Category: issues

The aphorism is that if America sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold; if Ultra and SXSW cause a domino effect, and music festivals in the UK and Europe are shut down, the economic impact could be enormous. Worse still, most festivals will not have the correct insurance to cover their expenditure and projected losses if the government or local councils order them to cancel. – The Guardian

“The halls of academe are known to be hospitable to people with radical views on power relationships between capital and labor, but colleges themselves are often merciless actors in the labor market. Many adjuncts earn only a few thousand dollars per course, with no health insurance or retirement benefits. Twenty-five percent of part-time faculty receive some form of public assistance. Some adjunct postings don’t require doctorates.” – The New York Times

Though bars, restaurants, and gyms remain open, as long as managers can guarantee that people remain at least three feet away from each other at all times, the country’s entire cultural capital is locked down (as is, of course, all of Lombardy, and the cities of Milan and Venice). – NPR

Maïa Mazurette says the times have changed because our context has changed: “Not only does the recognition of our sexual, artistic and worldly continuity allow us to protect ourselves, to come together, to connect with ourselves and with others, but it frees us from obsolete hierarchical codes that want art to shine above everyday life … while sexuality would be relegated to the underground and the obscene.” – Le Monde

As festivals in the US, France, Italy and elsewhere cancel because of fears of COVID-19, producers struggle to stay positive. Kelly Oxford, whose movie Pink Skies Ahead was supposed to premiere on opening night of SXSW, wrote, “While I’m devastated at losing this world premiere at a festival I love, I’m happy that the health of others is still more valuable than anything and we are protecting each other.” – CBC

The issues are layered. “Black auteurs frequently don’t get to just worry about making art that speaks to their own interests. Because of discrimination in Hollywood, creators also shoulder what the Jamaican Canadian director Stella Meghie recently called ‘the unbearable weight of representation.’ That burden also affects viewers, who may feel the need to support some unremarkable work for fear of losing what little black programming exists.” – The Atlantic

The cancellation — just seven days before the 2020 festival was scheduled to start next Friday — comes as SXSW organizers faced public pressure to scrap it, as well the prospect of a substantially diminished event anyway because a lengthy list of companies and speakers already dropped out. – Austin Statesman

“Politics has always been present in French humour. But standup brought forward a whole population left out by the system – the poor, uneducated sons and daughters of immigrants.” – The Guardian