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- Study: The Antidote To Mindless Phone Rot — A Surprising Finding
The results after doing so were eye-opening even to them: among a totally random population, levels of creativity for the people watching the experimental films were immediately higher compared to those watching YouTube videos, which didn’t move much at all. So was openness to seeing the world in new ways. – The Hollywood Reporter
- Yale Report: Universities Themselves Are To Blame For Lowered Trust Of Higher Ed
High costs, murky admissions practices, uneven academic standards and fears about free speech on campuses, the committee said, are among the reasons for widening discontent over higher education’s worthiness. – The New York Times
- America’s Only Accredited Circus School Is Closing
Founded in 2017 in Philadelphia, the Circadium School of Contemporary Circus became the first and only accredited and licensed circus school in the U.S. With that accreditation, Circadium’s founder had hoped to become eligible for federal funding for student financial aid — a hope that finally died this year. – Billy Penn (Philadelphia)
- Inside The Kennedy Center Dumpster Fire (OMG!)
Richard Grenell, told me to “get rid of everything” in the permanent collection because we needed all new art for the reopening. Although I had slow-walked this demand for several weeks by pretending I was waiting on another colleague for updates, I now had only two hours to tie up loose ends. – The Atlantic
- AI’s Are Beginning To Get Emotional Intelligence
Emotions are the AI industry’s new fixation. Not only are growing numbers of start-ups such as Amotions AI promising tools that interpret feelings; the major AI companies are developing chatbots that apparently aren’t just smarter—they get you. – The Atlantic
- When AI Can Write Like Me
That a machine might use my writing not only to learn about my subject matter, but also to analyze and ultimately mimic my authorial voice, points to a future that George Orwell envisioned with eerie prescience. – The Conversation
- New Hope For The Arts In Hungary After The Fall Of Viktor Orbán?
“A key question is what will happen to … the ‘ideologically burdened’ Hungarian Academy of Arts, an institution given significant funding powers by (Orbán’s party) that is seen as having been an instrument of the government’s conservative agenda. More broadly, members of the art scene hope to see increased institutional autonomy.” – The Art Newspaper
- The Only Path Forward For Struggling Theatres
Theatres facing financial difficulty can only prosper by “programming their way out of it”, according to the Young Vic artistic director, Nadia Fall, who has announces her new slate of shows, including an anti-Trump musical version of Thelma & Louise. – The Guardian
- What Happens Next In The LiveNation/Ticketmaster Case
The jury’s clean sweep, finding monopolization on every claim, gives the states significantly more leverage in the remedy phase than a mixed verdict would have. – Music Business Worldwide
- Trump’s Arts Commission Approves Preliminary Design Of Arch
The Commission of Fine Arts, which is filled with Mr. Trump’s appointees, has an advisory role on the design of the project, but no enforcement power. It asked the administration to return with updated drawings before a final vote on the project. – The New York Times
- Where In London Was Shakespeare’s House? Centuries-Old Mystery Finally Solved
“A newly discovered 17th-century map sheds new light on the Bard’s London life, pinpointing for the first time the exact location of the only home Shakespeare bought in the city, and where he may have worked on his final plays.” – AP
- Sundance Gets Busy Setting Up At New HQ In Boulder
“With just nine months remaining before the first Boulder, Colorado, edition of the Sundance Film Festival, the organizers of the world’s most important showcase for independent cinema — which was held in Park City, Utah, for the last 45 years — are making big moves.” – The Hollywood Reporter
- Trusted Book Publisher In Paris Is Forced Out By Right-Wing Owner; Over 100 Authors Are Following Him
“More than 100 writers have quit the historic French publishing house Grasset in protest at its billionaire owner, Vincent Bolloré, whose media empire has been accused of promoting reactionary and far-right ideas. … The protest was sparked by the departure of Grasset editor Olivier Nora, who had run the imprint for 26 years.” – The Guardian
- Architect Peter Zumthor On Criticism Of His New Building At LACMA
On the fact that there’s less exhibition space than in the previous building: “What is this with bigness? What kind of a hang-up is this? You don’t have to be big. It has the right scale. … Small museums are beautiful, big museums tend to be really difficult.” – Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)
- South Korea Wants To Export Its Version Of Broadway. Can A.I. Glasses Make It Doable?
The country’s live theater is vibrant (Exhibit A: Maybe Happy Ending); producers and local authorities want it to catch on abroad the way K-pop and TV drama have, and language is the biggest barrier. Now they’ve developed AI-powered glasses which listen for cue words and match subtitles to dialogue. – The New York Times
- As V&A Museum’s Newest Branch Opens, Staffers Campaign For Living Wage
“On Saturday, V&A East will open its doors in Stratford, east London, showcasing stunning fabrics, photos and black British music. … While the V&A complies with all legal minimum-wage requirements, … campaigners say some of the lowest-paid staff and contractors in London are not in receipt of the living wage.” – The Guardian
- Former NPR President Kevin Klose Dead At 85
He spent a quarter-century at The Washington Post, including as Moscow bureau chief during the Brezhnev era; he then served as president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. As CEO of NPR from 1998 to 2008, he played a central role in landing the transformative $150 million donation from Joan Kroc. – The Washington Post (Yahoo!)
- The Money Goes Somewhere
Good Morning
The BBC is cutting 2,000 jobs and £500 million from its budget (AP). Disney is eliminating entire PR and marketing teams (TheWrap). San Diego’s mayor wants to slash city arts funding by 85% (San Diego Union-Tribune). And in Berkeley, a 36-year-old theater company is closing because nobody wanted to work that hard for that little money (San Francisco Chronicle).
But here’s the counterpoint: NPR just announced $110 million in philanthropic gifts — the largest from a living donor in its history (Editor & Publisher). The Met is in the middle of a $1.5 billion renovation (New York Times). The money hasn’t disappeared. It’s concentrating at the top.
