Category: issues

In 2004 and 2006, the Dallas Morning News laid off more than 200 journalists. “Whether they jumped or were pushed, most of those who left are more satisfied today than before they left. More than half managed to stay in journalism. Those who remain, meanwhile, say the mood is uncertain at best. Circulation is in freefall. Readers increasingly are dissatisfied. Turnover disrupts stability. Many older staff members were pushed out in the layoffs; now some of the younger ones are leaving on their own.”

“It’s unlikely that this city will ever have the tourist appeal of such summer festival faves as Edinburgh, Salzburg or Aix-en-Provence. Nor can it ever expect the cachet of the capital city festivals in Paris, Berlin and Vienna. Still, the Manchester International Festival 2007, which began Thursday and runs for 18 days, is trying very hard with 25 world premieres.”

“These crime fighters aren’t in uniform and don’t carry weapons or badges. They wield guitars, Hula-Hoops, washboards, paintbrushes, and will hopefully have the ability to draw a crowd. Last week, Seattle parks began paying street performers — mostly musicians, but also a few visual artists and some vaudevillians — to entertain in five downtown parks in hopes that with more people around, a park will be less hospitable to illegal activity.”

“Across the media industry the verdict on UK Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell’s tenure is mixed, but broadly positive, and on a personal level she was well liked.” But how will things go for her successor? The public service broadcasting construct that has served Britain so well for 50 years is rapidly breaking down, and it could well be on James Purnell’s watch that the significant decisions about its future have to be taken.

“The question of ‘what is art’ is irrelevant when there’s no public money involved. The difficulty arises when the painter, poet, sculptor, writer and so on seeks public help, arguing that to deprive public support of artists like him is to strangle the expression of culture so critical to a society that cares about how it expresses itself.”

Algiers has been named cultural capital of the Arab world. “The Arab League imported the concept from Europe but Algiers is not Graz. Europe’s cultural capitals hope for visitors – is Algiers ready for tourists? Their goals: first, to tempt the frightened people back into theatres and concerts and second, to show the world to which they once turned their backs that ‘they are people like everyone else’.”

“The modern office of culture minister traces back to French writer André Malraux, who served under Charles de Gaulle starting in 1959 and pushed for what he called the ‘democratization of culture’–making the arts available to everyone, not just the elite. Since then, many countries have drawn culture ministers from the artistic community.”

“The number of residents downtown has nearly doubled in seven years, to about 30,000, according to the Centre City Development Corp., the city’s redevelopment agency. Some $4.3 billion of development is either planned or under way around Petco Park alone. The downtown buzz is drawing even big arts organizations not previously identified with this part of town.”

The famous New York nightclub, immortalized by the Barry Manilow hit has to leave because of subway construction. “The three-floor space on Manhattan’s West Side, a replica of the original club where Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin once ruled, is locking up shop after Latin superstars El Gran Combo play Saturday night. Owner Juliano, who bought the Copa with two partners in 1976, said he hoped to open a new club under the old name by October.”