Australia Announced A $250M Arts Rescue Package In June, and 80% Of It Still Hasn’t Been Allocated

At a Senate hearing on Wednesday in Canberra, officials at first weren’t able to say at all how much of the aid had been distributed to struggling arts organizations. Later, they said that just under $50 million had been allocated, all of it to film and television; meanwhile, those who work in live performance and visual art grow ever more desperate. – The Guardian

Why American Families Are Addicted On “The College Experience”

“That shocking stability is exposing a long-standing disconnect: Without the college experience, a college education alone seems insufficient. Quietly, higher education was always an excuse to justify the college lifestyle. But the pandemic has revealed that university life is far more embedded in the American idea than anyone thought. America is deeply committed to the dream of attending college. It’s far less interested in the education for which students supposedly attend.” – The Atlantic

Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center, Battered By Pandemic, May Have To Rework Its Entire Business Model

“Until its COVID-forced closure in March, the Kimmel was earning 93% of its income,” mainly from touring Broadway shows and rent from its resident groups, “leaving just the small remainder to be made up in donations — an unusually lopsided ratio among nonprofits. Now, though, with ticket sales gone, the Kimmel cannot lean on a list of loyal donors to the extent that some other groups can.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer

A French Teacher Who Showed His Class Cartoons Of The Prophet Mohammed Was Beheaded

The history teacher’s lesson “was related to the ongoing trial over the 2015 attack at the Paris offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, which came under fire for its caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. Islamist extremists killed 12 people, and 14 defendants stand accused of giving the gunmen logistical support.” Protests in support of the teacher erupted across France over the weekend. – NPR

Australia Council Flips Out, Pulls Funding From Artist

It’s remarkably reminiscent of the NEA Four, for those who lived through that terrible time: A queer artist wants to use their body for their work; gets approval and funding; word is leaked to conservative outlets; said outlets absolutely flip out and condemn the council; council removes funding. All too gross and familiar. “The decision to kill the contract raises worrying questions about the potential government overreach and the possibility of censorship in Australian cultural policy at a time when the financial crisis in the sector is already threatening to shut out marginalised voices for good.” – The Guardian (UK)

San Francisco Will Give Shutdown-Affected Artists ‘Universal Basic Income’

“The policy, billed as the Basic Income Pilot for Artists, outlines details including directing almost $6 million in funding to arts organizations, artists, art teachers, and cultural workers, in addition to a Universal Basic Income program. Under the basic income, 130 artists will be selected to receive the [$1,000] monthly stipend for at least six months, beginning in early 2021.” – Artnet