Good morning: When voters elected far right governments in Hungary and Poland, the new leaders started changing the rules for how government would work. Among the measures were laws to crack down on culture and media. This week, The US House voted to allow the Treasury Secretary to classify any non-profits as “terrorism-supporting” and strip them of their nonprofit status. Artists are alarmed. If a theatre presents a play critical of government actions, might it find itself disappeared? These are the kinds of laws without oversight that create a chilling effect across culture. Here’s a report of the bill’s passage in the House (which doesn’t mean the Senate will also pass the bill), and here’s a good roundup of potential artistic risks.
Now more highlights from stories we collected today:
- Berlin Announces Major Cuts To Its (Substantial) Arts Funding Budget “Overall, Berlin is slashing its cultural funding budget by around €120 million ($127 million), or about 12%. For weeks now, theatres and other organizations have warned of insolvency, operational restrictions, and job losses.” – DPA (Yahoo!)​
- African Musicians Express Concerns Over AI’s Impact on Music Ownership “Musicians from Africa are voicing worries about the use of artificial intelligence in music creation, particularly regarding ownership rights and cultural appropriation. They question how original creators will be credited when AI utilizes music from countries like Ghana or Nigeria.” – BBC​
- Shen Yun Investigated Over Alleged Labor Violations Involving Underage Performers “New York State is investigating Shen Yun for allegedly using underage student performers in extensive work schedules with minimal pay, raising concerns about labor rights and exploitation within the arts industry.” – The New York Times​
- A Recreated Pina Bausch Classic With Original Dancers Playing In Front Of Film Of The Original “The performers, ages 69 to 80, will dance the roles they created while footage from that first production, filmed by Rolf Borzik, plays alongside them onstage.” – The New York Times​
- Portland Oregon Changed How It Funds The Arts. Small Arts Organizations Aren’t Happy “The city argues its new method of funding creates a more equitable process to sustain its creative centers. But smaller arts organizations say the shift has left them with less funding than expected.” – Willamette Week​
Skip down to see all the stories we collected in the past day, grouped by art form. See you tomorrow.
Doug
