“Created by the British novelist Kate Pullinger and British-Canadian multimedia artist Chris Joseph, Alice is a book that blinks, buzzes, hums, sings, jitterbugs, plays games, and, on occasion, rains and snows. Using her laptop, Fleming projected the first Alice story onto a library whiteboard … and her fifth-graders went nuts. The story was immersive like little else, the first piece of fiction that helped them see life through a character’s eyes.”
Category: AUDIENCE
Fighting Back: The Battle Against Ticket Bots That Buy Up All The Best Seats For That Show You Want To See
“Ticket resale, at its pricier end called “ticket scalping,” is legal in Seattle. But bot critics argue that computerized purchasing prevents ordinary users from getting the seats they want, forcing them to buy from a third party at exorbitant prices. With a new state law outlawing bots going into effect in late-July, ticket sellers are gearing up to take legal action against bot users in future sales.”
The Pittsburgh Symphony Is Fighting A Pretty Darn Scary Drop In Attendance
“After raising ticket prices for two consecutive seasons, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra has seen its 2014-15 sales for Mellon Grand Classics drop from 61 percent of Heinz Hall capacity to 50 percent. The Pops series dropped from 62 to 56 percent.”
Millennials Don’t Watch Baseball Live, So Baseball Has Adjusted Completely To Digital Media
Is there a lesson for the performing arts in the story of baseball’s adaptation to social media and mobile-first strategies? (Imagine a StatCast for decibel levels at different areas of the stage during a Mahler, for instance … )
Texting In The Theatre Is Rude, Sure, But It’s Also Flat-Out Stupid For Your Cell Phone’s Battery
“Broadway theaters weren’t built for cell phone usage—many of them date to the early 20th century. They’re made of marble on the outside and have thick walls on the inside, which absorb sound. … Even from a technical standpoint, using your phone in a theater is pointless — your battery drains even if the phone just stays in your pocket.”
Is Rock, With Its Simple Chords And Overriding Beat, The Sound Of Mass Complacency?
“So powerful was the rock beat that all other attributes of the music were presented as secondary, or totally inconsequential. ‘ “Positive” lyrics are mostly a sop to minds that do not want to know what they are thinking,’ he wrote.”
Stressed UK Libraries Are Increasingly Being Run By Volunteers
Between March 2010 and March 2014: 337 libraries have closed in the UK – a fall from 4,482 to 4,145. The number of volunteers has increased 100% – from 17,550 to 35,818.The number of full-time staff has decreased by 22% – from 24,746 to 19,308. The number of books lent has fallen by 20% – from 309 million to 247 million
Mark Rylance: Subsidized UK Theatres (The National and Royal Shakespeare) Are Charging Too Much For Tickets
You can’t have the RSC and the National receiving millions of pounds of money without a lower price, in my feeling. A lower price should be part of it.” Adding that tickets for the two subsidised theatre companies cost “way too much”, he continued: “I think it absolutely has to be accessible, this stuff. And that should be the condition of subsidy.”
Amazon’s New Algorithm Appears To Be Blocking Reviews By The Most Dedicated Fans
“The online retailer appears to have tightened up its review policy to weed out people boosting their mates’ books with glowing notices, but whatever algorithms they’re using to work this out seem also to be catching anyone who engages with their favourite writers on social media.”
Book Subscription Services Have A Problem: People Who Read Too Much
“Many hands have been wrung over the decline of the American book lover. According to a Gallup poll, the number of non-book-readers has nearly tripled since 1978. And according to the Pew Research Center, nearly a quarter of American adults have not read a single book in the past year. But the challenge for e-book services are people who like to read too much.”