“More than a third of UK arts organisations consider Gordon Brown to be the political leader most in touch with the needs of the culture sector, new research has revealed. The Labour prime minister has, with 36% of votes, come out on top in a survey designed to gauge the industry’s views on the upcoming general election.”
Tag: 04.22.10
Graeme Murphy Wants His Dances To Die With Him
“‘Just before I die, I want to burn the bloody lot and make sure that no work I did is ever done again.’ Is Graeme Murphy serious? ‘Yes,’ he says, ‘it’s the only way you can protect your work.’ That would be one big bonfire for Murphy, who has choreographed more than 50 works for Sydney Dance Company and eight for the Australian Ballet.”
We Need More Good Plays About Sports
Michael Billington: “Given that there is so much drama in sport, why is there not more sport in drama? Not only does sport reveal humanity at its best and worst; it is also inseparable from politics, finance and race.”
Five Men Cleared Of Extortion Over Stolen Leonardo
“In a further blow, three of the men have insisted they are still entitled to a reward for securing the Madonna of the Yarnwinder, stolen from the Duke of Buccleuch’s Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfriesshire, in August 2003.”
Town Asks Its Nonprofits For $$; Donations Fail To Roll In
“More than half the organizations” in Concord, Mass., “responded to the town’s request by outlining the many ways they already contribute to the community; some didn’t respond at all. Many of the organizations … cited their own fiscal hardships; others were philosophically opposed, and some were put off by the town’s demanding approach.”
Boston Public Library May Lose State Funds Over Closures
“The threat, submitted as a cluster of budget amendments, would withhold the $2.4 million the Boston Public Library expects to receive from the state next year. If the amendments pass, the city, in order to receive the funding, would have to keep open all its 26 library branches in some capacity, regardless of staffing levels, layoffs, or hours of operation.”
Experimental Autism Therapy Uses Music To Teach Speech
“The theory behind the therapy is that the combination of sound and movement can activate a network of brain regions that overlap with brain areas thought to be abnormal in children with autism. Researchers think the intensive, repetitive training on sound paired with motion will help strengthen those abnormal areas.”
Senate Committee Okays Ban On Box-Office Futures
“The setback comes as a surprise — and a victory for Hollywood — because federal regulators only in the last week had given the first stage of approval to the exchanges. Included in the Wall Street Transparency and Accountability Act financial reform package, passed Wednesday by the Senate Agriculture Committee, is a provision banning futures trading on box office.”
Artist’s Years Of Struggle Included Thievery, Jail Time
David “Choe, 33, has been working day and night on his new show, ‘Nothing to Declare,’ which opens Friday at a pop-up gallery in Beverly Hills. It will be his first local appearance in six years, during which he’s grown from petty criminal to respected international artist.”
Poor Timing? Kelsey Grammer Backs Right-Wing Network
“The Broadway revival of the 1983 musical ‘La Cage aux Folles,’ starring Kelsey Grammer, opened to rave reviews this week, only to encounter what could be a viral storm with news of the star’s online promo for the conservative-oriented RightNetwork.”