“The Duolingo course [in Scots Gaelic], which was launched just before St. Andrew’s Day on 30 November and looks likely to be the company’s fastest-growing course ever, has garnered more than 127,000 sign-ups – 80% from Scotland itself – compared with just over 58,000 people who reported themselves as Gaelic speakers in the 2011 Scottish census.” And a similar revival is starting in the study of the country’s other indigenous language, Scots. – The Guardian
Blog
This Actor Finally Landed The Role He’d Been Waiting His Career For — But It Was In A Language He Didn’t Speak
What’s more, he triumphed, and in a production that ran for at least a year longer than anyone expected. The actor is Steven Skybell, who talks with Laura Collins-Hughes about playing Tevye in Joel Grey’s Yiddish staging of Fiddler on the Roof. – The New York Times
The Conundrum Of Alma Mahler Gropius Werfel
“Even in her lifetime, she was both adored and reviled. Was she an artist stunted by society’s restrictions on women who channeled her genius to become the inspiration for the men she consorted with? Or was she a grandiose groupie, expropriating the fame of her husbands and lovers?” (The answer is “yes.”) – The New York Review of Books
Why Wampanoags Are Looking Forward To Mayflower 400 Events
“Native Americans whose ancestors suffered at the hands of 17th-century European settlers and adventurers are hoping commemorative events marking the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s journey will reveal their story to the whole world – and even lead to the recovery of one their long-lost treasures.” – The Guardian
How Visual Effects Teams Tried (And Failed) To Save ‘Cats’
“On Dec. 20, as Cats opened in theaters domestically, Universal made an unprecedented decision to send exhibitors a new version of the film with ‘some improved visual effects.’ By then, however, it was too late.” (includes video) – The Hollywood Reporter
Edinburghers Are Rising Up To Resist ‘Disneyfication’ Of Their City
“On one side is Underbelly, the London events company which claims to have taken Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations to another level. It is backed by a city council which has gleefully watched the numbers rise in those indexes that confer tourism superstardom: unique-users, profits and exposure. Facing them is a rebel alliance … [called] Citizen, launched last April to bring together local groups seeking to restore Edinburgh as ‘a place for people rather than profit’.” – The Observer (UK)
Hollywood Isn’t The Only Film Industry With Skin Color Issues: Bollywood Has A Brownface Problem
“The controversial practice of ‘brownface’ in Indian cinema, where actors with lighter skin wear brown makeup to play certain roles — often reinforcing negative stereotypes — has been attracting attention. [What’s more,] actors with lighter skin are frequently seen as more ‘sellable’ at the Indian box office and often receive higher profile parts.” (video) – BBC
Does Freezing Dance Works In Their Original Form Doom Them?
It’s true that dance history is particularly hard to preserve, and the desire to stay true to a choreographer’s original intention when restaging their work is a valid one. But treating these works like museum pieces can backfire. In the effort to stay painstakingly authentic to an original artist’s work, are we missing some of the spark that made it so exciting when it premiered, and losing the element that made it a classic in the first place? Are we preventing these works from resonating with new audiences? – Dance Magazine
All Songs Are The Product Of Other Songs (Cue The Copyright Trolls)
The idea that this might be actionable is the new twist. Every song benefits from what preceded it, whether it’s a melodic idea, a lyrical motif, a sung rhythm, a drum texture. A forensic analysis of any song would find all sorts of pre-existing DNA. A copyright troll exploits that, turning inevitable influence into ungenerous and often highly frivolous litigation. – The New York Times
Strip Down? De-Clutter? The False Promise Of Minimalism
The average American household possesses more than 300,000 items. In the UK, one study found that children have on average 238 toys, but only play with 12 of them on a daily basis. We are addicted to accumulation. The minimalist lifestyle seems like a conscientious way of approaching the world now that we have realised that materialism, accelerating since the industrial revolution, is literally destroying the planet. Yet my gut reaction to Kondo and the Minimalists was that it all seemed a little too convenient: just sort through your house or listen to a podcast, and happiness, satisfaction and peace of mind could all be yours. – The Guardian