The lives of the writers are being told in a musical, a feature movie and a memoir. There is even a fashion line themed around them, with sweatshirts riddled with bullet holes to symbolize their killings. - The New York Times
One can carp about the sad history of direct public arts funding in the United States and many do. But one might also argue that there were consequences far more dire for champions of the idea of government dollars for the arts. - Nightingale Sonata
Any visiting alien would be confronted with the near collapse of a string of national institutions, including the National Theatre Wales, Welsh National Opera and S4C, the Welsh television channel. The Arts Council of Wales has suffered a 40% real-terms cut in funding since 2010. - The Guardian
Even in Washington, DC, where the House and the Senate still come together in their steadfast support of the arts through their Subcommittees on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, we see the twinning of cultural and natural resources. - The Art Newspaper
"So what do we mean when we designate something a landmark? It’s a trickier question than you might think. Landmark laws across the country have come into existence to preserve things we deem culturally significant. But they don’t always protect what we actually want to save." - The New York Times
It’s not as if the money is going to the artists, either. "The music industry may be the worst example of rampant commercialism,” one consultant says - before accusing cinemas, theatre, sports, and tourism as well. - The Observer (UK)
Explaining the culture war being fought by right-wing nationalist prime minister Robert Fico's government — particularly his culture minister, former television host Martina Šimkovičová — against both national institutions and smaller independent groups, and how those groups are trying to resist. - Eurozine
That’s not just hurting theatres and symphonies - it’s also hurting bars and nightclubs. Hence: “Welcome to the daytime rave, where you can dance, meet people and still be curled up on the sofa afterwards.” (Maybe orchestras need to take that hint?) - The Guardian (UK)
And that is why “Irish-language rap trio Kneecap have won their case against new Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch after she blocked an arts grant to the band, citing anti-British politics.” - The Guardian (UK)
And they’re filing a major lawsuit over copyright violations. "The suit was filed by several leading Canadian media companies, including the owners of the National Post and Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, The Canadian Press, and CBC/Radio-Canada.” - The Verge
Everyone who made fun of Moana - and that’s a lot of us - needs to beg forgiveness. Why? “The music of Moana 2 is the biggest mark against it with derivative melodies and clunky lyrics that screech the action to a halt.” - Vulture
The scroll-shaped structure, designed in 1976 by Philip Johnson and illuminated inside with the ceiling's beautiful spiral of stained-glass windows by artist Gabriel Loire, is linked to the general feeling of gratitude rather than the holiday, and it serves Dallas well as a non-sectarian place for public commemoration. - Bloomberg CityLab
About 450 institutes are reliant at least in part on state subsidies, from theatres and opera houses to nightclubs and galleries. They're attempting to force a rethink over the €130m cuts. At around 12 to 13% of the current annual budget, they have been described even by those proposing them as “brutal”. - The Guardian
"Beautiful brick early 20th-century town halls were once venues for council meetings, award nights and country dances. But in recent decades many have been under-used or left entirely empty." Now municipalities are offering them to strapped arts organizations, often without rental fees. - The Guardian
Spiegelworld, an entertainment and circus company based in Las Vegas, bought the entire town in 2022 for $2.5m. This isolated plot of land, roughly an hour’s drive from Vegas and the same distance from the nearest grocery store, is now known as Spiegelworld’s “global headquarters” or, more simply, the “circus town”. - The Guardian
