“Today, Jewish funders’ focus is primarily on Jewish engagement — whether through Birthright Israel or the study of Jewish texts” — and donations for Jewish arts groups are simply drying up. – Inside Philanthropy
Category: issues
American Museum Of Natural History Backs Out Of Event For Brazilian President Bolsonaro
When word got around last week that a private group was renting the AMNH for an evening honoring Jair Bolsonaro, who has been making aggressive plans to open the Amazon rainforest for logging, mining, and farming, museum staffers, donors, and even board members objected. It seems they’ve been heard. – The New York Times
EU Approves Copyright Reform: Could This Bring Down The Internet As We Know It?
“While the legislation does not explicitly state so, it is widely assumed that to conform with the law, online platforms will have to install filters to prevent users from uploading copyrighted material. Opponents say this is technically impossible and will lead to widespread censorship.” – Billboard (Reuters)
Hollywood Claims To Be Getting More Inclusive – But That Change Hasn’t Gotten To The Director’s Chair
Hollywood, you should be ashamed. “Even after years of being called to task for sidelining female filmmakers, studios as a whole continue to rely overwhelmingly on men to lead productions. Why the disconnect?” This will shock everyone: Money. – The New York Times
The ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Showrunner Leaves Her Agent As WGA Members Terminate Agency Ties
Krista Vernoff: “It was hard to part ways with [my agent] when the deadline expired for talks between the guild and the agencies. I say ‘part ways’ because I did not fire my agent. Instead, I quoted Lin-Manuel Miranda: ‘See you on the other side of the war.’ In response, my agent did what agents do: he tried to sell me. He tried to sell me on the idea that it is my guild that is being unreasonable here. He tried to sell me on the idea that this action by my guild is damaging and irresponsible to lower and mid level writers. He hit me with the sentence, ‘Your guild didn’t even counter our offer.'” – The Hollywood Reporter
Brazilian President Who Says The Holocaust ‘Can Be Forgiven’ To Be Honored In A Private Event At NY Museum
The American Museum of Natural History said on Twitter that it was “deeply concerned” and “exploring its options” as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is set to be honored at a gala at the museum. “In a statement Friday, the museum said the event ‘does not in any way reflect the Museum’s position that there is an urgent need to conserve the Amazon Rainforest, which has such profound implications for biological diversity, indigenous communities, climate change, and the future health of our planet.'” The gala is a month away. – The New York Times
Arts Sector Pleads With Arts Council England: Get Rid Of Your Hated Grant Application Portal
The findings follow years of mounting frustration from grant applicants with the “nightmare” system: the ‘Grantium’ hashtag on Twitter reveals virtually no positive tweets. One user described the portal as both “the most hated software” in the arts and “the least intuitive thing you’ve ever had the misfortune of using”. – Arts Professional
The Problem With How We Get News? The Incentives Are Misaligned
Cal Newport, a computer-science professor at Georgetown University, marshals evidence that the addictive properties of our devices are not accidental but, rather, the product of careful thinking by tech companies about the feedback loops that will keep people returning to them. Newport’s main indictment is of social-media platforms, but he also argues that people need to rethink the way they consume news. – The New Yorker
15 Ways Of Looking At What America Will Be Like In 2024
“We asked 15 playwrights to imagine America five years into the future” — among them Lynn Nottage, Terrence McNally, Jeremy O. Harris, Adam Rapp, Jocelyn Bioh, Jackie Sibblies Drury, Nassim Soleimanpour, and Paul Rudnick. “Alongside six of the plays you’ll find videos in which actors including Nathan Lane, Kerry Washington and John Lithgow perform the works.” – T — The New York Times Style Magazine
How Social Impact Philanthropy Is Impacting Arts Such as Theatre And Dance
A case study: “First, its focus on social impact theatre provides another illuminating example of a funder embracing the red-hot field of socially focused arts programming. And second, its work underscores the growing influence of institutional funders operating in fields like dance and theater that traditionally lack robust individual and government support.” – Inside Philanthropy