Pedro Almodóvar says in his 44 years of filmmaking, “We went from an atrocious dictatorship to the breadth of all the freedoms that were made available to us. … My career has been quite linked, curiously, to the opening up to democracy in Spain.” - Deadline
For one thing (guilty over here at AJ), "Do they spell it t-h-e-a-t-r-e instead of t-h-e-a-t-e-r? That’s a good one. Only a true theatre kid spells it ‘theatre.’ A ‘theater’ is where you watch ‘theatre.’ You see?” - American Theatre
October 7, a verbatim play along the lines of The Laramie Project and Anna Deavere Smith's works, is drawn from interviews with more than 20 survivors of the atrocities by Irish journalists Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney. - Los Angeles Times (MSN)
The current state of our knowledge on aesthetics, and specifically what we consider beautiful, is a mosaic of empirical discoveries. For over 150 years, psychologists have run carefully controlled experiments to determine whether an attribute, such as a particular colour, shape or melody is beautiful. - The Conversation
"It is well-known that classic works of Greek science and philosophy were translated into Arabic before they were translated into other European languages — including Latin. What is less well-known is that the point of translating foreign works was not to preserve them but to build on them." - Literary Hub
If faith in something as abstruse as literary theory seems absurd, consider a more familiar vehicle of human knowledge: the novel. As a form, “the novel” has the capacity to operate in two registers simultaneously, representing both the enormous breadth of the social world and the intricate minutiae of the individual life. - Public Books
Birmingham City Council owns an artwork collection valued at almost half a billion pounds, a BBC investigation has discovered. But none will be sold off to help tackle the financial challenges at the council which declared it was effectively bankrupt last year. - BBC
The West Kowloon Cultural District received a set amount of funding to open, expecting to sustain itself long-term by developing commercial and residential real estate on its property. But construction delays, and a market downturn have kept that plan from working, leaving WKCD desperate for cash. - Bloomberg (The Business Times, Singapore)
The mini-screens used until July could only show two languages. The new system will offer five languages – Italian, English, French, German and Spanish – with the possibility of arriving at eight languages in total. Chinese will be added for the titles broadcast by LaScalaTv in China. - Gramilano
“We continue to see unprecedented levels of demand for the Open Fund for Individuals and will process the high volume of applications we have received. With the budget now confirmed, we will work to re-open this fund. - The Herald
We often joke about awkwardness; it’s a staple of contemporary comedy. The exclamation ‘Awkward!’ functions as a light-hearted deflection, defusing social tension. The reality is heavier. - Aeon
England's Northern Ballet premiered Geisha just before the 2020 COVID lockdown. The troupe has several Japanese dancers who were excited about it, the creative team worked with experts on authenticity, and the Japanese Embassy gave official approval. Who made the accusations of appropriation, and who accepted them? - The Spectator
Harari is to the tech CEO what David Foster Wallace once was to the Williamsburg hipster. This is a surprising role for someone who started as almost a parody of professorial obscurity. - The Atlantic (MSN)
Our dopamine-driven brains drive us to choose cheap distraction over entertainment and art. A 15-second video causes a dopamine release in the brain, which creates a desire for more stimulus, which leads to the habit of more scrolling on your phone, which leads to an addiction to more stimulus. - The New York Times
There’s been a lot of bad news: Seattle theater companies are launching emergency fundraisers, exploring mergers, furloughing or laying people off, and cutting back on — or even postponing — shows and downsizing casts. Workers are worried about the future of the field. - Seattle Times
