With pandemic restrictions (excepting some audience capacity limits) lifted just around opening day, 520,000 tickets were sold for events at the International, Book, Film, and Fringe Festivals. The great majority of those, 400,000, were for Fringe events, and another 350,000 people watched Fringe shows online. - The Scotsman
With overseas travel blocked, people from the state capitals are traveling to regional towns and boosting attendance there, and more local people are coming to venues as well. - Arts Hub (Australia)
One challenge many faculty members faced was lack of practical knowledge. Almost invariably, we found faculty unable to think outside of the framework for individual action when asked to act in solidarity with student workers. - The Point
Dead-internet theory suggests that the internet has been almost entirely taken over by artificial intelligence. Like lots of other online conspiracy theories, the audience for this one is growing. - The Atlantic
Little Amal, a 20-foot representation of a nine-year-old Syrian refugee girl, is being walked by her handlers from Gazantiep, Turkey to Manchester, England. A local council in Greece is the first, and probably not the last, to ban her from town. - The New York Times
A vibrant, educated, outward-looking civil society formed, and many Afghans facing Taliban 2.0 have no memory of the shockingly brutal Taliban regime that fell in 2001. Kabul may not be governable by the old Taliban methods. - Washington Post
At this tumultuous moment, I think we each have to decide for ourselves which pieces of art to keep, and which to throw out. Perhaps fandom -- defined as the attachment to the artist as creator -- should no longer be the point. - CNN
The final episode of the documentary series on HBO gave airtime and credence to a widely discredited conspiracy theory group. Instead of simply removing their words, the new final cut "removes all interviews about what caused the World Trade Center buildings to collapse." - The New York Times
Tina Tchen, the president and CEO of the organization, which was founded to support safety and equality for everyone in the workplace, stepped down after reports "said she blocked the release of a statement in December in support of Lindsey Boylan, the first woman to come forward to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment." - Los Angeles Times
The political leaders and famous personages that tower over our imaginations are condensed to life-size. They make grubby, horrid choices; they bumble, fumble, and scheme their way through moments of import. - The New Republic
Regional lawmakers have approved a "contributo di accesso" ranging from €3 to €10 based on the time of year, and day visitors will have to make a reservation. Overnight tourists, who already pay hotel occupancy taxes, are exempt. - Artnet
No longer will many nonprofit (or for-profit, for that matter) employees be cowed into the belief that 60-, 80-, 100-, or 168-hour weeks are acceptable business practices. - Alan Harrison
“Giving people the reality — here’s the information, here’s a way to contextualize the moment we are in — you can’t build optimism unless you face the reality of the past, the reality of today.” - Washington Post
"Lynne Halfpenny … insisted the Old Town and the Royal Mile had become overwhelmed with visitors and was seen as a 'bucket list' destination because of Edinburgh's UNESCO designation and not its 'festival city' status." - The Scotsman
