Liverpool is 2008’s Capital of Culture and the money is pouring in – hundreds of millions of pounds. But some of the locals are getting irked. “It’s as if the people running 2008 have no confidence in what’s already here. There are lots of government agendas being worked out. People are getting grants because they are good at filling in forms. But money isn’t coming into the music scene: it’s going to consultants. The clubs that really fuel the music are unfunded and almost off the radar as far as the official bodies are concerned.”
Tag: 10.27.05
Are Art Schools Wrecking Young Artists?
“It has always been the function of artists to tell the narrative of our times in a way that isn’t filtered through big-media spin or the historical revisionism of academic pundits. Recent and historical precedence tell us that it should be young people, and particularly the artists among them, who are most passionately voicing this narrative. But they’re not. In fact, there is a critical lack of voice among young artists, and I believe that art schools are to blame for this crisis.”
A Plan To Get More Boys
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet used to have a problem attracting boys for its dance school. So the company instituted a financial incentive program that has seen enrolment for boys grow from about 25 to 250 each year. “The professional division of the ballet has reaped the benefits, with a larger talent pool of young male dancers to choose from.”
Italian Culture Minister: I’ll Resign If You Cut
Italian culture minister Rocco Buttiglione says he’ll resign unless the government cancels plans to cut spending on culture by 35 percent. “This is not only a battle for the opera and the struggling Italian film industry, but also for the theatre, for libraries and archives. We have to defend ourselves on a broad front,”
Stolen Cezanne For Other Paintings?
Twenty-seven years ago seven paintings were stolen from Michael Bakwin’s home. “The thieves took a Cézanne, two Soutines, a Vlaminck, a Utrillo and two works by the French painter Jean Jansen. Despite a police investigation the works did not resurface until 1999.” Then a negotiation ensued, deals were made, and though the Cezanne was returned, the others are now in dispute…
Why Classical Music Belongs In School
“Classical music should be a fundamental part of the school curriculum, for it is as relevant today as ever. A now notorious 2002 survey undertaken by Classic FM established that 65 per cent of six- to 14-year-olds were unable to name a single classical composer and could not differentiate between instruments. This highlighted the neglect of music in many of our schools and was enough of a shock to provoke a response. That response was the Government’s much-touted 2004 music manifesto, which was full of good intentions but short on how they would be delivered.”
Scotland Gets Paintings Trove
After a 20-year saga, a collection of 14 master paintings has been given to Scotland, including works by Gainsborough, Murillo and Rubens. “A story that links the National Galleries in Edinburgh to a sleepy village in the heart of the English countryside, includes a decade-old row between two of the most distinguished institutions in Scotland, and, along the way, involves Winston Churchill’s secret headquarters for D-Day.”
Amazon Growth Slows
To counter a slowdown in sales increases, Amazon is extending its free shipping offer in the UK. “Amazon said growth this year would be between 13% and 24%, below the 31% recorded last year.”
Experts: Portrait Isn’t Shakespeare
A portrait long believed to be of William Shakespeare, is not,say experts. “The only evidence is that the portrait is dated 1588 and was painted, according to the inscription, when the sitter was 24 – making him the same age as the playwright. The back of the painting bears the initials WS – but they were added in the 19th century.”
Profits Aside, They’re Still Suing
Remember back before recording companies started to make buckets of money from downloadable music, when they were so desperate to stop illegal file-trading that they started suing hundreds of college kids for millions of dollars? Yeah, well, they never actually stopped doing that. This week, the Recording Industry Association of America filed 745 new “John Doe” lawsuits against users of various peer-to-peer networks whom the RIAA suspects of passing copyrighted material. Why the “John Doe” caveat? The RIAA doesn’t actually know who the offenders are, so they effectively sue the user’s IP address, then try to sue or intimidate colleges and other internet providers into revealing the identities of the people behind the computer signature.