The Arts In Britain: Survey Says They’re Still Male, Still White, Still Middle-Class

“The survey reinforced the recent findings of the Warwick Commission, which found that arts and culture was being ‘systematically removed’ from the state education system, and that arts audiences were predominantly white and middle class. Both factors were contributing to the creative sector becoming a closed shop, particularly to those from black, asian and ethnic minorities (BAME) and less affluent backgrounds.”

America’s Cult Of The ‘Amateur’

The phrase amateur hour “now registers as an insult. But it has an older meaning, one that betrays America’s sincere enthusiasm for the utterly unprofessional. … The idea of effortless authenticity is so attractive that members of the American establishment have vied for more than a century to buy, cheat or counterfeit their way to amateur status.”

What’s The Role Of Entertainment In The Wake Of The Attacks In Paris?

“Once again, those of us immersed in entertainment–as producers, as distributors, as chroniclers, or even just as devotees–are left to ask where it fits in. Cultures have been grappling for centuries with how much space to allow levity in the place of a tragedy. But the relevance, and even the defensibility, of entertainment has lately been thrust forward as never before.”