“A group of volunteers clearing graffiti from the walls and bus stops in their home town have inadvertently painted over a modern masterpiece – and cost its owner £5,000. The work, attributed to street artist Banksy, depicted Paddington Bear with the caption ‘Migration is not a crime’ and was painted on to a wall owned by Julian Chatt in Glastonbury, Somerset.”
Tag: 04.30.09
‘Theatre Of The People’ Will Let Them Program The Season
“Theatre Royal Stratford East is to give audiences a free rein to choose its programme for the first six months of 2012, in the run up to the London Olympics. The move, which is thought to be the first time a major producing theatre has given the general public an open say about what is put on its stage for an entire season, is seen by officials at TRSE as an extension of the company’s long tradition … of being a ‘theatre of the people’.”
North Of The Border, U.S. Plays Have A Not-So-Fresh Smell
“Starting June 1, all American citizens will have to present a passport to enter Canada. Perhaps the same regulation should have been placed on American plays years ago. … All too often, what sizzled on Broadway fizzles here. Why does this happen? Well, if one were to oversimplify things, there are two reasons….”
With Proposed Law, Canada Has Ticketmaster In Its Sights
“The Ontario government took aim yesterday at U.S. entertainment giant Ticketmaster by introducing a new law that would block companies from charging scalpers’ prices for tickets to concerts and sporting events on resale websites they own. … Attorney-General Chris Bentley said yesterday that he has heard ‘loud and clear’ from consumers in Ontario that they are not getting fair access to tickets for their favourite events.”
Hirshhorn Puts Three Eakins Paintings On The Block
“The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has decided to auction three paintings by Thomas Eakins, the 19th-century American artist, to raise money for its acquisition fund. The works, which are being sold by Christie’s in a public sale May 20, have been culled from the 220 pieces by Eakins in the museum’s collection.”
Baltimore Symphony Musicians Volunteer $1M In Cuts
“[I]t’s far from routine for an orchestra’s musicians to volunteer a cut of their own accord. Yesterday, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra announced that its players had unanimously agreed to forgo wage and pension rate increases and other promised elements of their 2009-10 contract packages, taking an 8 percent cut to make what amounts to a $1 million donation to the orchestra. The donation was presented in the form of a challenge grant.”
Global Movie Slump Looks Likely To Impact Cannes Deals
“Given all that’s gone wrong in the economy, it’s not surprising that this year’s Cannes Film Festival will be more restrained than in recent years. And that could present a problem for independent filmmakers and their financial backers hoping to score a big sales payday or even land a theatrical distribution deal.”
German Cultural Institutions Benefit From Stimulus Funds
“Germany’s museums, theaters and libraries are benefiting from Chancellor Angela Merkel’s economic stimulus plan, using unexpected windfalls to fix leaky roofs, crumbling facades and drafty windows. … ‘We are winners of the economic crisis,’ Wolfgang Heckl, director general of the Deutsches Museum, said….”
Cojocaru’s Comeback A Triumph
“For an improbably long time, showers of blooms rained down on Alina Cojocaru after her performance in Peter Wright’s production of Giselle at the Royal Opera House last week. So many that by the time the conductor and the other Royal Ballet dancers came out to take their bows, they were tripping over the piles with some regularity.”
Now This Is How To Celebrate Duke Ellington’s Birthday!
“[The Duke Ellington Orchestra was] standing on the platform of the 125th Street subway station at St. Nicholas Avenue in Harlem, about to board an A train – and perform – as the train sped toward the other end of the line, in Queens, picking up regular passengers along the way.”