Category: issues

“Burning Man organizers say the eight-day counter-culture festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert has sold out for the first time in its 25-year history.”

“They are groups of mainly aged ‘Cockney’ Londoners who sew mother-of-pearl buttons on their clothes in lavish designs and sing sentimental pub songs. Begun in the 1870s by an orphan London street sweeper, the Pearlies are mostly known for raising money for charity. But all is not well in their world.”

“Decisions about what Australians see, hear, watch and listen to are made by a handful of individual tastemakers who are ultimately forced to rely on their own judgment. By their nature, these decisions are subjective and personal. Yet they are increasingly informed by the desires of an educated and vocal public: power in the arts is in the process of being democratised.”

“For years, employees have been complaining about bosses who expect them to respond to e-mail or meet other online demands even when they are on vacation. But now some people are feeling social pressure to stay on the grid.”

“It’s worth remembering that $600 billion a year is spent by various government entities on education, and all the philanthropy that’s ever been spent on this space is not going to add up to $10 billion. So it’s truly a rounding error.”

“Since the early ’50s, we’ve basically sent groups overseas to do people-to-people exchange for mutual understanding. This is the first time we’re bringing 10 groups to Main Street America, if you will.”

“Building work on an ambitious Frank Gehry-designed cultural centre in Arles will be delayed for at least six months following concerns over its effect on the French city’s heritage, which includes archaeological sites and views immortalised in paintings by artists such as Van Gogh and Gauguin.”

“The Colbert Bump. Some know its influence, some crave its generosity. But each has seen its power.”

While seven orchestras, four major dance companies and a few other national-level organizations will continue to receive direct subsidies, medium-sized and smaller companies will lose their four-year grants and will have to apply for funding – from a much smaller pool of money – for each individual project.

“Sita Sings the Blues, an animated modern take on the Hindu religious epic, The Ramayana , has won awards and been shown at hundreds of locations across the world since its release two years ago. Never has creator Nina Paley faced a problem until now, oddly enough, in Queens, one of the most diverse communities in the country.”