“Nicholas Kenyon, the Barbican’s managing director for 14 years” — and, prior to that, controller of BBC Radio 3 and director of the BBC Proms — “is to stand down in September with the move coming shortly after criticism from the organisation’s own staff that it was ‘institutionally racist’. In a statement Kenyon confirmed he would be leaving in the autumn, adding that … he had been planning the move for some time.” – The Guardian
Issues
Can LA Design Its Way Out Of A Housing Crisis?
During the second half of the last century and the beginning of this one, Los Angeles County fell a million homes behind, relative to its population growth, after becoming a single-family mecca. – The New York Times
How Ancient Jungle Cities Kept Reinventing
Not only did societies such as the Classic Maya and the Khmer empire of Cambodia flourish, but pre-colonial tropical cities were actually some of the most extensive urban landscapes anywhere in the pre-industrial world – far outstripping ancient Rome, Constantinople/Istanbul and the ancient cities of China. – The Guardian
Australia’s Largest State Pours Money Into Culture
“A funding bonanza of more than $1.3 billion” — roughly $980 million US — “will create jobs and will place New South Wales as a cultural heart of Australia, with a raft of high-profile projects in the pipeline funded, including two new museums and a blockbuster fund to bring attractions to NSW.” – ArtsHub (Australia)
Venice Will Go On UNESCO’s Endangered List If It Doesn’t Ban Cruise Ships
In March, the Italian central government issued a long-awaited decree barring cruise ships from the historic city, citing the damage that the enormous vessels do to the lagoon and the increased danger of flooding in the city that damage causes. Then, earlier this month, one of the behemoths sailed right into the Venice lagoon anyway. Now UNESCO is giving something between a warning and an ultimatum. – The Guardian
Champs Elysee To Be Converted To Long Park As Paris Turns Away From Cars
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo hopes to bring the road back to its people by removing its outer lanes, widening pedestrian areas, planting more trees and greenery, and creating dedicated bicycle lanes. – B1M
Behind The Controversy Over Canada’s First Prime Minister
Why does a motivated minority want to erase the honors paid to his memory? John A. Macdonald stands accused by his detractors less of things he did than of things he failed to do. – The Atlantic
What Culture Do Nations Own and What Belongs To The World?
The idea that “each people makes its contribution to the culture of the world,” codified in the Hague Convention of 1954, has proved particularly compelling for international legal regimes. – The American Scholar
Diverse Inclusive Companies Have This In Common
We found that one particular culture style differentiated the diverse and inclusive organizations from those that were not: a learning-oriented culture. – Harvard Business Review
Juilliard Students Revolt against Tuition Increase
When the institution’s leaders announced this spring that undergraduate tuition for the 2021-22 academic year would rise to $51,230 from $49,260, many students worried about having to pay more and started calling for a tuition freeze. – InsideHigherEd
How The Arts Were Weakened
For most artists, the shift has been devastating. Ask almost any you know, especially if they’re under age 40. But to understand why the arts economy sucks for artists now, you have to understand how we got here. – Oregon Arts Watch
How Decades Of Curriculum Battles Have Set The Table For Today
Earlier battles over curriculum provided the template for today’s anti-Critical Race Theory, anti–1619 Project political campaigns. – Slate
Will The Chinese Government Strip Hong Kong Of Its Colonial Markers?
Ultimately, one wonders what item of Hong Kong’s colonial baggage the next publicity-seeker will attempt to steal away. – The Critic
Naples, Florida Tries And Tries, But Just Can’t Settle On Arts Policy And Funding
“Hours devoted to discussing, refining, retooling and rejecting arts policies for Collier County over the last 10 years: Roughly 500 Committee meetings, public forums and legislative sessions that included discussion of creating arts policy here. – Naples Daily News
Edinburgh Festivals Warn Of Bankruptcy If COVID Rules Aren’t Changed
“Our festivals, and creatives across the sector, are effectively prohibited from trading our way through to recovery, while hospitality and sports are being supported to do so to the maximum safe extent.” – The Stage
MacKenzie Scott Is Now A Major Arts Philanthropist, Too
The total of $2.7 billion in grants announced this week “marks the third time in 12 months that Scott … has issued a wave of donations worth a combined ten figures. It’s also the first time she has funded arts organizations at scale. (The latest round of recipients also includes racial justice groups, universities, and other organizations.) Absent from the list of arts recipients are big names that wealthy donors often favor, such as the Museum of Modern Art or Lincoln Center. Instead, Scott opted to fund smaller, largely BIPOC-led groups.” – Artnet
Mapping Canada’s Indigenous Culture and Language
The online, interactive map divides the province up into Indigenous territories, including some areas where there is overlap, with sections featuring language, art and culture. – CBC
MacKenzie Scott Gives Tens Of Millions To Arts Organizations
The lack of fanfare associated with the June 15 announcement, which came in the form of a simple Medium post rather than a costly PR blitz, was part of the point, according to Scott. – Artnet
California Removes COVID Restrictions On Arts Venues
“The reopening means the end of mandatory [capacity limits and] mask requirements for vaccinated patrons of California movie theaters, gyms, restaurants, stores and family entertainment centers. However, businesses may choose to retain mask requirements or opt to implement a vaccine verification system, but those verification systems have not yet been developed. ‘It’s the honor system,’ [Gov.] Newsom admitted. ‘We’re not requiring passports.'” – Variety
Relaxed COVID Restriction? That’s Still A Problem For Venues
While venues try to maintain pre-pandemic ticket prices and the availability of shows by offering multiple gigs on the same day, their economic viability is massively diminished by the drop in capacity. – The Conversation
Boris Johnson Delays Full Reopening Of Performing Arts For Another Four Weeks
“England was due to move to stage four of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown on 21 June, when venues and events would be allowed to operate without capacity limits and the cap on guests at weddings would be lifted.” But, as the country is seeing a new surge of COVID cases, many of the virus’s Delta variant, reopening measures have been postponed to at least July 19. – BBC
Banned Or Not, The Cruise Ships Are Back, And Venetians Are Fighting About It
“The return of cruise ships, which caught many by surprise after the Italian government announced in March that they would be banned from the historic centre, has reawakened old divisions in Venice. … The argument has pitted the economy against the environment in a city where the pandemic has served as a sharp reminder for residents of just how much their livelihoods have come to depend on tourism.” – The Guardian
Why I Turned Down A Queen’s Honor For Literature
Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire? Is this the title I’m asked to carry? I cannot think of anything I want less than to be a member of that empire. – The Guardian
1974: The Year Los Angeles Became A Cultural Powerhouse
Ronald Brownstein, a senior editor at the Atlantic and political analyst for CNN, offers 1974 as a pivotal year in which Los Angeles took center stage as a cultural broker and “transformed movies, music, television, and politics.” – Los Angeles Times
Cultivating Creative Community In The Midst Of The Pandemic
It’s not easy to find creative community at the best of times. Sometimes you just need an outside force – say, an “art incubator.” – Oregon ArtsWatch