“During the Blair/Brown decade we have enjoyed generally sustained increases in public spending; but as the economy cools, those who govern us will be searching for cuts. And when I hear a politician portray a certain strand of public funding as unnecessary, outdated or replicable in the private sector, I fear for those who rely on that strand.”
Tag: 08.06.08
Can You Pick A Conductor In A “Reality” Show?
“In a new music reality show, Maestro, eight celebrities – Jane Asher, Peter Snow, Goldie, Katie Derham, Alex James, Bradley Walsh, Sue Perkins and David Soul – will compete with each other to become a conductor, and display their new skills at a BBC Proms in the Park concert, in front of an audience of 30,000, and countless more television viewers.”
Judge Quits Religious Art Competition Because Of Painting
Australian art critic and historian Christopher Allen resigned from the panel of judges after Adam Cullen’s triptych Corpus Christi made the short list for the $20,000 Blake Prize for Religious Art.
Why So Much Stupid Scientific Research On Music?
“This summer’s raft of daft surveys has already included a ‘behavioural scientist’ from the University Bretagne-Sud in France who’s been spending lots of time hanging around bars in an effort to prove that people drink faster when the volume of piped music is turned up (by and large they do, but I reckon that’s because they can’t wait to get away from the noise).”
Dubai Companies Buy 20% Of Cirque du Soleil
The agreement keeps control of the company in the hands of founder Guy Laliberte, putting to rest for now speculation that the troupe would be sold outright.
New Digital “Eyeball” Camera Eliminates Distortion
“Mimicking the curves of a human retina has enabled a digital image sensor to take wide-angle pictures without distortion. Conventional film and digital cameras use a flat surface to capture an image and as a result are unable to capture a wide field of view without distortion. Optics designed to correct such distortions can be complex and expensive.”
Critic Alleges BBC Is Killing Writers’ Creativity
“The terrible thing for writers at the moment is the BBC – they are such crap. But it’s not just writers – they are killing producers and production companies all over the place because they will put something into development and then sit on it for literally two years.”
Study: French Illegally Download As Many Movies As They Buy
People in France illegally downloaded over 13.5 million films in May, according to the study, while the National Centre for Cinematography recorded cinema ticket sales of 12.2 million for the month.
Hollywood Might Be Vulnerable To Recession
“Conventional wisdom in Hollywood has long dictated that the movie business performs well during economic slowdowns because consumers are more likely to spend on less expensive forms of entertainment like movie tickets rather than pricier activities such as sporting events or concerts. But Interpret’s recent study suggests that in the face of financial turbulence, a night at the movies might be one of the first leisure activities consumers give up.”
Edinburgh Fringe Rebrands Comedy (And The Comics Complain)
“The Fringe’s four big comedy venues have joined up to call themselves the Edinburgh Comedy Festival (ECF). They are not, they insist, abandoning the Fringe – simply rebranding to appeal to sponsors. This will pay for marketing, which will help pull in new audiences for comedy and theatre alike.”