“A lack of suitable venues, with the West Kowloon Cultural District still being developed, left the cultural sector struggling to expand, despite government funding of HK$3.5 billion per year.”
Tag: 12.01.14
Why Mel Tormé Never Got The One Thing He Desperately Wanted
The gifted jazz singer – who was also a talented songwriter, arranger, author, and character actor – was tormented his entire life that he never achieved the same level of fame as Frank Sinatra. “What was it, then, that kept Tormé out of the pop-culture pantheon? Was his stylish singing caviar to the general? Or was something else at fault?”
San Diego Opera Was Nowhere Near Financial Collapse Last Season, Audit Shows
The company’s previous board and general director abruptly tried to shut down the company last spring, claiming that there was not money or local interest enough to keep it going. But the audited financial statements for that season show an operating deficit of $52,067 on operating expenses of $15.9 million – roughly one-sixth the deficit of the previous season.
Did Putin Give A Picasso From The Hermitage As A Bribe To Get The World Cup?
A secret British report given to Parliament alleges that the Russian president took two paintings from state collections – one allegedly a Picasso from the Hermitage in St. Petersburg – and gave them to FIFA officials in exchange for their votes for Russia’s bid to host the 2018 world soccer championship.
Brian Macdonald, 86, Choreographer, Director, Leader Of Ballet Companies On Three Continents
“He served as artistic director of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the Royal Swedish Ballet, and the Batsheva Dance Company in Tel Aviv, and he “won acclaim for creating or staging ballets, operas and Broadway musicals” through Europe and North America, including 19 productions at Ontario’s Stratford Festival.
Could the Creative Class Be Priced Out of L.A.?
“From Santa Monica to Venice to Highland Park – and now the Arts District in downtown Los Angeles – the painters, sculptors, musicians and dancers who made those and other neighborhoods centers of artistic creativity can’t afford to live or work there anymore.” (audio)
European Union Finally Publishes Guidelines On Right To Be Forgotten
“Search engines (mainly Google) that have been attempting to comply with the European Union’s right-to-be-forgotten regulations have had to muddle through without guidance for making subjective decisions about what to take down and what to leave up. Now the EU has finally released guidelines.”
They May Finally Have Found The Remains Of García Lorca
“In the hills overlooking Granada, forensic archeologists buzz excitedly around a cordoned-off site. A blue tarp sits in the middle, marking the spot where they believe lies the answer to one of Spain’s great mysteries of recent times.”
“He Sounds Gay” – What Exactly Does That Mean?
“Affect a lisp, assume a lilt, and add a fair amount of flamboyance. Presto! Instant gay man’s voice. It’s a stereotype, to be sure, but is there any truth to it? Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo talk to Benjamin Munson, a speech scientist at the University of Minnesota, about what it means to sound gay.” (podcast)
Did This Guy Reinvigorate Music Education And Make It Viable?
“Two months on, the success, not to mention the sheer speed, of the campaign, is impressive. Over 6,000 instruments were handed in to the 700 Oxfam stores acting as collection points. The instruments were then matched to specific requests from 150 primary schools across the UK, and delivered by Yodel. Each school has received up to 20 appropriately-sized instruments.”