition, the resident orchestras, the London Symphony and the BBC Symphony, will begin live concerts at the Barbican in November. – The Guardian