“A new [survey] by the Pew Research Center … found that 20% of adults listened to an audiobook in the 12 months prior to the period in which the survey was conducted. In 2011, only 11% of adults said they listened to an audiobook.” – Publishers Weekly
Category: AUDIENCE
Making Non-Boring Theatre About Climate Change
There’s a sliver of space where audience members can start to consider societal change. “I keep coming back to the idea that, as theatremakers, our greatest weapon in the fight against climate change may ultimately be this sliver of audience-lifting space. In this space comes an expanded capacity for empathy and, perhaps, the ability to be more collectively accountable.” – HowlRound
Seattle’s Intiman Theatre: A Truly Existential Crisis
Myriad issues are to blame. Donors’ funding priorities have changed, and corporations are donating less to nonprofit theaters, making the fight for funding more competitive. High-quality entertainment can be accessed on-demand at low cost. Arts journalism has become more sparse, and the public, concerned about an economic slowdown, might be less inclined to show up. – Crosscut
Film Criticism Is Perhaps Better Done On Video
That’s right, streaming film criticism, in which critics break down scenes through clips and show how lighting, sound, or other effects add to the emotional and intellectual resonance of a movie, is now moving into a more mainstream form, and a lot of it – as good as a cinema studies class or two – is online for free. – The Guardian (UK)
Is There A Good Way To Contextualize ‘Turandot’ For 2019?
The Canadian Opera Company is trying to figure that out, but it’s complex. The pseudo-Asian characters Ping, Pang, and Pong have been renamed in Toronto, but tenor Julius Ahn, who sings Pang (now named Bob) has some questions. “”Why can’t we be funny? Why can’t we be silly? Why can’t we be complex? Why can’t we be lighthearted? Why can’t we be mean? Can’t Asians be crass onstage? For me, art itself needs to be inclusive.” – CBC
Do We Need A Public Broadcasting Version Of Social Media?
What if the problem is something that can’t be solved by existing for-profit media platforms? Maybe the answer to fixing social media isn’t trying to change companies with business models built around products that hijack our attention, and instead work to create a less toxic alternative. – The New York Times
Are Ticket Prices Really The Main Barrier To Attracting Audiences?
“The popular misconception that price is the chief barrier to access to the arts has taken hold in the sector, while in reality, price is only one of a complex set of factors affecting engagement with ‘hard to reach’ groups. Tim Baker concludes it’s time to start a debate about the true meaning of affordability.” – Arts Professional
Of News Fake Or Emotional (Do We Understand The Difference?)
“What we do is share content that gets people riled up. Research has found that the best predictor of sharing is strong emotions — both emotions like affection (think posts about cute kittens) and emotions like moral outrage. Studies suggest that morally laden emotions are particularly effective: every moral sentiment in a tweet increases by 20 percent its chances of being shared.” – The New York Times
New Queens Library As “Third Place”
“With this project, Steven Holl ran with the idea that architecture could sculpt the experience of bringing together a community in a free-of-charge, 22,000-square-foot “third place,”—reflecting the belief popularized by urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg that people need a place to socialize that is neither home nor the ubiquitous privatized realm.” – Architectural Record
Record Low Ratings For Last Weekend’s Emmys – Here’s Why
Various production choices — no host (unless you count Homer Simpson), crummy disco music, a puerile announcer — are partly to blame. But the main problem is the award itself. The Emmys don’t mean much to the American public because last night’s big winners — “Game of Thrones,” “Fleabag” and “Chernobyl” — are done, off the air, out of production, kaput. Sure, you can go back and watch them on HBO on Demand or on Amazon, but you’re not likely to. – New York Post