AJ Four Ways: Text Only (by date) | headlines only
DANCE
IDEAS
- Good Morning
While Washington argues over performing arts center names, Saudi Arabia is quietly becoming the most essential wallet in the cultural sector. Two separate reports today highlight the Kingdom’s rapid ascent: they have become Hollywood’s favorite funding source for cash-strapped studios, while simultaneously executing a “relentless” top-down drive to capture a massive slice of the $300 billion video game industry.
In the world of legacy intellectual property, consolidation is the theme. Sony has moved to secure one of the world’s most enduring franchises, spending millions to acquire a controlling stake in “Peanuts” and Charlie Brown.
Meanwhile, the European art world is dealing with the return of a controversial figure. Marco Goecke, the choreographer fired in 2023 for smearing dog feces on a critic’s face, has found a new home as an artistic director in Switzerland. And in London, the British Museum is floating a “new model” for decolonization: lending stolen artifacts back to their nations of origin rather than returning them outright.
All of our stories, organized by topic, below.
- 60-Second Broadway Bootlegs Are Turning Up All Over TikTok. Some Producers Just Love It.
Hey, if there’s going to be short-form piracy, why not consider it marketing and consumer outreach? – The Hollywood Reporter
- How Regulation Tamped Down Montreal’s Legendary Nightlife
The history of Montréal’s night-time regulation reveals how managing nightlife expanded police power and budgets — and how burdensome effects of these changes fell disproportionately on sex workers, the queer community and hospitality industry workers. – The Conversation
- Finally, Bricks And Arches Are Returning To Philadelphia’s New Architecture
After years of “fast-casual architecture” — blocky, drab grey hulks clad in relentless grid façades which look all the worse next to the city’s fine old brick rowhouses — architects in Philadelphia are getting back in touch with the craft of bricklaying and getting away from straight lines. – The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
- Why Music Needs Its Dissonance
Music has a variety of “jobs,” as the other arts do. It can calm, soothe, and delight. It can also provoke, disturb, bite. No one expects the other arts to be beautiful and soothing, only. (Think of theater!) But some people have that expectation of music. – Plough
ISSUES
- Finally, Bricks And Arches Are Returning To Philadelphia’s New Architecture
After years of “fast-casual architecture” — blocky, drab grey hulks clad in relentless grid façades which look all the worse next to the city’s fine old brick rowhouses — architects in Philadelphia are getting back in touch with the craft of bricklaying and getting away from straight lines. – The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
- The Louvre Is In A Historic Crisis
Behind the walkout are not only frayed labor relations, but a building itself under strain, with crumbling parts of the aging former palace now deemed unsafe. At the heart of the crisis lies a deeper rupture: a $102 million jewel heist that exposed security failures. – APNews
- British Museum To Loan Artifacts To Museums In Former Colonies
“Dr. Nicholas Cullinan, the British Museum director, told The Telegraph that the project would be a ‘new model’ for working with countries seeking redress for colonialism, with former nations of the empire welcome to strike long-term deals for artefacts held in Britain.” – The Telegraph (UK)
- Louvre Reopens After Strike Is Suspended
“The decision was taken during a general assembly of museum workers, who voted unanimously to pause the strike to allow the museum to welcome visitors. … The suspension followed five meetings with Culture Ministry officials but said progress remains insufficient, particularly on staffing levels, pay and long-term security plans.” – AP
- How Did US Museum Design Get So Boring?
