“New York City Opera, created 70 years ago as the ‘people’s opera,’ expects to file for bankruptcy protection on Oct. 2 and either liquidate in court or be sold to another institution, its lawyer said.”
Tag: 09.30.13
Michael Bloomberg Will Not Be Rescuing New York City Opera
The Mayor “said that as he understands it, the company has been unable to attract the kind of money it needs [and that] ‘the business model doesn’t seem to be working.’ But he added that ‘city government can’t go and support all of the arts institutions … My foundation’s made up for some of it, but we have lots of other things to do, too, and we can’t just do it ourselves’.”
No, Kickstarter Could Not Have Saved New York City Opera
“For a local arts institution, large and important itself, Kickstarter cannot replace – Kickstarter can barely even supplement – local philanthropy, a strong endowment, and an economic environment kind to organizations which seek to be ‘of the people’.”
Syrian Artist Released By Government After Two Months’ Imprisonment
“A leading Syrian artist has been released after being held by the Syrian authorities for more than two months. Youssef Abdelke was arrested on 18 July, along with two colleagues, by forces loyal to the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, at a checkpoint in Tartous, a southern port city.”
Is There An Asian Pompeii Awaiting Discovery?
“One of history’s great disaster mysteries may be solved – the case of the largest volcanic eruption in the last 3,700 years. Nearly 800 years ago, the blast that was recorded, and then forgotten, may also have created a ‘Pompeii of the Far East,’ researchers suggest, which might lie buried and waiting for discovery on an Indonesian island.”
Edinburgh, Bucking The Trend, Decides Not To Cut Culture Funding
“Edinburgh City Council has proposed that all its cultural grants for 2014/15, including those to its festivals and theatres, will be the same as for the current year. Its recently published consultative budget lists proposed cuts across all sectors, but none in culture. This includes all festivals, such as the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe, as well as the city’s theatres and concert halls.”
Tate Modern Develops Performance Art YouTube Channel
“Tate Live, funded by BMW, … is a four-year experiment in live performance on YouTube. … The eight works already posted online (out of 20 planned for the series) suggest that the approach is not only bringing this work to a broader audience, but also is creating a new artistic form.”
Paris Uses Street Mimes To Get Bar Patrons To Keep The Noise Down
“Patrolling the city since March last year, this group of mute, sad-faced, black and white-clad mediators [on stilts] stalk the city’s busy bar strips on weekend nights, gently encouraging people to drink, smoke and chat at a lower volume.” And it actually seems to work.