“More and more, critics are going beyond reviews that focus on musicality and technique to report on problems concerning diversity, politics, and workplace culture. Independent publications such as I Care If You Listen, NewMusicBox, and National Sawdust’s The Log reflect a more diverse creative landscape and a more politically-conscious audience. There’s an increasing drive, [Jennifer] Gersten tells CJR, ‘to ask what a given concert is doing for the reputation of an institution and for the field at large … Can we use this concert, this particular piece, as a sign that there are better things to come?’” – Columbia Journalism Review
Blog
Can Theatre Really Help Fight Climate Change? Yes
Lyn Gardner: “Science … can give us the facts or the knowledge. But as a species we don’t always respond to facts because they make us feel guilty and paralysed. What we respond to as human beings are stories.” – The Stage
Antiquities Trafficking Sting Recovers Over 18,000 Objects; 59 Suspects Arrested
“Among the goods seized in the multinational operation, which was dubbed Pandora III and organised by Europol, were an ancient Mesopotamian crystal cylinder seal, a 15th-century bible that had been stolen in Germany over 25 years ago and 109 ancient coins.” – The Art Newspaper
You Think Venice And Barcelona Have Too Many Tourists? Pity This Poor Austrian Village
Hallstatt, a pretty lakeside hamlet of 800 people, got 19,344 tour buses last year (that’s an average of 53 a day, year-round) and more than a million visitors. Residents have encountered strangers in their bathrooms and camera drones by their bedroom windows. The flood began after Chinese developers, unbeknownst to Hallstatters, built a life-size replica of the village in Guangdong and Asian tourists came flocking to see the real thing. – The Washington Post
Is Venice Really Banning Cruise Ships From The Lagoon? Not Exactly, No
Despite many an international headline to the contrary (not to mention the wishes of some local campaigners and residents), no ban has yet been adopted into law or even government policy. There’s a proposal from Italy’s transport minister to begin, as of September, diverting the largest ships away from Venice’s historic center to the other side of the lagoon. Clare Speak explains what is and is not happening. – The Local (Italy)
In Turkey, Erdoğan’s Gov’t Has Destroyed 300,000 Books In Past Three Years
“Since the attempted coup of 2016, according to Turkey’s ministry of education, … 301,878 books [have] been destroyed as the government cracks down on anything linked to Fethullah Gülen, the US-based Muslim cleric who is accused by Turkey of instigating [that] coup.” – The Guardian
Blame Video Games For Violence? Not According To Any Of The Studies
Though researchers have toiled on the subject for many years, none has categorically found that playing video games has harmful effects. Indeed, the absence of conclusive evidence was remarked upon by conservative Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia in 2011 when California attempted to criminalise the sale of violent video games to minors. – Irish Times
In A Time Of Upended Norms, Obits Of Our Heroes Provide Sense Of Normalcy
Phil Kennicott: “Death and remembrance, at least, come with the customs and norms that have been shredded in most of the rest of public life. If nothing else, death still inspires a pause in ordinary life and, in the case of artists, a respectful consideration of their habitually ignored accomplishments.” – Washington Post
Pew: Only 35% Of Public Trust Scientists (But Hey, It’s More Than It Used To Be)
The Pew data makes clear how this happens: some people are just uninformed, while others cling to opposing political values. People with a high degree of familiarity with what nutritional, medical, or environmental science researchers or practitioners are studying are nearly twice as likely to trust them. – Fast Company
Here’s Why Your Cable Company No Longer Cares Whether You Cut The Cord
Instead of extending promo deals to keep customers from dropping TV service, they’re simply extracting more revenue from those who haven’t formulated an escape plan. Either way, companies like Comcast profit from selling high-margin internet service. – Fast Company