Category: issues

On Thursday, management laid off 284 staff members, some of whom had worked there for decades and lived in campus housing. An additional 100 people remain on temporary layoff, leaving 123 fully employed. – CBC

Funding nonwhite creators to make work using stories from their own underrepresented communities may seem a self-evidently good thing, but there are potential dangers — to the artists themselves and to the communities involved — in telling those stories publicly, and the artists may not have the support to deal with the fallout. Dr. Ranjit Khutan, an expert in arts and public health, suggests four basic ethical principles for both funders and creators to keep in mind. – Arts Professional

“By December, the city’s largest performing arts presenter will have missed out on revenue from about 800 shows, events, and rentals since mid-March, when it closed the doors to its halls because of the coronavirus pandemic. These events would have been attended by about 700,000 visitors.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer

“The vast majority of the 349 recipient groups from the 2020 fiscal year are small, their audiences mostly neighborhood audiences who often see themselves reflected on the stages or in the galleries. More than a quarter have annual budgets under $50,000, and more than 60% are under $400,000, according to city records. … Here, eight recipient groups describe the impact of the [funding] on their organizations and their communities.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer

“As if moving to some syncopated symphony, arts organizations and cultural institutions across the country are parading out statements of “solidarity” in these moments. I’ve stopped counting (and reading) the endless emails I’ve received from arts organizations touting how they stand in solidarity with Black people. Statements which proclaim they’re shutting down their operations and programming — galas and town halls and education programs are “going black.” How cute. Now, all of a sudden, historically and predominantly white arts institutions want to be “in solidarity” with Black folks? I know what solidarity looks like. And it ain’t this.” – Medium

“Half of all music venues and 70% of theatres across the UK face permanent closure as a result of the coronavirus crisis, industry leaders have told a committee of MPs.” Testified one exec, “Our latest survey told us 70% of theatres or production companies will run out of cash, go out of business, by the end of this year.” – The Guardian

Here’s the issue with the issues, at least around race: “Such efforts to meaningfully contribute to the conversation are especially sensitive because many of the institutions are led by white executives who answer to boards largely made up of wealthy white trustees. That composition has long fueled suspicion that arts organizations are inherently resistant to — or incapable of — real change.” – The New York Times