Performers are delighting crowds with bubble blowing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, using a mixture of dish soap, water and lube — and occasional acrobatics. - The New York Times
“The sculpture Agora — a striking work composed of 106 nine-foot-tall iron human figures — has been a fixture on the southern edge of grant park for nearly 20 years. But the artwork might have to take a hike next August.” - Chicago Sun-Times
Today’s analysis indicates that the performing arts have surpassed pre-pandemic levels of revenues and impact on GDP (i.e., the levels in 2019), neither of which was the case in my analysis last year. However, after adjusting for inflation, neither total revenues nor impact on GDP have reached pre-pandemic levels. - Statistical Insights on the Arts
Writers in Los Angeles? To the East Coast, such a notion was ridiculous. And yet, I was to discover, there was a freedom in the fact that nobody seemed to be paying attention. It made the boundaries permeable and thin. - Zocalo Public Square
Dozens of local musicians and venue operators said the city should take more time to evaluate whether it should bring Live Nation, which is the subject of an anti-trust lawsuit and investigation from the U.S. Justice Department, into Portland. - Maine Public
“Jordan was that rarest bird, a singer — a white singer, a ‘chick singer’ — who earned the trust and admiration of geniuses like Mingus and Parker. ‘Charlie Parker referred to her ‘million-dollar ears’ and other jazzmen would always include her in their exceedingly small list of real jazz singers,’ wrote Nat Hentoff.” - The Gig
“Aurora Theatre Company announced in May that it was suspending production next season, Bay Area theater fans have feared the worst: permanent closure of yet another beloved institution. On Monday, Aug. 11, Artistic Director Josh Costello shared that the company was taking decisive steps toward disbanding.” - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
“The Audrey, formerly known as the Ravinia MusicBox, was revealed at a press event on Thursday. Inside The Audrey, in the north corner of the park, is the newly-renovated Sandra K. Crown Theater. With approximately 100 seats, it’s an indoor live performance venue meant for intimate, immersive audio and visual experiences.” - Chicago Sun-Times
The awards in question are the UK’s Polari Prizes, and the issue is the presence on the longlist for Polari Book of the Year of the novella Earth by John Boyne, who supports J.K. Rowling's controversial views on trans people and has described himself as a “fellow TERF” (trans-exclusionary radical feminist). - The Guardian
“The loss of federal funding has led most public radio and television stations to take a fresh assessment of ... what it might take to survive the new financial reality. For some stations, one option ... is taking stock of which signals to keep and which may be better monetized through a sale.” - Inside Radio
The executive director of Alabama Public Television — which, in addition to a statewide network of PBS-affiliate TV stations, operates a public radio outlet in Huntsville — says that, due to the rescission of federal funding for public TV and radio, APT may give up NPR membership and get programming from PRX instead. - Alabama Reflector
“ATG, which owns dozens of theatres across the UK and has produced recent versions of Cabaret and Pretty Woman, is likely to line up against US bidders for TodayTix, which brought paperless tickets to London and also owns the Secret Cinema events company.” - The Sunday Times (UK)
"We believe creative professionals can harness new technologies while still upholding their foundational creative and ethical principles." - The Conversation
More than a century on, as artificial intelligence offers a fresh tech challenge to humanity, a timely spot of revisionism appears to be taking place. Last month, in Paris, it emerged that a museum is finally to be dedicated to one of art nouveau’s most deserving and neglected exponents. - The Guardian
MAID now accounts for about one in 20 deaths in Canada—more than Alzheimer’s and diabetes combined—surpassing countries where assisted dying has been legal for far longer. - The Atlantic
