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Violinist Sues Performer Will Smith For Sexual Harassment And Wrongful Termination

Brian King Joseph wrote on social media, "Getting fired or getting blamed or shamed or threatened or anything like that, simply for reporting sexual misconduct or safety threats at work, is not OK.” - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)

Washington State Movie Theatres Must Now Offer Open Caption Screenings

The new state law also requires cinemas “to clearly identify those screenings in their advertising.” Those who aren’t in the Deaf or hard of hearing communities but are used to captions as they stream (and use, er, second screens) will benefit as well. - Seattle Times

Composer Stephen Schwartz Bows Out Of Hosting An Opera Gala At The Kennedy Center

Schwartz, who wrote English texts for Leonard Bernstein's Mass at the opening of the Kennedy Center in 1971, said, “Appearing there has now become an ideological statement. … As long as that remains the case, I will not appear there.” - The New York Times

Trump Plans To Reconstitute The “Commission Of Fine Arts” To Approve His Projects

The White House is expected to invite past Trump appointees to rejoin the Commission of Fine Arts, according to three people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss those plans.  - Washington Post

Like “The Vandals In Rome”: Senators Investigate How MAGA Allies Are “Looting” Kennedy Center

Led by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Democrats on the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee say they’ve obtained documents suggesting that the Center is being operated as a “slush fund and private club for Trump’s friends and political allies”, resulting in millions of lost income and a departure from its statutory mission. - The Guardian

Australia’s Capital Will Finally Get A Big-City-Sized Performing Arts Center

“The new (2,000-seat) theatre will allow Canberra to host major national and international theatre productions that currently don’t visit Canberra because our 1965-built Canberra Theatre stage is too small and with only 1,200 seats, it just isn’t commercially viable for most touring shows,” wrote Australian Capital Territory Chief Minister Andrew Barr. - Limelight (Australia)

The Walrus’ Year In Arts And Culture

These were the economic and political forces shaping culture in 2025. From the decline of the middle-class musician and the digitization of art to critical reassessments of literary heavyweights and political cinema... - The Walrus

Kennedy Center’s Threats To Sue Artists Who Cancel Are Ultimately Empty

Richard Grenell’s letter argues not only that Redd has harmed the Center’s finances, but that his withdrawal constitutes an “act of intolerance” driven by “the sad bullying tactics employed by certain elements on the left.” Grenell vows, “We will not let them cancel shows without consequences.” - The Atlantic

Kennedy Center Board Rigged Bylaws So That Only Trump’s Appointees Could Vote

“The current bylaws, obtained by The Washington Post, were revised in May to specify that board members designated by Congress — known as ex officio members — could not vote or count toward a quorum. Legal experts say the move may conflict with the institution’s charter.” - The Washington Post (MSN)

An “Art Vortex”: The Plan For New York State’s Most Strangely-Shaped Performing Arts Center

It is formally named the Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center, but absolutely everyone calls it The Egg. The Albany landmark will soon reopen following a $19.5 million renovation, and executive director Diane Eber wants to make it a forum for immersive works — as she puts it, an “art vortex.” - Gothamist

It’s Shocking How Radical Right Extremism Has Crept Into Mainstream Culture

Extremist messaging is now woven into music and YouTube videos, with one expert saying: ‘You can be radicalised sitting on your couch.’ - The Guardian

The Right To Repair Movement Had A Pretty Good Year

"For many advocates, the right to repair is an environmental issue. People are less inclined to throw gear into landfills if they can fix it.” But throwing one thing away means buying a new one, so companies are resistant. - Wired

Don’t Blame Netflix For The End Of Cinema

If you must blame anyone, blame the Boomers, and Gen-X. “One lesson of 2025 may be that only younger people – children in particular – can save cinemas from imminent annihilation.” - Irish Times

Nazis Plundered 175,000 Church Bells Across Europe, Changing The Sound Of Those Countries Forever

More than 150,000 were taken, and never returned, often turned into ammunition or taken to a Glockenfriedhof, or bell cemetery. The sliver of silver lining: “A postwar ‘bell quality race’ ... led to major advances in campanology.” - The New York Times

The Books, Recordings, Culture Entering Public Domain January 1

Under U.S. law, the copyright on thousands of creations from 1930 — including films, books, musical compositions and more — will expire at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, 2026, meaning they will be free to use, share and adapt after nearly a century. - NPR

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