Justin Davidson: “The idea of a building that could be dismantled, rearranged, and reassembled has not generally fared well in the world of building codes and construction trades. The Fire Department does not take kindly to the idea that a staircase that’s there today may vanish by tomorrow. The arts, too, have rigidities of their own. Impresarios may not care to pin down a work with a label like “theater,” but the stagehands’ union wants to know whether a show falls under its jurisdiction.” – New York Magazine
Tag: 04.08.19
How To Measure The Value Of The Arts In Prisons?
California has done a study on recidivism rates, trying to determine whether arts programs make a difference. Evidence is that they may not. But is this the right measure? – Washington Post
Big Tech’s War To Dominate The World
Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google are waging a war of all against all—a war for all of your time, all of your money, all of your worldly interactions and desires. They want to be your one indispensable partner for navigating life, and to get there, they must destroy one another. If the government doesn’t step in, the American public will become collateral damage. – The New Republic
Wonder Why Some Cities Just Work? Meet Barcelona
The city’s ability to invent and reinvent itself over and over again is no accident. Yes, the location is wonderful. But the city’s layout and design have conspired to serve as a template that can be endlessly recycled. – Vox
Breakthrough? Scientists Show They Can Reverse Memory Decline With Electrical Stimulation
After the intervention, working memory in the older adults improved to match the younger group and the effect appeared to last for 50 minutes after the stimulation. Those who had scored worst to start with showed the largest improvements. – The Guardian
Nonprofit Uses Hip-Hop Dance To Teach Young Women Of Color How To Code
“‘Coding is repetition, and dancing is also repetition,’ said Franklyn Athias, senior vice president of IP services at Comcast Cable and the coding instructor at danceLogic [in West Philadelphia]. ‘Yes, one is exercise, but you got to learn the routine. It’s the same thing with coding, you still got to learn the routine.'” – The Philadelphia Inquirer
Why Tell The Gwen Verdon/Bob Fosse Story Now?
There is something undeniably glamorous about their story—the prince and princess of American dance—and something undeniably magical in the work they crafted together. In 2019, this story should be an act of reclamation, at least for Verdon; of her agency, of her contributions, of her pain. But instead of focusing on her interiority, on developing her feelings of betrayal and resentment as more than Douglas Sirk-esque melodrama, it often shows her dancing around and on top of her emotions. – The New Republic
UK Gov’t Considers Punishing Social Media Companies For Failing To Take Down ‘Harmful Content’
“The ‘harms’ that companies could be penalised for include failure to act to take down child abuse, terrorist acts and revenge pornography, as well as behaviours such as cyberbullying, spreading disinformation and encouraging self-harm. Senior social media executives could be held personally liable for failure to remove such content from their platforms.” The move comes just a few days after Australia’s Parliament passed a similar law. – The Guardian
Two Young Suspects Charged With Burning Down Shakespeare Theater In Stratford, Ct.
“Two teenagers were charged Monday with setting the January fire that destroyed the Shakespeare Theater in Stratford, Conn., a 1,500-seat venue … [that] was ultimately reduced to a smoldering mound of mangled steel.” – The New York Times
After 20 Months, Director Kirill Serebrennikov Freed From House Arrest
“A Moscow city court judge overturned a decision by a lower tribunal last week to extend his arrest for three more months … The 49-year-old head of Moscow’s Gogol Centre theatre — who supporters say is facing politically motivated [embezzlement] charges — has been detained since August 2017. He will now be able to work and communicate, as long as he stays in Moscow.” – Yahoo! (AFP)