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UK Arts Bailout For Arts Institutions. But What About Artists?

After months of monotone condolences and a vague “five-step roadmap” from culture secretary Oliver Dowden, the British government Beyoncéd the arts community on 5 July by announcing a surprise £1.57bn emergency support package. Dowden said he would begin by bailing out the “crown jewels of our national life – you know, the Royal Albert Halls and so on”. It should come as no surprise that this government is prioritising bedazzled institutions. The “crown jewels” of theatre, however, are not the brick-and-mortar, however fine, of London landmarks, but the creative workforce that set the stage alight – 70% of whom are freelancers. – The Guardian

‘The Robert Caro Of Hawaii’

“As the decades passed, [David W.] Forbes [has] painstakingly tracked down archival portraits of people alive in that era, in libraries and private collections throughout the islands. That set him on a half-century hunt for clues about the dynastic line of Hawaiian royals. … [One eminent colleague] believes that Forbes’s life work — the four-volume Hawaiian Bibliography and The Diaries of Queen Lili’uokalani — will be used by scholars for decades to come.” – Literary Hub

The Pandemic’s Lasting Effects On The Arts?

If, as I gloomily expect, this pandemic mushrooms into a huge, epochal shift in the social, economical and political landscape of the United States, then history teaches us perfectly clearly that there will be mirroring changes in the arts. That’s why we have concepts like “post-war literature” or “Restoration theater” or “Socialist realism.” You can’t have an earthquake without artists noticing. – San Francisco Chronicle

How A Virtuoso Got Her Antique Cello Back 40 Years After It Was Stolen

Christine Walevska got her one-eighth-size 1834 Bernardel cello when she was eight years old, and even as she went on to study with Gregor Piatigorsky, win a first prize at the Paris Conservatoire and pursue an international career, she remained attached to her childhood instrument. In 1976, it was stolen. Reporter Stacy Perman tells the story of how the little cello ultimately found its way back to Walevska — and a gifted young protégée came along with it. – Los Angeles Times

How Artists And Arts Organizations In San Francisco Are Adapting

Some of these people have taken the opportunity to begin a radical rethinking of their operations. Others are doing their best to maintain a connection with their patrons and audiences that will be strong enough to tide them over the current and coming upheavals. Wherever you look, the cultural players are busily brainstorming solutions. – San Francisco Chronicle

How I Got Audiences To Pay More For Streamed Performances Than I Would Have Asked Them To

Kahlil Ashanti began his performing career as part of an elite U.S. Air Force unit that did shows for servicepeople at military bases and in battle zones all over the globe. One thing he heard over and over from audience members, both soldiers and civilians (in his post-Air Force life), was “I would have gladly paid more for that.” Here’s how he got them to actually do it. – Arts Professional