Category: issues

“Mark Ravenhill said he was against cuts but that the performing arts had been compromised by a “cosy” relationship with funders over the past 15 years. He said artists “weren’t telling the truth” about the world often enough when public funding was more plentiful.”

“It said the loss was because of “weaknesses” in its financial systems. The spending spree on the card took place as Creative Scotland was formed from the merger of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen.”

What with Amazon’s labor practices, Google’s Street View, and Facebook’s issues with privacy, Europe – especially German – is not into boosterism these tech companies often receive at home.

And much of the angry commenting on articles skeptical of the Tower? Yeah, that was an unethical PR campaign that involved fake social media profiles – and resulted in at least one resignation.

Mark Ravenhill: “Maybe the artist free of any relationship with any public funding body is freest of all?”

“I know from interviewing creative artists that they prize a detailed review by someone they trust to know their stuff, even if they disagree with it. If honestly and intelligently provided, it’s food for growth. If the professional critics have any value in this current world, that is where it lies. Let the artists defend the critics. If they don’t, let the critic die.”

“If this budget is enacted, we project that one out of every two grants across the country would be terminated, the NEA would have to cut in half the grant support it provides through state partnerships, and major staff changes would take place at NEA and at arts agencies around the country.”

“Look, there is actually no such thing as an Artist type. Artist is just an economic designation, a box you tick on a form. We are all people and we are all creative. In the end, the only thing that drives writers to drink is taxis.”

“For example, the production costs of what the B.E.A., a part of the Commerce Department, calls “long-lived TV shows” — ones that provide a steady stream of income, like “Seinfeld” reruns — will for the first time be counted as investment. That’s right — the ultimate show about nothing will now add billions to G.D.P.”

“It is New York City’s biggest cultural capital grant this year – and an unusually generous contribution to an arts group that has yet to hire staff members, stage a performance or set a construction budget.”