Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
How Theatre Is Doing In A Post-Pandemic (Yeah, We Know) World
The more pressing question, now that theatres are back in some kind of business, is: How is business? Are audiences coming back at anything like pre-pandemic...
New Technology That Reads A Movie Audience To Alter The Plot
Using this data from the brain, audiences create a non-conscious edit of the film in real time – reinforcing the films’ respective stories of science-fiction dystopia...
A Headlong Scramble To Protect Artists In A Time Of AI
Collective campaigns, lawsuits, international rules and IT hacks are all being deployed at speed on behalf of the creative industries in an effort, if...
In Our Distraction Maze, It May Be That Slower Art Becomes More Valuable
Paradoxically, we may come to want the things that we cannot have in an instant, that demand our time and patience before they will reveal...
The Museum Director Who Stayed In Ukraine To Protect Culture
Her ideas of war had come from art—from photographs of the devastated city of Warsaw, which appeared deserted in the still images; from books...
Just How Important Is Identity To Who You Are?
In an identity crisis we question our purpose in life, what our role or place in society is, what values we ought to be...
The Ideas About Threats To Truth That Orwell And Camus Shared
The political turbulence of twentieth-century Europe forced both Camus and Orwell to confront the question of truth as a matter of necessity, even and...
Ranked Choice: Enjoying Art Is About Reacting
Criticism is not an unerring ranking system but a form of personal expression, and a good review is not right (or not only right)...
Warning: We Need New Laws To Protect Artists From AI Creative Theft
Big Tech has successfully skated through legal matters for years, waving the banner of “permissionless innovation.” - Washington Post
The BBC Used To Be Champions Of Culture
Something seems to have gone terribly awry at the BBC when it comes to classical music. - The Critic
Adam Sandler Wins The Mark Twain Prize
“As I look at this goofy award, I can’t help but think that one day it just might be the weapon used to bludgeon...
Does Anyone Read Professional Reviews Anymore?
Good criticism can provide that context — historical or theoretical or even economic — and some vocabulary for discussing musical taste. It can help...
Orange County Museum Of Art’s New Building: Bettter, But…
It’s easy to dump on the contractors. But the contractors didn’t design this overwrought building, nor did they commission it. That falls to the...
Can You Copyright AI-Generated Work? Right Now It’s Complicated
Perhaps the most significant aspect of the guidance is an author’s “duty to disclose the inclusion of AI-generated content in a work submitted for...
AI Is Less A Search Engine Than It Is A Librarian
The problem is that even when these systems are wrong only 10% of the time, you don’t know which 10%. People also don’t have...
It Looks Like Netflix’s Ad-Supported Subscriptions Are Getting Traction
The figures suggest that Netflix is finding its footing with the new revenue stream, after having been overwhelmingly reliant on subscriber revenue for most...
Adam Gopnik And The Difference Between Knowing And Doing
“Activities that are interesting to read about (science experiments) are probably dull to do, while activities that are dull to read about (riding a...
Kazuo Ishiguro On The Art Of Writing And Medium
Over the decades I’ve learned a huge amount about writing novels. I feel like I’m just learning on the job about screenplays. One key...
The Barcelona Residents Protesting Construction On Sagrada Familia
As anyone who has been forced to live in close proximity to building works for an extended period might understand, a growing movement of...
Post-Pandemic: A New Sense Of Collaboration In Theatre?
I feel that we’re in a kind of new and important phase where directors especially, who never get to hang out with each other,...
Women Composers Have Reached Parity In Australian Orchestras
Half of the composers commissioned by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for its flagship new music program, 50 Fanfares, are women. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will...
AO Scott Says Goodbye To Movie Criticism
"The thing I love most about the movies is their ability to obliterate reason and abolish taste. You know the jump scare is coming,...
Visitor Attractions In The UK Down Substantially From Pre-COVID Attendance
Figures published on Friday by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions show that while the number of visits to its sites rose by 69%...
The Fraud Of AI Generators
AI image and text generation is pure primitive accumulation: expropriation of labour from the many for the enrichment and advancement of a few Silicon...
Survey: UK Museums Are Struggling To Get Visitors To Return
The British Museum was the most-visited art museum in the UK in 2022—and the third globally. It reported 4.1 million visitors, more than three...
