Says one key player, "If you compare South Africa to a lot of industries with similar GDPs, the difference here is the lack of intentional focus on this industry." In particular, the government rebate system on which many filmmakers rely is, says one filmmaker, "so dysfunctional as to not exist." - Variety
"The prestigious Hugo Awards for science fiction and fantasy writing revealed that almost 400 votes – about 10% of all votes cast (this year) – were fraudulently paid for to help one finalist win." As there's no evidence that the finalist knew of the plan, ze was not disqualified. - The Guardian
"Pandora VIII, an annual joint operation between customs and law enforcement authorities from 25 countries against international art trafficking, … involved several thousand checks at airports, ports, border crossings, auction houses, museums, and private residences." - ARTnews
The mayor said that the €5 entrance fee was expected to bring in about €700,000 on the trial dates so far, but the total collected was €2.43 million. However, his opponents say the fee's stated goal is to reduce the number of tourists, so clearly it's too low. - The New York Times
"Consider it the orchestral equivalent of someone who's ready to give up on romance suddenly finding the perfect partner. After claiming for several seasons that it is transitioning toward becoming a conductor-less orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra has named its newest artistic partner, and he's a conductor." - The Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
"The findings of the academic 'crisis' report, ... by the University of Warwick and the Campaign for the Arts pressure group, … (show) that while Britain has cut back its total culture budget by 6% since 2010, Germany, France and Finland have each increased their spending by up to 70%." - The Observer (UK)
The Federal Theatre sought to democratize the dramatic arts. But it also tried to use theater to invigorate democracy, which is where the program ran into trouble. - Yale Review
Some parts involve passive viewing, like a sequence in which the supervillain Thanos is on trial for theft. But there’s also a lot of interactivity: one character explains how to use hand gestures, like making a fist, to defend yourself against enemies and cast magic spells. - NPR
Darren Walker announced Monday that he would step down as the president of the Ford Foundation at the end of 2025 after what will have been a consequential 12-year tenure in which he shifted the institution’s focus to inequality and oversaw the distribution of $7 billion in grants. - The New York Times
Publicly backing charity causes on both an intermittent and regular basis earned musicians more likes, shares and comments. These artists also increased music sales, whether they sent these messages occasionally or constantly. - The Conversation
“There is something so special about being the first to see something. These fresh new works are in progress, developing and that draws an audience into it." - CultureOC
There are three principles: The first is that we should have everything that Congress needs to do its work. The second is that we should possess the materials that cover the life and achievement of the United States. And the third is that we’re not in a vacuum, and we need stuff from the rest of the world. - Scientific...
"We know that there is a provenance verification opportunity here. We all know it and we all know that the art world is resisting it because it suggests transparency, which we say we want but we don't really want." - Axios
Numerous panelists obliquely referred to the fears around AI, offering reassurances without ever saying the words automation, labor, climate change, or super-intelligence. - ARTnews
“One of the ways to preserve and expand the musical canon is to let everyone have a shot at it — especially the people so many classics were written about or too often ignored.” See, for example, Cats: The Jellicle Ball. - The New York Times
