“Ten years ago, the federal government created a program to harness the teaching power of public television… to help preschoolers get ready for elementary school. But Ready to Learn remained a largely unknown federal program until recently, when a flap over a lesbian-headed household shown in a Postcards From Buster episode sparked a political backlash from conservatives.” The controversy has caused lawmakers to take another look at the funding program, and to suggest that the dollars flowing from Ready to Learn ought to be applied to programming that teaches academic skills, rather than social skills.
Tag: 03.10.05
Just Don’t Put ‘Em In Your Bicycle Spokes
Two Philadelphia bloggers have created a serious presence for themselves within the city’s art world, reviewing exhibitions and commenting on the scene with the incisiveness of devotees and the fervor of investigative journalists. But navel-gazing doesn’t satisfy them, which is why they could be found this week on a frigid Philadelphia street corner, handing out free art (in the form of collectible trading cards) to confused passers-by.
Backstage Chaos Hurting La Scala
“This week, the culture commission of the Italian Senate in Rome began taking testimony from those involved in a long-brewing management crisis that led to the ousting last month of La Scala’s general manager, Carlo Fontana, who had a strained relationship with the theater’s music director and conductor, Riccardo Muti.” Muti is accused of banning other prominent conductors from La Scala’s podium, and he and other managers are reported to have kept their employees in the dark about important backstage changes. The controversy has grown so large that it threatens to eclipse the company’s season.
Accusations, Lawsuits Fly In Montreal
The vitriolic battle over which film festival will rule Montreal has escalated to a new level in the last week, with the supporters of one festival taking out an ad to attack the organizer of another. The head of yet a third festival has begun filing lawsuits against “everyone in sight,” and nobody seems to have any idea how it will all end.
Everything’s New In Chicago
Chicago’s 2005-06 theatre season is shaping up to be a strong one for new dramatic works. “After the recent announcement from the Steppenwolf Theatre Company that its 2005-06 season will consist entirely of new plays, Lookingglass Theatre also has announced that its 2005-06 season will consist of five world premieres. In addition, the Goodman Theatre has announced that it will add to its current season a world-premiere production of David Cale’s Floyd and Clea Under the Western Sky, opening April 19 in the Owen Theatre… Meanwhile, Chicago’s Court Theatre has announced plans to present Mabou Mines DollHouse, a new take on Henrik Ibsen’s drama of marital strife.”
The Competitive World Of Academic Archiving
“The recent death of Hunter S. Thompson has triggered speculation over where the gonzo journalist’s papers will end up. In the final few weeks of Thompson’s life, he was adamant about placing his papers at a single institution… For authors, artists and social figures, the allure of placing their private papers in an academic library is threefold: It’s a chance to clean out the basement; it’s an assurance that their legacy on paper will be professionally cataloged and preserved; and it can be profitable. There’s a market for the best collections, and libraries are willing to invest.”
Because They Could Not Stop For Death…
Video game designers come in for a great deal of criticism for the ultra-violent games they seem devoted to creating. But an annual challenge put to programmers at the Game Developers Conference has yielded an unexpected trio of games based on the life and work of poet Emily Dickinson.
ENO’s Chairman Puts His Foot In It Again
When the English National Opera performed before 10,000 rock fans at last summer’s Glastonbury Festival, it seemed to be that rarest of occasions: a coming together of high art and popular culture with no one getting so much as their feelings hurt. But ENO chairman Martin Smith may have rolled back much of the good will the performance built up with his recent comment that the concertgoers ‘hardly knew how to spell opera’. “Mr Smith has made a number of gaffes during his tenure. He has often been regarded as the source of ENO’s travails, accused of importing to the company a high-handed, bullish approach imported from banking, and appointing an artistic director too weak to stand up to him.
Or Does He?
The English National Opera is claiming that The Guardian has created a controversy out of nothing by taking Martin Smith’s words out of context in a deliberate attempt to smear him.
Dallas Expands Arts District
After months of wrangling over zoning codes and property rights, the Dallas city council has voted to expand the city’s downtown arts district. The move is largely an effort to bring several “weed-choked lots and run-down gas stations” into line with what has become one of Dallas’s most elegant and well-designed neighborhoods.