“At 41 it all went wrong.” (There was a ruptured ligament, then a broken foot. Then the pandemic put a stop to the new Wayne McGregor Dante Project he would star in. So he’s up and retired, aged 44.) “It becomes very revealing how much you’ve put your body through. What I’ve done for the last 30 years, it’s not normal to do that to your body. But it is possible.” – The Guardian
Author: Matthew Westphal
Google Nears Agreement With France To Pay Publishers For News
“The deal with French publishers would come on the eve of a ruling by a French appeals court on a so-called neighbouring right enshrined in revamped EU copyright rules, which allows publishers to demand a fee from online platforms for showing news snippets.” – Reuters
‘Second City Ruptured In Large Part Because America Ruptured First’
Chris Jones: “The pandemic that has closed its theaters — with no clear path to reopening — is a primary cause of trouble. But Second City is also suffering from the great American schism, the internal fury and polarization that has festered over the last four years, with direct encouragement from the top. Satire is on the ropes. A new owner can fix the internal problems, but the American people will have to decide if they ever can laugh together again.” – Yahoo! (Chicago Tribune)
Florida Performance Venues Are Very Confused About Reopening (Thank You, Gov. DeSantis)
“The governor’s controversial lifting of pandemic protections [on Sept. 25], even as coronavirus infections rose, was just one of multiple conflicting and confusing directives from the state, counties and cities of Florida. … For official live-entertainment venues, the state’s Phase 3 plan … says concerts halls and auditoriums [may] ‘re-open fully with limited social distancing protocols.’ … But the situation for smaller venues, many of which are technically bars, is often different.” – Variety
British Gov’t Creates Billion-Pound ‘Culture Recovery Fund’
“More than 450 heritage organisations are set to share the first wave of a £1.57bn government handout to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. … A total of 455 organisations across England will receive cash aimed at keeping venues open and supporting those working in the heritage sector.” – BBC
Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum Promises To Repatriate Items Looted By Dutch Colonialists
“The directors of the Rijksmuseum and Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam said they would support the proposal made on Tuesday for a legal structure for the return of an estimated 100,000 pieces where a claim for restitution could be made, with the emphasis on return where ‘involuntary loss’ is identified.” – The Guardian
Has England’s Christmas Panto Season Been Saved?
Most of the holiday-season pantomimes planned for this year were cancelled due to the pandemic: even with lockdowns lifted, the need for socially distanced seating meant too few tickets could be sold to make productions viable. Now comes Britain’s National Lottery to the rescue: “Operation Sleeping Beauty” will see the Lottery buy up tickets for theatres’ empty seats. – BBC
Preserving The Black Culture That Has Flourished Online
Jenna Wortham and Kimberly Drew: “With social platforms, there is newly shared culture, and in effect, shared history, but it is one that is vulnerable to a loss as arbitrary as a server migration or company sale. … In 2015, we set out to create our own analog archive of contemporary Black life by Black people and for Black people. … The ephemerality of social media terrified us, and as such, inspired us.” – The New York Times Magazine
The Man Who Brought Ballet Classes To Nigeria
“Born and raised in Lagos, [Daniel Owoseni] Ajala is the founder and creative director of the Leap of Dance Academy, which provides ballet [instruction] for young dancers. His school has gained worldwide attention ever since June, when he posted a video of one of his students dancing in the rain at his home. The clip went viral, leading to major scholarship opportunities and coverage from news outlets around the world. [We] spoke to Ajala about how he’s used his love for culture and dance to create a ballet program for a community that had none.” – Dance Magazine
New Netflix Project: ‘Made By Africa, Watched By the World’
“Mixing new, original content with older African classics that have not previously been streamed elsewhere, this initiative … creates a path for stories that specifically address different slices of the African experience to see the light of day and reach a wider audience. Considering that there’s a growing feeling among Africans that inaccurate representation on screen is a given, that’s a good thing for everyone.” – The Guardian