One musician says, "Every time I go over there, I'm losing money. … We’re never making money, it's not a possibility. I'm lucky enough that I'm signed now and I've made two albums so I have the money to lose in America.” - BBC
“Festival organizers say they are still recouping losses from COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns while they contend with inflation. ... 'The sponsors and the grants are not increasing at the same pace as the expenses. So there's a huge problem there. It's a basic mathematical problem.’” - CBC
After an outcry, Facebook apologized for blocking links to the independent Kansas Reflector - then expanded the crackdown to other news sites. A spokesperson blamed “a mistaken security issue” and then “wouldn’t elaborate on how the mistake happened and said there would be no further explanation." - Kansas Reflector
The city was a beacon of artistic freedom. Then came October 7. Now, "a climate of fear and recrimination has put Berlin’s status as an international cultural capital in greater hazard than at any time since 1989." - The New York Times
The Magic Kingdom expansion is one part of a $60 billion investment Disney has said it’s planning for its parks, cruises and experiences over the next decade. - CNN
"Nashville’s Finance Director, Kevin Crumbo, … has not given a timeline for the payments. ... Until the 2023 grants are paid, Metro Arts (says it's) putting the upcoming grant review cycle on hold. … Moreover, Crumbo is hesitant to fund the next round of grants, saying he lacks confidence in Metro Arts leadership." - WPLN (Nashville)
"Ministers will cut funding for performing and creative arts courses at English universities next year, which sector leaders say will further damage the country’s cultural industries. The cuts (were) outlined by the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, in guidance to the universities regulator." - The Guardian
The contemporary fixation on extolling “freedom” as a cornerstone of artistic expression stems from a flattened understanding of history. Those for whom this is the jam and butter often reveal a particular obsession with power dynamics. - The Critic
"The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts can’t build its $175 million third phase until Orange County and the city of Orlando provide most of the funding, said arts center President and CEO Katherine Ramsberger. The center cannot raise that much money by itself, she added." - WFTV (Orlando)
Just as more baby boomers are stepping down from the top spots, fewer people want to take their place, and those who are interested — especially people of color — are moving into leadership out of dissatisfaction with the way their organizations are run. - Chronicle of Philanthropy
Launched in 2016, Italy's 18App was the oldest such program in Europe, and all 18-year-olds were eligible. Replacing 18App are the Carta Cultura, with a household income ceiling of €35,000, and the Carta del Merito, for those with high grades in the last year of high school. - Publishing Perspectives
What has happened to Britain’s supposedly world-beating universities is partly the old post-Brexit story of the young suffering the consequences of something they overwhelmingly didn’t vote for. But it’s complicated by austerity, and arguably by some vice-chancellors biting off more than they can chew. - The Guardian
The measure approved by voters, Prop. 28, explicitly said that the money authorized must go for additional arts education programs. That means not using the funds for existing programs and reallocating the existing money elsewhere — which is exactly what some districts are doing, union leaders allege. - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)
Voice Engine can recreate a person’s voice from a 15-second recording. If you upload a recording of yourself and a paragraph of text, it can read the text using a synthetic voice that sounds like yours. - The New York Times