Meanwhile, Helen DeWitt turned down a $175,000 literary prize and opinion is sharply divided on whether that’s principled or deranged (The Guardian).
All of our stories below.
- Artistic Director – Indianapolis Ballet working with Management Consultants for the Arts
Indianapolis Ballet (IB) seeks its next Artistic Director, who will carry the organization’s mission forward, embracing the history and future of classical ballet through dynamic performances, visionary new works, extraordinary training, and by providing transformative community outreach programs to the widest possible audiences. Entering its eighth season as a professional company, IB is the largest professional dance company in the state of Indiana. Founded first as a ballet school in 2006 by Victoria Lyras, IB has grown into a dynamic force, presenting up to nine productions annually. Its partnership with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra provides extraordinary live musical accompaniment on select programs.
Indianapolis Ballet has engaged Management Consultants for the Arts to lead the search, & interested candidates may apply for this position by visiting this link:
https://www.mcaonline.com/searches/artistic-director-indianapolis-ballet - Furtwängler in Wartime – Reflections on Ian Buruma’s “Stay Alive”
Boston’s “Arts Fuse” today carries my thoughts on “Furtwängler in Wartime” occasioned by Ian Buruma’s new book “Stay Alive.” Excerpts follow. You can read the whole thing here.
One learns from Ian Buruma’s Stay Alive: Berlin 1939-45 – an absorbing study of what it was like to live in the German
- How Jonah Hill Went From Shlubby Comic Actor To Oscar Nominee To Film Auteur
His new movie, Outcome — which he directed- co-wrote, and co-stars in — “is difficult to watch without drawing parallels to Hill’s odd and unexpected arc, as well as to the real-life controversies that could have sunk his career.” – The Hollywood Reporter
- Helen DeWitt Declined A Prestigious $175,000 Prize. Is She Principled Or Crazy?
Opinions on her recent stance are strongly divided: some have praised her principled refusal to play the self-promotion game that takes so much out of writers, while others have called her a spoilt, entitled nightmare. – The Guardian
- Connections Between Classical Music And Heavy Metal?
There’s more that connects metal and classical music than sets them apart. A love of volume, turning the noise up to 11? From Black Sabbath to Stravinsky, check. A worship of virtuosity, of speed, technique and orgiastic instrumental excess, from Vivaldi to Van Halen? Absolutely. – The Guardian
- Owner Of Now-Closed Boulder Dance Studio Indicted For Theft, Insurance Fraud
“The owner of the shuttered Boulder dance studio, Frequency Dance, turned herself in Thursday afternoon at the Boulder County Jail after being indicted on accusations of staging two break-ins and getting more than $567,000 in fraudulent insurance payouts.” – Daily Camera (Boulder)
- What’s Behind Saudi Arabia’s Multi-Billion-Dollar Investment In Paramount’s Warner Deal
The Kingdom’s bet on entertainment at home has been matched by an equally ambitious push abroad — one that is rapidly reshaping Hollywood’s balance sheet. – The Hollywood Reporter
- Trump’s Plan For A Supersized Arch Alienates Even Supporters
Trump’s push to build the giant arch — more than quadrupling its size from original plans — has alienated early proponents of the project, classical architects and veterans groups who say it will diminish nearby Arlington Cemetery. – The New York Times
- Court Moves To Examine Merger Of Two Local TV Conglomerates
The deal shatters several records: It gives Nexstar control of 265 local stations in 44 states and the District of Columbia, reaching 80% of the nation’s households. Federal competition law from 2004 limits companies to less than half that level. – NPR
- Kentucky Gives Louisville Orchestra $3.2 Million For Statewide Touring
“The Louisville Orchestra has received a $3.2 million from the Kentucky General Assembly to continue its statewide In Harmony Tour through 2028. (The tour is) a music education and performance program that has brought live music to more than 57,000 people across 50 counties in the Commonwealth.” – Louisville Courier Journal (MSN)
- The End Of The Internet As We Know It
Now, thanks to new A.I. tools, anyone can write code. Soon, bad actors could use those same tools to find out what’s wrong with code. The détente is over. – The New York Times
- NPR Announced Transformative Philanthropic Support
NPR today announced it has received philanthropic gifts totaling more than $110 million — including the largest by a living donor in NPR’s history — as a strategic investment in its future. – Editor & Publisher
- DePaul University, Strapped For Cash, Closes Historic Theater In Downtown Chicago
It’s unclear what will happen to the 116-year-old, 1,400-seat Merle Reskin Theatre. It has landmark status, however, and won’t be demolished. – Chicago Sun-Times
- Spotify Partners With Local Music Venues
Under the partnership, Spotify will boost visibility for independent venues through existing features including venue pages and its Live Events Feed throughout 2026. The platform will also display NIVA’s Certified Live Independent seal on venue pages for participating spaces. – Music Business Worldwide
- An Autistic Man Wrote A Bestselling Book. Didn’t He?
“It is mysterious and confounding to see a severely autistic nonspeaker perform acts of scholarship and fiction writing if you don’t presume intelligence in a disabled person. I have been using the same green board since I was in middle school and I find the letters and colors very calming.” – The Atlantic
- Why Should We Indulge In Art In Difficult Times?
At a time of great suffering and upheaval, is it right to engage with art? Or are we using it as a way of dodging the moral realities of the world? – ArtsHub
- One More Bay Area Theater Company Closes Up Shop
“Central Works, which has been making new plays in Berkeley for 36 years, plans to close at the end of its 2026 season with the retirement of co-directors Gary Graves and Jan Zvaifler.” They tried to find successors, but nobody wanted to work that hard for that little money. – San Francisco Chronicle (Yahoo!)
