Category: issues

One of the odder sub-stories of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has been the way in which young artists and musicians have rallied around the Illinois senator, and begun celebrating him through self-produced songs and online videos. “Obama’s presidential bid has clearly struck a chord with the musically inclined. The senator, who is popular in rap shout-outs, has been designated “B-Rock” by the hip-hop community.”

Cleveland is hosting a conference highlighting the success of some Rust Belt cities in attracting artists and other cultural classes. It’s a skill Cleveland could sorely use, as the once-proud Ohio town struggles to hold its existing population and reinvent itself for a post-industrial future.

Ever wished you could ask an orchestra musician which section puts away the most beer? Or ask a director whether sex scenes make them uncomfortable? The Observer has put together a panel of experts from across the UK arts world to answer these and 48 other questions about culture.

“The New Jersey State Council on the Arts is facing a proposed $5.9 million cut — from $21.9 million to $16 million — to fund local arts organizations… Arts organizations across the state plan to mobilize grassroots support to restore the council’s funding, with advocates calling the cuts devastating.”

Canada’s Conservative government has announced a plan to withhold federal funding for “any film or television show that it deems offensive or not in the public’s best interest – even if government agencies have invested in them.” Under Canada’s funding system, the plan would effectively give the Heritage Minister the ability to kill TV programs and films at will.

The suburban town of Sandy, Utah, has been trying for years to turn itself into Salt Lake City’s “other downtown,” floating development ideas for theaters, hockey arenas, and other cultural amenities that would normally be expected in a downtown urban core. The driving force behind the projects is Sandy’s mayor, and his actions have not endeared him to Salt Lake politicians.

Yesterday’s budget, in the name of maintaining what Finance Minister Jim Flaherty called “strong fiscal management,” seemed to duck virtually every concern that the Canadian cultural community has been voicing in the past five years.

“The sole mention of culture in the budget handed down Tuesday by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty was $9 million over two years for infrastructure spending at Canada’s national museums.”

“We’ve had charters for the arts, national cultural strategies and sons and daughters of both. See us? See reports? Plus, we’re on our seventh arts minister in nine years, and with each new incumbent comes a new tweak of the portfolio. This is a turnover that makes Italian politics seem a model of continuity.”

“Open content is still in its infancy and faces some technical and cultural challenges that affect its widespread adoption. People in higher education are accessing OER using numerous technologies, software applications, and Web sites. Content can be found in dozens and dozens of different formats. Meanwhile, some content is behind firewalls, while other content simply requires the user to create a free account, and some is truly open – like Wikipedia.”