As trends go, one can only hope the style spreading through US museum design today will eventually fall out of fashion. All forms of creativity could use moments of self-reflection; perhaps it is time some museum architecture has its own. – The Art Newspaper
MEDIA
- How Regulation Tamped Down Montreal’s Legendary Nightlife
The history of Montréal’s night-time regulation reveals how managing nightlife expanded police power and budgets — and how burdensome effects of these changes fell disproportionately on sex workers, the queer community and hospitality industry workers. – The Conversation
- Inside The Kennedy Center Renaming
“It was such a surprise to me when they said we’re going to rename it,” she recounted in a phone interview. “I said, ‘Oh my gosh,’ and pushed my button. But then I was muted.” – The New York Times
- Good Grief, Charlie Brown! Sony Acquires Controlling Stake In “Peanuts” Franchise
“The Japanese conglomerate has bought 41% of Peanuts Holdings, which owns the intellectual property Schulz created, from the Canadian children’s entertainment company WildBrain (for C$630 million/US$458 million). The deal raises Sony’s total stake, which it began building in 2018, to 80%. The Schulz family owns the remaining 20%.” – The Guardian
- Kennedy Center Board Votes To Rename As Trump Kennedy Center
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the “Trump-Kennedy Center” name changer earlier Thursday after a board that the president handpicked earlier this year voted unanimously to rename the performing arts venue. – Axios
- San Antonio Launches New City Arts Funding Program After Canceling Previous One
“Most nonprofits that lost promised funding after the city of San Antonio ended a grant program to protect federal dollars are getting money back this month through a new, similar initiative. Still, most awards are several thousand dollars less than before, and one organization — the Network for Young Artists — received nothing.” – San Antonio Express-News (MSN)
MUSIC
- Has The UK Fallen Out Of Love With Non-Fiction?
A recent report from NielsenIQ found that trade nonfiction sales have slipped sharply. In volume terms, the category is down 8.4% between last summer and the same period this year – nearly double the decline in paperback fiction – and down 4.7% in value. – The Guardian
- Today’s Challenge For Writers: Don’t Write Like AI
Increasingly, both professional writers and everyone else is facing a new, unwelcome constrained writing challenge: don’t sound like AI. – ArtsHub
- Why The Striking Staffers At The British Library Are So Furious
“(Library executives’) stated ‘values’ included a roll call of abstract nouns: openness, honesty, compassion, equality and fairness. Yet staff tell a story of gross mismanagement, woeful pay and an executive board who are completely out of touch with the day-to-day running of the library.” – The Standard (London)
- PEN America Lists The Most Banned Books Of The 2020s (So Far)
Many of the titles censored in school districts around the US relate to race, sexual violence or LGBTQ+ issues, but that’s not the case with the top two: John Green’s Looking for Alaska and Jodi Picoult’s Nineteen Minutes. As usual, the list includes classics by Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood, and Maya Angelou. – Publishers Weekly
- Hedge Fund That Owns Barnes & Noble And Waterstones Wants To List Them On Stock Market
“Elliott Investment Management, the hedge fund that owns the most popular bookstores in the US and the UK, has spoken to potential advisers about an initial public offering (IPO). … The multibillion-pound group is thought to prefer London over New York for the listing.” – The Guardian
PEOPLE
- Good Morning
While Washington argues over performing arts center names, Saudi Arabia is quietly becoming the most essential wallet in the cultural sector. Two separate reports today highlight the Kingdom’s rapid ascent: they have become Hollywood’s favorite funding source for cash-strapped studios, while simultaneously executing a “relentless” top-down drive to capture a massive slice of the $300 billion video game industry.
In the world of legacy intellectual property, consolidation is the theme. Sony has moved to secure one of the world’s most enduring franchises, spending millions to acquire a controlling stake in “Peanuts” and Charlie Brown.
Meanwhile, the European art world is dealing with the return of a controversial figure. Marco Goecke, the choreographer fired in 2023 for smearing dog feces on a critic’s face, has found a new home as an artistic director in Switzerland. And in London, the British Museum is floating a “new model” for decolonization: lending stolen artifacts back to their nations of origin rather than returning them outright.
All of our stories, organized by topic, below.
- 60-Second Broadway Bootlegs Are Turning Up All Over TikTok. Some Producers Just Love It.
