Category: issues

“Social movements like #OscarsSoWhite and #MeToo have started important conversations about an industry with entrenched disparities. With that in mind, we asked entertainers” — actors Ali Stroker, Marlee Matlin, Micah Fowler, and Lauren Potter, and Leroy F. Brown Jr. of Krip-Hop Nation — “how they have navigated their careers, and where their hopes lie for the future of their industry.” – The New York Times

You might argue that furloughs are inevitable, given the inability of theaters to perform indoors in front of more than 50 people under current city and state guidelines. But it’s not the furloughs that have been so surprising: It’s the permanent layoffs, indicating that the boards of non-profit organizations just don’t see any imminent return to normal operations. Time and time again, I’ve heard that the job losses were necessary to protect the future of the institution. – Chicago Tribune

“The job losses are expected to affect all areas of the organisation, which comprises venues including the Hayward Gallery and Royal Festival Hall, as well as being home to eight orchestras, the National Poetry Library and the Arts Council Collection. The [Centre] has furloughed the majority of its 600 employees, and in May predicted it could face a £5.1m deficit for the 2020-21 financial year.” – The Guardian

“Concerts, conversations, classes, collages, child-friendly shorts and more filled arts websites and social media channels daily as institutions and individuals worked to preserve relationships and remind audiences of the arts’ societal importance. Was anybody watching?” Jeremy Reynolds checked in with the performing organizations in Pittsburgh and reports that “not all content is created equal.” – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A quarter of freelance theatre workers have been unable to access emergency income of any kind and a third are considering leaving the industry, according to a survey of more than 8,000 participants. – The Stage

Stimulus packages for the arts and culture range from the £1.57bn package announced by the UK this week to smaller packages in countries such as Zimbabwe, Estonia and Costa Rica. – The Guardian

Skeptics see Erdoğan’s decree as a last-ditch call to his nationalist base for support as his political star wanes among Turkey’s youth. Even before his disastrous Covid-19 response threatened to destroy the Turkish economy (queasy about offending his religious supporters, Erdoğan failed, for example, to impose quarantines on pilgrims returning from Mecca), he was facing growing opposition over his crackdown on civil society and the judiciary and his disastrous handling of Turkey’s foreign affairs. – The New Republic

Among the major data points: “Ninety-five percent of organizations canceled programs, 88% modified delivery of their programs, and as of May 8th, 11% were not providing products or services to their communities. Small organizations with budgets under $250,000 have been hardest hit. … 11% of organizations indicated that they do not think they will survive the COVID-19 crisis.” – SMU Data Arts

Tom Scocca: “The promoters of the letter cast themselves as persecuted heroes, putting their names on the line to defend an embattled conception of liberty. The people putting themselves in front of police lines have a more expansive vision of what freedom means, and what risks they’re prepared to take for it.” – Slate