“In 2023, the government began an initiative called the Culture Canon, with two streams: an ‘experts’’ canon and a ‘people’s canon,’ (each with) 100 items that have played a key role in shaping Swedish culture. … Yet even the suggestion of such a definitive list is dividing opinion in Sweden.” - The New York Times
If this legislation has the effect of granting law enforcement a means of bypassing encrypted communications, we may as well bid farewell to the very concept of digital privacy. - Slate
Advocates argue that the recommended $45 million baseline raise, while historic, is not enough to address the millions that have been lost federal grant funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the Institute for Museums and Library Services (IMLS). - Hyperallergic
This shift has led to changes in how people interact socially, both online and offline. The convenience and accessibility of gaming platforms, including platforms like a Canadian online casino, have allowed players to connect with others across vast distances, creating virtual communities that transcend geographical boundaries. - The Walrus
Daniele Cipriani, a dance impresario well-known in Italy, has been nominated by the minister of culture to be artistic director of the Spoleto Festival; he will succeed incumbent Monique Veaute following this summer’s event. As Cipriani is a dance specialist, there may be separate directors for the festival’s music and theater. - Gramilano (Milan)
The IMLS, a federal agency whose grants were all summarily cancelled by the Trump/Musk DOGE, has started reinstating grants and rehiring employees following a preliminary injunction by a Federal judge blocking the Trump administration’s stated plan to dismantle the agency. - Hyperallergic
The exhibition is intended as a celebration of immigrants in a time of crackdowns and deportations. It is also a form of outreach, offering access to legal resources and advocacy groups, and a chance to connect with other immigrant artists in the South Bronx, where the population is majority Latino and nearly one-third foreign-born. - The New York Times
“On May 14, Gov. Gavin Newsom released a budget proposal eliminating the $11.5 million allocated ... through the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund, … (created) to help organizations with budgets under $2 million comply with AB5, the gig work bill that makes it harder to classify workers as independent contractors.” - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
The spending review is an opportunity for the government to make public its fine-tuning of fiscal planning. It’s also an opportunity for theatremakers to make clear to ministers the sector’s financial need. This year feels different – as though there’s more chance for theatre to be heard. - The Stage
According to the report, more than three quarters of arts centres are unable to carry out planned building work amid growing financial pressures. More than 60% of arts centres surveyed reported having had no renovation or refurbishment in the past decade. - The Stage
Deborah Rutter: “I stand by my assertion that at the time of my departure, the Kennedy Center was fiscally sound. … This malicious attempt to distort the facts, which were consistently, transparently and readily available in professionally audited financial reports, recklessly disregards the truth.” - Deadline
“We’re gonna turn it around,” Trump told dinner attendees of the center. He said of running the board, ”When I said, ‘I’ll do this,’ I hadn’t been there” and joked, “That’s the last time I’ll take a job without looking at it.” - APNews
The project, designed by Hood Design Studio (Landscape Architect), Weiss/Manfredi Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism (Design Architect) and Moody Nolan (Architect of Record), creates what Lincoln Center describes as “a new, world-class performance venue that will greatly improve artist and audience experiences.” - Deadline
The items removed as part of what museum administrators call normal rotation include Harriet Tubman’s hymnbook and a first edition of Frederick Douglass’s memoir. And a potential review of the museum by the Trump White House looms. Coincidence? - NBC News
“Richard Grenell, whom President Trump installed as the president of the Kennedy Center, claimed Monday night that the center’s deferred maintenance and its deficit — two things commonly found at nonprofit arts organizations — were ‘criminal.’ He said he would refer the matter to federal prosecutors.” - The New York Times