Hey, if there’s going to be short-form piracy, why not consider it marketing and consumer outreach? – The Hollywood Reporter
- How Regulation Tamped Down Montreal’s Legendary Nightlife
The history of Montréal’s night-time regulation reveals how managing nightlife expanded police power and budgets — and how burdensome effects of these changes fell disproportionately on sex workers, the queer community and hospitality industry workers. – The Conversation
- Finally, Bricks And Arches Are Returning To Philadelphia’s New Architecture
After years of “fast-casual architecture” — blocky, drab grey hulks clad in relentless grid façades which look all the worse next to the city’s fine old brick rowhouses — architects in Philadelphia are getting back in touch with the craft of bricklaying and getting away from straight lines. – The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
- Why Music Needs Its Dissonance
Music has a variety of “jobs,” as the other arts do. It can calm, soothe, and delight. It can also provoke, disturb, bite. No one expects the other arts to be beautiful and soothing, only. (Think of theater!) But some people have that expectation of music. – Plough
PEOPLE
- Good Morning
While Washington argues over performing arts center names, Saudi Arabia is quietly becoming the most essential wallet in the cultural sector. Two separate reports today highlight the Kingdom’s rapid ascent: they have become Hollywood’s favorite funding source for cash-strapped studios, while simultaneously executing a “relentless” top-down drive to capture a massive slice of the $300 billion video game industry.
In the world of legacy intellectual property, consolidation is the theme. Sony has moved to secure one of the world’s most enduring franchises, spending millions to acquire a controlling stake in “Peanuts” and Charlie Brown.
Meanwhile, the European art world is dealing with the return of a controversial figure. Marco Goecke, the choreographer fired in 2023 for smearing dog feces on a critic’s face, has found a new home as an artistic director in Switzerland. And in London, the British Museum is floating a “new model” for decolonization: lending stolen artifacts back to their nations of origin rather than returning them outright.
All of our stories, organized by topic, below.
- 60-Second Broadway Bootlegs Are Turning Up All Over TikTok. Some Producers Just Love It.
Hey, if there’s going to be short-form piracy, why not consider it marketing and consumer outreach? – The Hollywood Reporter
- How Regulation Tamped Down Montreal’s Legendary Nightlife
The history of Montréal’s night-time regulation reveals how managing nightlife expanded police power and budgets — and how burdensome effects of these changes fell disproportionately on sex workers, the queer community and hospitality industry workers. – The Conversation
- Finally, Bricks And Arches Are Returning To Philadelphia’s New Architecture
After years of “fast-casual architecture” — blocky, drab grey hulks clad in relentless grid façades which look all the worse next to the city’s fine old brick rowhouses — architects in Philadelphia are getting back in touch with the craft of bricklaying and getting away from straight lines. – The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
- Why Music Needs Its Dissonance
Music has a variety of “jobs,” as the other arts do. It can calm, soothe, and delight. It can also provoke, disturb, bite. No one expects the other arts to be beautiful and soothing, only. (Think of theater!) But some people have that expectation of music. – Plough
THEATRE
VISUAL
- We Used To Have One Version Of History. Now It’s Messier
Unity, cohesion, and a sense of epic narrative have been lost. Freedom, pluralism, sensitivity, and a respect for difference have been gained, and, overall, I am glad. – History Today
- Why Rational Behavior Might Not Be The Best Model
Behavioral economics has identified dozens of cognitive biases that stop us from acting ‘rationally’. But instead of building up a messier and messier picture of human behavior, we need a new model. – Works in Progress
- Reading, Literacy, And Brain Rot
If we consider literacy not as the ability to parse simple sentences but as the capacity to comprehend and enjoy complex texts, and ultimately as a sensibility that approaches the world itself as a text that requires interpretation, it’s obvious we live in an unprecedented decline of what neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf calls “deep literacy.” – Baffler
- When Your Ownership Of Something You Bought Depends On Continuing To Pay
With the Internet of Things, and more broadly the layering of networked computers into every interaction, the function of almost anything, or the availability of any service, can be made contingent on the provider and the customer keeping a good relationship, subject to terms of service set unilaterally, revocable at will. – Commonplace
- Now That We’ve Lost Trust In Institutions, Can We Get it Back?
Now that so many of us say that we mistrust or distrust things like Big Pharma and the government, we need to think about what the consequences of a breakdown in institutional trust would be. – Psyche
