In fostering greater identity complexity, the American theater today is realizing more of its mimetic potential — a potential long curtailed because of the restricted access of artists on the margins. As the theater belatedly opens up, the repertoire of representations expands, creating a more extensive vocabulary and grammar for self-understanding for us all. – … Continue reading “How Diversity Is/Has Changing/ed American Theatre”
“Audiobook publishers are increasingly offering opportunities to narrators of color, … a response to a broader range of stories and desire for the voice talent to reflect that diversity. … But the particular demands of the job, compared with film and stage acting, make this tricky. What does representation mean when actors can only be … Continue reading “Here’s One Area Of Publishing That’s Making Progress On Diversity: Audiobooks”
I am a white, male, liberal administrator working in New York’s nonprofit theatre community. I see firsthand how the word “diversity” has kicked up a lot of dust throughout the industry. Yet for as long as we’ve been having conversations, and task forces, and panel discussions, and industry-wide conferences, I’m still struggling to see how … Continue reading “Tough Talk On Theatre Diversity Efforts”
Why doesn’t the business case work? Recent research suggests that what’s required for transformational action is a moral and legal case. The business case, because it is based in an economic logic, undermines moral arguments and weakens resolve to make anything other than incremental change. Indeed, experiments show that making the “business case for diversity” … Continue reading “Why The Business Case For Diversity Doesn’t Work”
There were 269 films that were eligible for awards nominations this year, and voters had watched, on average, about a quarter of them. “The current system leaves Bafta voters free to decide which of the eligible films they fancy seeing and which ones they will give a miss. At this point, Bafta nominations become entirely … Continue reading “So, How Exactly Would BAFTA Voting Need To Change To Better Encourage Diversity?”
The authors welcomed a drop in the proportion of white executives from 86% in 2015 to 78%, “since true change in company culture almost always requires buy-in from the very top”. But the numbers of white people in editorial roles increased from 82% to 85%, “so, even though more diverse books are being published now, … Continue reading “Study: Diversity In US Publishing Industry Hasn’t Changed In Four Years”
Jimmie Allen, who hit the charts with “Best Shot” in 2019, says, “I was excited and a little sad to be the first Black artist to launch a career with a number one in country just because of the year it is.” – BBC
“Based on responses from our survey, a high share (66%) of cultural workers identify as White (non-Hispanic), compared to just 32% of New York City’s population. In contrast, Hispanics, Blacks/African Americans, and Asians are underrepresented – 10% of cultural workers identify as Black/African American, compared to 22% of the city’s population; 11% identify as Hispanic, … Continue reading “Research: How New York City’s Arts Work Force Diversity Compares To The Rest Of The City”
Seriously, is this the brave new world of streaming? Where press releases go out daily about the wildly “diverse” television creators drafted by Netflix (and to a lesser extent Amazon) but the Oscar-nominated Netflix films come from Martin Scorsese and Noah Baumbach? – The Los Angeles Times
“For some time now, diverse staff working in larger publicly funded arts organisations, and in particular those producing work that is aimed at the mainstream, have debated how to help their organisations see that their value is not as ‘the representative of disabled audiences’ or ‘the font of expertise on all trans issues’. It cannot … Continue reading “UK Arts Organizations Are Struggling With Diversity”
