“Composers across the country have been outraged over a competition launched by the Canadian House of Commons in honour of [the confederation’s sesquicentennial].” The main issue is award money so stingy that even former prime minister Stephen Harper might be embarrassed.
Tag: 01.12.17
Major Arts Center In Manchester Gets Go-Ahead
“Manchester’s proposed £110m arts centre, the Factory, has moved a step closer to being built after city councillors gave planning permission for the Rem Koolhaas-designed building.” The project is part of a larger plan to make Manchester and northern England “a genuine cultural counterbalance to London.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 01.12.17
Good News for the New Year: Reinstallation of the Getty Villa
If you’re down in the dumps about Trump, or just coping with some post-holiday blues, I’m making an effort this month to perk you up with something atypical of the hypercritical CultureGrrl — good news. … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2017-01-12
New Documentary About Millepied And The Paris Ballet Explores A Clash Of Cultures
“By the time type comes up on screen telling us that Millepied left the Paris Opera Ballet after little more than two years on the job, we have seen the reasons for that departure writ large on the screen.”
How Northern Ballet Rethought Its Transactional Business Model
“The greatest challenge was to try to change the existing culture from one that was transactional to philanthropic, removing the need for tiers and associated benefits. The Directors’ Circle was our upper-level membership scheme, designed with its own set of tiers (silver, gold and platinum) and associated benefits. The scheme itself had been relatively successful, particularly in the development of our Sponsor a Dancer appeal. The drawback to the scheme was that it was not cost-effective if supporters drew on all of their benefits. This meant that rather than creating a community of supporters we were at risk of turning those closest to us into transactional givers.”
Study: Superheroes Might Be A Bad Influence On Children
“Children in early childhood may be particularly at risk for the negative effects of media violence exposure when the superhero medium is emphasized,” concludes a research team led by psychologist Sarah Coyne of Brigham Young University. “It appears to be difficult for young children to disentangle aggression and pro-social behavior when they are combined, as is common in the superhero genre.”
Pop Culture Has Become A Multi-room Echo Chamber With Little Broad Impact
“What’s less discussed is the polarization of culture, and the new echo chambers within which we hear about and experience today’s cultural hits. There will never again be a show like “One Day at a Time” or “All in the Family” — shows that derived their power not solely from their content, which might not hold up to today’s more high-minded affairs, but also from their ubiquity. There’s just about nothing as popular today as old sitcoms were; the only bits of shared culture that come close are periodic sporting events, viral videos, memes and occasional paroxysms of political outrage.”
Surprise Verdict: Court Clears Art Dealers Wildenstein Family Of Tax Evasion
Prosecutors had accused Guy Wildenstein, two family members, and advisors of attempting to avoid paying €550 million in inheritance taxes by transferring assets out of France. In delivering his verdict, the judge went out of his way to say that he does not think the Wildensteins are innocent: the problem is with French law.
Pittsburgh Symphony, Back In Business After Strike, Has ‘Huge Mountain To Climb’
That quote is from PSO president Melia Tourangeau, who says the new contract offers “some breathing room right now” but that the orchestra badly needs to expand its donor base.
Singapore Symphony Music Director Lan Shui, Who Brought Orchestra To International Level, Leaving After 20 Years
“Under Shui’s baton, the SSO has gone from a promising national ensemble to winning international acclaim. Its televised BBC Proms debut in 2014 received four out of five stars in The Guardian and The Telegraph. It was hailed as possibly ‘one of the great orchestras of the 21st century’ by the London Spectator after a 2010 performance at London’s Royal Festival Hall.”