ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

Today’s AJ Highlights

Good morning: French president Macron’s idea to promote culture among young people was to offer students between 15 and 18 money to pay for culture. It’s expensive, costing the government €260m per year. And a study came out reporting that 70 percent of the culture young people bought is mangas and comic books. Perhaps not the culture Macron sought to promote. Moreover, “the system mainly benefits teenagers from educated and wealthy families, who already have access to comic books and movies.” So now the program is under threat of being defunded. More here.

  • Daniel Day-Lewis Ends His Seven-Year Retirement From Acting
    Daniel Day-Lewis, the three-time Oscar-winning actor, is returning to the screen after a seven-year hiatus. Read more on The Guardian.
  • Opera In The UK Is Suffering, Except At Glyndebourne
    As the British opera world faces severe financial crises, Glyndebourne Festival stands apart, continuing to thrive with private funding and minimal state support. This success highlights a unique business model amidst widespread industry challenges. Read more on The New York Times.
  • The Real Miracle of Notre-Dame: Rebuilding the Intricate Wood Frame
    The reconstruction of the Notre-Dame Cathedral has faced massive challenges, especially the task of recreating its iconic medieval wood frame. The effort involved sourcing ancient oaks and utilizing medieval tools to restore the Gothic masterpiece. Read more on GQ.
  • Who’s Funding the Arts? And Does It Need to Change?
    With decreases in corporate charitable giving, there are growing concerns about how the arts are funded. As philanthropy shrinks, some wonder if the current model is sustainable or if it’s time for a new approach. Read more on Esquire.
  • Ballet Star Steven McRae’s Three-Year Recovery from Career-Threatening Injury
    Steven McRae, Royal Ballet principal, reflects on his long recovery after his Achilles tendon snapped mid-performance. Following extensive surgery and rehabilitation, McRae, now 38, has made a triumphant return to the stage. Read more on inews.

As usual, the rest of the stories we collected are below. See you tomorrow.

Doug

Latest Stories

Japanese City Cancels Major Cherry-Blossom Festival Because Tourists Behave So Badly

City officials in Fujiyoshida, not far from Mount Fuji, said residents had been littering, entering private homes to use the bathroom, and even defecating in people’s yards and getting belligerent when confronted. The weeks-long event had attracted about 200,000 visitors each year for the past decade. - The Guardian

How Typists Have Shaped Literary Masterpieces

The typewriter, from its birth, has been tied to a set of assumptions about gender and skill. These assumptions persist to the present and color our cultural understanding of typists’ labor. - Public Domain Review

“& Juliet” — How A Jukebox Shakespeare Musical That Flopped In Britain Became An Unlikely Broadway Hit

“Today, (after almost four years in New York,) the musical is still packing in crowds, a feat for a show that isn’t a revival or a movie adaptation and lacks big stars or Tony wins. It’s ... one of only four new musicals since the pandemic to recoup their...

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