“Gary Crofts, 68, claims that he has been plagued by depression and anxiety since a half-tonne section of stage curtain fell down near him without warning. The incident happened during a 2016 production of Kenneth MacMillan’s ballet, Anastasia.” – The Times (UK)
Category: issues
English Arts Orgs Are Becoming A Bit More Diverse, But Too Slowly: Report
“An annual statistical report, published on Tuesday by Arts Council England (ACE), showed slow progress in representation of people from a black and minority ethnic (BME) background, and barely any progress in the area of disabled employees.” – The Guardian
How Saudi Arabia Is Trying To Change Its Image Through Culture Festivals
The weekends revolve around the concerts, held on Fridays. There are sometimes other notable events, like hot-air balloon rides. Mr. Bocelli performed on the same weekend as a well-known horse race that drew royalty from around the Gulf region. – The New York Times
University Suspends Professor For Reading James Baldwin Aloud In Class
Augsburg University in Minnesota suspended a professor for using the N-word during a class discussion about a James Baldwin book in which the word appeared — and for sharing essays on the history of the word with students who complained to him about it. – Inside Higher Ed
Amazon, Privacy, And Kids At School
Hm. The company has announced some recent “initiatives” and training courses for kids. “These programs aren’t just charity of course: They stood to serve Amazon itself in various ways—the most obvious, perhaps, being PR.” (And data collection.) – Vice
A Brief Timeline Of All Of The Shady ‘National Enquirer’ Doings, Pre-Bezos
Just in case you haven’t been following along, here’s the deal. “The Enquirer makes no pretense of following journalistic norms, and its parent company has a longer history of ethical indiscretions. The warning signs have been there, from David Pecker’s early years in magazine publishing.” – Slate
Why Do We Keep Forgiving Facebook? [AUDIO]
It’s rewriting our brains, maybe? Because “it seems no breach of trust, misuse of data or dissemination of damaging falsehoods rattles the company’s bottom line.” – The 1A (WAMU)
Hollywood’s History Of Blackface
Most Americans today are so removed from the heyday of blackface, when an entertainer like Al Jolson could cement their iconic status with it, that, like the Confederate flag, it is embraced by some as a triumphant act of transgressive rebellion and/or willful ignorance, a thumb in the eye of the politically correct. – The Daily Beast
GuideStar And Foundation Center, Two Key Parts Of US Nonprofit Ecosystem, Will Merge
“In this case, neither organization’s name will survive, and both CEOs will be incorporated into the structure of the new organization, which now goes by the inspired name of ‘Candid.’ (As in, ‘a Candid Assessment of this’ or ‘a Candid Report on that.’)” — Nonprofit Quarterly
Birmingham Reduces Its Latest Round Of Arts Funding Cuts By Half
Last October, the city government announced its third round of cuts in cultural spending in the past four years. Those cuts amounted to just over £1 million, a third of the already reduced budget. After complaints and a petition, the council’s latest budget plans show a cut of only £500,000. — The Stage