When the old National Theatre of Wales closed in late 2024, Sheen came up with a plan. "Ultimately, I found myself arguing for something that I realised I” — with fame, professional connections, and deep-ish pockets — “was in the best position to deliver. … It could happen, but only if I did it." - BBC (Yahoo!)
A philosophy professor was ordered to remove Plato’s Symposium from the list of assigned readings for the class “Contemporary Moral Issues.” Plato fell victim to a policy adopted by the university in the fall, which states that classes cannot “advocate race or gender ideology, or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity." - The Atlantic
“For artists entering or exiting the country for professional purposes, some of these challenges stem from clearly stated updates to fees, forms, and policies. But there are also greater degrees of uncertainty embedded within application and approval processes, making it harder to predict … the potential outcomes.” - Dance Magazine
The Trump effect is being felt through executive orders and federal cuts: 34% of museums suffered the cancellation of government grants or contracts; 29% saw a decrease in attendance due to changes in travel/tourism and/or economic uncertainty... - The Guardian
By presenting an alternative to Meta and Twitter TikTok challenged the idea, pervasive in the early 2020s, that social media’s destiny was terminal decline, what the extremely online would call a “vibe sink.” - The Nation
While Paramount is hoping to find a weakness in the Netflix offer, experts say the lawsuit has a low chance of success and would only add further complications and delays to what is expected to be a protracted approval process. - The Wrap (MSN)
“Novelist Arturo Pérez-Reverte (accused) the Spanish Royal Academy (RAE) – of which he is a member – of failing (its mission) of ‘cleaning, fixing and giving shine’ to the Spanish language. These days ‘an illiterate pundit, YouTuber or influencer can have more linguistic influence than a Cervantes prize winner’, he said.” - The Guardian
The 47-year-old Oscar winner has overtaken Scarlett Johansson after the success of Avatar: Fire and Ash added more than $1.2bn to her total. Saldaña’s films have now made more than $15.46bn worldwide, according to the Numbers. - The Guardian
"We believe that the human connection found through music is a vital part of our society and culture, and that music is much more than a product to be consumed," the company wrote. - Engadget
When they looked at this 2,100-ton hunk of metal, they envisioned a floating event space, with two restaurants, six bars, a concert venue and hotel rooms with private sundecks. But as the years have gone by, it seems as if they might have paid $280,000 too much for it. - The New York Times
That depends on the category. For Best Picture, on which the entire Academy membership votes for nominees, you’ll need 922 first-place nods this year. But each of the Academy’s specialist branches chooses nominees for its specialty, and some branches are small. For Best Editing, you’ll need 68 votes; for Best Casting, only 30. - TheWrap
Attendance for the week ending January 11 was 272,911, down about 13% from the previous week. About 92% of all Broadway seats were filled, compared with 98% during the New Year’s week. Average ticket prices took a $40 drop from the holiday prices, to an average $126.76 last week. - Deadline
The Los Angeles theater world underwent a historic leadership shift in 2023 when two artistic directors of color were placed at the helm of the city’s most prestigious nonprofit companies. -Los Angeles Times
The risks of using generative artificial intelligence to educate children and teens currently overshadow the benefits, according to a new study by the Brookings Institution's Center for Universal Education. - NPR
The site, just across a canal from the museum, will be designed by landscape architect Piet Blanckaert, with Foster + Partners overseeing the renovation of three “Amsterdam School” pavilions. Among the sculptors with works to be included there are Alberto Giacometti, Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, and Henry Moore. - ARTnews
