You've got to hand it to New Zealanders. The main public library in Christchurch was closed for the national holiday on Feb. 6, but a glitch kept the automated doors open. 380 people came and went and used automated checkout; they left a mess, but nothing was stolen. - The Guardian
The union's third annual Diversity and Inclusion Hiring Bias Report found that just under a quarter of contracts went to actors and state managers of color, up 3.3 percentage points from 2016-19, with those union members averaging 91.8% of the pay their white colleagues received. - Deadline
Among the statistics in this report are that, in 2021, two-thirds of US dance festivals studied were headed by women, almost two-thirds of the works recorded and streamed were by women (though only 38% of live works), and festivals directed by women present more choreography by women. - Dance Data Project
"There have been persistent theories that wealthier children may be given an advantage in their school careers by being pressed into visits to art galleries and exhibitions. According to a new academic study, however, outings often regarded as 'middle class' had no correlation with improved GCSE results." - The Observer (UK)
"Several tombs and a leaden sarcophagus likely dating from the 14th century have been uncovered by archaeologists at Paris's Notre-Dame cathedral following its devastating 2019 fire. … Elements of painted sculptures were (also) found just beneath the current floor level of the cathedral." - France 24
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, shocking much of the world, Russians working in creative spheres have found themselves squeezed from within and without. - The New York Times
Francis Kéré has made a name for himself with a series of schools and medical facilities in Africa that appear grown out of their context, built by local communities with the bare minimum of resources.- The Guardian
According to the statement, Gedeon was among three staff members who announced plans to resign during a December 2021 board meeting, after expressing concerns about "internal communications, workplace environment and issues of equity and diversity." - Yahoo!
It’s not just that he lied––told tales––to people in the business of telling (and selling) tales. It’s that, in doing so, he touched up against an uncomfortable truth about how little space there can sometimes be between legitimate and illegitimate participation in a collective fiction. - The New Yorker
There are a range of moral questions surrounding how we should respond to the immoral acts of artists whose work we love. But, for art lovers, a central aspect of revelations about artists’ behaviour is how it makes us feel. - Psyche
Calle set up camp in room 501. “It was a place where I could go and be alone to do what I wanted.” When she wasn’t curled up with a book on a bug-infested couch, or photographing dead cats elsewhere in the building, she would go for a twirl under the gilded ceilings of the ballroom. - The Guardian
Purim spiels, retelling the story of Queen Esther, are documented back to the 14th century and doubtless happened for generations before that. New versions still get written (one New Jersey cantor has published 11), though they tend to be all too family-friendly, lacking the sharp satire spiels once had. - Tablet
We are migratory birds, and our migration routes have been disrupted. Touring musicians—triply impacted by global venue closures, obstacles to travel and Covid-19 itself—have borne an outsized share of pandemic losses. - The Nation
"Rather than a departure from his literary work, Handke's position on Serbia may be of a piece with it — a logical consequence of the postmodern experimentation for which he has long been celebrated." - The New Yorker
The charity was set up by conductor Valery Gergiev, a high-profile friend of Vladimir Putin, with the main goal of supporting St Petersburg’s Mariinsky theatre – one of the best-known cultural institutions in Russia – and promoting its work in the UK. - The Guardian
