“In a tale which could have come straight from the time of the sultans, when one wrong word could seal your fate, the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is threatening to withdraw state support from the country’s theatres after his daughter said she was insulted by an actor during a play.”
Category: issues
Liverpool’s New Arts Center (Named After The Beatles’ Manager)
“The Neptune Theatre, a [380-seat] cultural gem in Hanover Street, has been renamed following a £1.2m refurbishment and is now called the Epstein Theatre. More than just a theatre, it will host live music, dance, exhibitions and comedy.”
Which Is Australia’s Artiest State?
“It has no world-famous Opera House, let alone an opera company. It misses out on most touring music acts and exhibitions. … [Yet] Tasmania has the highest per capita rate of people working in the arts sector and attending arts events, based on figures provided by the Australia Council.”
Australia’s Arts Funding Body Needs Major Reform: Report
“The Australia Council needs $21 million more in funding and should overhaul its grants application process to welcome emerging art forms, reversing the perceived prejudice towards big arts organisations such as theatres and opera companies.”
Watching Australia’s Performing Arts Companies Release Their Financials
“For those who take an interest, it’s a spectator sport. Watch the Sydney Symphony rebound with a $1 million surplus after a $1m loss two years before. And will the Australian Ballet, whose results are out this week, continue to pirouette above the line, or stumble into the red?”
Does David Sedaris Deserve The Same Scrutiny Mike Daisey Got?
“The immediate question is whether Sedaris’s stories are, strictly speaking, true – an important consideration for journalistic organizations such as NPR and programs such as This American Life. … Then there’s this: Does it matter whether a humorous writer, working on a news or nonfiction program, makes stuff up?”
Turkish ‘Shout Police’ Try To Make Istanbul’s Raucous Bazaar Vendors Pipe Down
“For centuries, traders in Turkey’s covered-market bazaars have been perfecting their pitch – famously hollering, singing or otherwise trumpeting their wares. But now an obscure provision of a new law is seeking to turn down the volume.”
Rust Belt Chic: America’s Post-Industrial Cities Begin Attracting Young Adults
St. Louis, Pittsburgh and especially Cleveland are all reversing a longstanding outflow of under-35-year-olds. “And as a mountain of ‘Viva Detroit!’ news stories have made clear, Motor City is now the official cool-kids destination, adding thousands of young artists, entrepreneurs and urban farmers even as its general population evaporates.” The real estate, after all, is far cheaper than in Brooklyn and Seattle.
Arts Advocates Call On Buffalo To Resume Funding For The Arts
“As there’s been restoration of city funding for other operations, we think it’s about time for the restoration of operational funding for arts and culture.”
Germany’s Pirate Party Wins More Seats In Parliament (Wants Copyright Reform And Free Internet)
“The Pirates won 7.6 per cent of the vote in North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany’s most popular state, according to initial estimates, enough for 18 seats in parliament. The Pirates have now won representation in four German states and seem destined to enter Germany’s federal parliament, the Bundestag, in national elections next year.
The Pirates’ platform includes calls a major reform of copyright legislation, as well as demanding free Internet access for all citizens and a minimum income law.”