As of January, 56% of the organizations surveyed still had staff furloughed or laid off due to the pandemic. That’s a decrease from the 74% of organizations that reported staff furloughs or layoffs in April 2020, when pandemic closures first started. Still, the amount these groups say they’re budgeting for personnel expenses in 2020-21 is 25% lower than in...
The South African government allocated 300 million rand (roughly $20 million) to a rescue fund for artists who lost their livelihoods due to COVID-related lockdowns. Thousands of individuals and organizations applied and were approved for relief money which hasn't arrived. News reports have said that the money has disappeared; the Arts and Culture Minister claims that it was double-allocated....
Way, way beyond the Proms: To mark the sesquicentennial of the hall's opening (Queen Victoria was all verklempt), the Beeb recounts some of the more momentous and offbeat events to have happened there, from the first-ever sci-fi convention (also the public debut of the only-the-English-could-drink-it concoction Bovril) to a séance for Arthur Conan Doyle to the first-ever sumo match...
"Our field is rich with expertise and is ripe for bountiful partnerships. As we move through recovery, it will be critical that we center partnerships, form coalitions, and work together to elevate and support the arts. While the benefits of this are unprecedented, it will require a deep reassessment of who we are as funders, and how we work."...
"Although all those involved in the project are keen Brexit supporters and the museum has had no public endorsements from pro-Europeans, the trustees said they were only able to secure charitable status by persuading the Charity Commission that it would be neutral." (No doubt that's why it's no longer called the Museum of Sovereignty.) Organisers are also asking the...
"Decisions in Hong Kong not to display a politically sensitive photograph in a museum exhibition and not broadcast the annual Academy Awards for the first time in decades have prompted concerns that Beijing's crackdown on dissent in the city is extending to arts and entertainment." - AP
Antonio Pappano, music director at the Royal Opera House, said he expects “an explosion of desire” from audiences when they return to theatres, concert halls, museums and galleries. - The Evening Standard (UK)
It's not just the documentary, of course, but ... "Public scrutiny of the court-ordered guardianship has exploded with the #FreeBritney movement backed by fans turned activists and the recent New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears." - Los Angeles Times
"The West Indian Cultural Centre (WICC) in Wood Green was constructed in the 1980s, becoming a vibrant hub for cultural events and debates on subjects such as the struggle for racial equality. It drew huge numbers of visitors who came to hear speakers including the Nobel prize-winning poet Derek Walcott, the American civil rights activist Al Sharpton and the MP...
The Music Center in downtown Los Angeles says that it is the first performing arts organization in the country to receive a UL “healthy building” verification, representing high standards for air quality at four venues — Walt Disney Concert Hall, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Mark Taper Forum and Ahmanson Theatre. - Los Angeles Times
"More than 100 San Francisco artists will be guaranteed $1,000 a month for six months under a pilot program set to launch in May, following similar efforts by Stockton, Oakland and Marin County to support struggling residents during the pandemic." - San Francisco Chronicle
The decline in cultural memberships has undoubtedly been accelerated by Covid-19. Just this month, the Royal Academy (RA) reported a loss of 18,000 members since February 2020. Other organisations should prepare themselves for a similarly large exodus. - Arts Professional
"Australia's arts and entertainment industry will receive an additional $135m in the next federal budget to ease the pain in one of the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic. But of the federal government's earlier $250m rescue package for the sector, budgeted for the 2020/2021 financial year, three-quarters is yet to be spent." - The Guardian
The 169-year-old liberal arts college in Oakland, which has left an extraordinary legacy in American arts (especially contemporary classical music), is one of the few all-female undergraduate schools left in the U.S. But the pandemic has only intensified longstanding declines in Mills's enrollment and financial health, and administrators say that the school will accept no more new students, stop...
The arts leaders call the measure a crucial part of any sustainable future for arts and culture in Canada. And, as they point out, they represent the majority of Canada’s artists. The document details several hard facts about the devastating effect the pandemic has had on the arts sector in Canada this past year. - Ludwig Van
