"(The delta variant surge has) worsened a host of additional issues, like technology and language barriers and pandemic-stoked xenophobia. Community organizations fear that the diminished patronage and insufficient government support will force many longstanding businesses to close, which could accelerate gentrification." - Slate
‘We’ve had thousands of years to get good at but virtual connection is new, and we need to do some interrogation of the form to see how we get that same catharsis, buzz and deep connection that draws us to theatre.’ - ArtsHub
The difference is not in case numbers; it's in state government policies. New South Wales (Sydney), governed by the conservative Coalition, has relatively laissez-faire rules (and higher COVID caseloads), while Victoria (Melbourne), governed by Labor, has been unusually strict with lockdowns, masking rules, etc. - The Guardian
The instinct to abuse critics is justified by the idea that it is “punching up” at elitist gatekeepers. But unlike Siskel and Ebert, modern critics are neither famous nor wealthy nor powerful. - Unherd
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party, "censorship (is) no longer about nudity, gore, or promiscuity. It (has) firmly set its sights on whether (a) narrative matched the right-wing Hindu nationalists' narrative." - Slate
On Instagram, the tag #darkacademia now has over 1 million posts, and Grazia has named the aesthetic as autumn 2021’s biggest trend. The TikTok generation has keenly embraced the tweedy cosiness of scholarly life. - The Conversation
As investment from China flows into Ethiopia, social media and entertainment are voicing worries about inexpensive made-in-China versions of Ethiopian handicrafts, mocking Chinese eating habits, and stoking anger that the country's donkeys are being stolen and shipped to China to make a traditional medicine. - Global Voices
Seventy-three percent of survey respondents who had teleworked because of the pandemic guessed that at least half of Americans had done the same. But the actual number was, at its highest point, roughly 35 percent, way back in May 2020. - The Atlantic
"Although performers from the global majority comprised 44 percent of acting nominees heading into Sunday night, white actors ultimately swept all 12 lead and supporting races across the comedy, drama and limited series categories." - The Hollywood Reporter
Speaking at the San Sebastian Film Festival, she said, "It has allowed women to speak freely, it’s a true revolution, an intense one and I am very happy to live it." - Variety
Not everyone in Chattanooga wanted the memorial. "The bridge was refurbished as a pedestrian path in 1993 and today is considered a gem of the growing city, a popular place for wedding proposals and family photos." But artist Jerome Meadows, and funders, persisted. - The New York Times
Usually, our work requires a year or two in advance planning. But now we’re building the plane as we’re flying. So it’s really shown us that we can be nimble. - Christian Science Monitor
"The report ascribes a goal of erasing traces of their cultural presence on the peninsula and weakening 'the fundamental role of the indigenous Muslim people in the history of Crimea' as a mean of 'historical justification for its occupation.'" - The Art Newspaper
In recent years the dogmatic mode of thinking, in which uncritical commitments are enforced by mechanisms involving public humiliation, no-platforming, and attempts to have scholars fired, has become to seem like it has become endemic. - Harper-Scott
"People are focused on survival … and caring for their loved ones," says one artist in Yangon. Adds another, "It's dangerous to do a good show now, since … it is impossible to speak about the present in Myanmar without putting yourself in danger." - The Art Newspaper
