The “East Bank” cultural quarter project — to include Sadler’s Wells dance theatre, the BBC, the London College of Fashion, a new University College London campus, and both a public building and a Collections Centre for the Victoria & Albert Museum — is running £14 million over the £470 million budget, which doesn’t even include UCL or the V&A Collections Centre. – Arts Professional
Tag: 11.01.19
Why Helsinki’s New Public Library Might Be The Best In The World
The central library is built to serve as a kind of citizenship factory, a space for old and new residents to learn about the world, the city, and each other. It’s pointedly sited across from (and at the same level as) the Finnish Parliament House that it shares a public square with. – CityLab
Is Cellphone Prison The Solution For Stopping Ringing During The Show?
“As you reached your row, you were told to turn off your phone or put it on silent and insert it to a glove-like pouch. You keep your phone but you cannot turn it back on without unlocking the pouch, which uses a simple mechanism not unlike the security tags you find in clothing stores and that have to be removed by cashiers. At the end of the show, ushers show up and quickly unlock the devices.” – Chicago Tribune
How Theatre Helped Bring Down The Berlin Wall 30 Years Ago Today
What is intriguing is that the collapse of East Germany was, in many ways, a piece of theatre. The Alexanderplatz demonstration, one of the largest in GDR history, had been planned by actors and directors from leading East German theatres. They invited playwrights and actors to address the crowds, alongside dissidents and politicians. They even had a baddie: the former deputy head of the Stasi secret police spoke – and was booed. – The Guardian
Minneapolis’ Children’s Theatre Company Settles With Remaining Plaintiffs In Sex Abuse Cases
At the announcement of the settlement, theatre administration and survivors stood side by side. “The moment brought a close to a decadeslong ordeal and underscored the pain of those whose childhoods were taken away, their lives scarred by abuse. It also saw theater management publicly acknowledge the abuse committed by former employees, and offer an apology and commitment to continue working with survivors.” – Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Students At Scotland’s Royal Conservatoire Say The School Ignored Claims Of Systemic Abuse
Both students and alums want a public apology, an independent investigation – and change. “Their allegations include claims of physical intimidation and inappropriate remarks about students’ mental health issues and about sexual abuse.” – The Stage (UK)
The Queens Dance Troupe Made Up Of Grandmothers
Says one 79-year-old dancer, “While I am dancing, I am very focused. I listen to the music and the lyrics. I also think about my movement: How can I dance beautifully? I actually forget that I am aging.” – The New York Times
Who Helped Save The Reagan Presidential Library From A Wildfire?
Vincent van Goat, of course. – Hyperallergic
Former Royal Ballet Dancer Jailed For Molesting Girls
Stephen Beagley was a leading classical ballet dancer in the 1970s and 1980s in Britain, and starred in CATS as well. He’s been jailed for 10 years for molesting girls ages 9-13. – BBC
TV’s Time Shift Is Accelerating
This may be the last bow for the idea of fall TV. “The more that streaming becomes the default way people watch, the less that the concepts of time on which TV has operated — seasons, schedules, time slots — will matter. And with those customs will change the very culture of America’s essential medium.” – The New York Times