Mind you, these aren't the Benin Bronzes, which come from what's now southwestern Nigeria. These were taken by French colonial soldiers in the late 19th century from the Kingdom of Dahomey, now part of the Republic of Benin, to which France has given them back. - The Guardian
The town of Prescot, a few miles from Liverpool, was once home to the only freestanding Elizabethan theatre outside London. That's the case once again, with the opening of Shakespeare North, a near-copy of the Royal Cockpit theatre that once stood in 16th-century London. - BBC
Archaeologists report that the site, about 20 miles southeast of Pamplona, was "of urban character — the city's name is currently unknown — and it developed during the (Roman) imperial period. Later, the same site (became) a rural habitat during the Visigoth and early Andalusian periods." (in English) - El País (Spain)
In 2012, Serebrennikov took over the stultified Gogol Theater, rechristened it the Gogol Center, and made it Moscow's most daring stage, regularly irking the government. Now, after years fighting trumped-up embezzlement charges, he's in exile, and the city has ousted the leadership and restored the old name. - The Moscow Times
Artistic leader of the Rhode Island Philharmonic, BBC Concert Orchestra, and, as of the coming season, the Sarasota Orchestra, Tovey spent widely admired tenures at the Winnipeg and Vancouver Symphonies and was a regular visitor to the top American orchestras, known especially for his rapport with audiences. - CBC
The project by the nonprofit Dance/NYC "seeks to understand who makes up the dance work force and the social and financial hardships that these workers face. The data will help identify economic gaps and opportunities for fair wage standards and other policies across the sector." - The New York Times
"(The actor) appeared at the U.K.'s historic Old Bailey criminal court on Thursday morning, where he pleaded not guilty to all five counts of sexual assault. His U.K. trial will begin on June 6, 2023, and is expected to last for three to four weeks." - Variety
Is this a little like The New York Times buying Wordle? Yes, and the outrage is not dissimilar. For instance: "I lost my game history, and the link to get it back only exists for a microsecond. Also the skip function is now super glitchy, making the game unplayable." - BBC
People described Michael Jordan's basketball moves as "balletic," and sometimes said Kobe Bryant "tap-danced" his way to the net - but those were metaphors. Or were they? - The Sports Rush
Perhaps that's not such a surprise, well into our third year of a global pandemic, but the drama nominees show "it is easy to feel trapped by forces beyond our control. Easy to feel like pawns in a game or part of an experiment." - Los Angeles Times
At least, not for now. People using the program DALL-E, which takes human words and makes images in response, "have found that it elevates human creativity rather than making it obsolete." - Wired
In a heavily refugee and immigrant area of Glasgow, "Musicians in Exile a way of helping to give musician asylum seekers and refugees in the area a chance to gather every Tuesday evening to sing, play and share their talents, experiences, stories and songs." - Time Out
Obviously, "involuntary location" is a nonstarter, but also, "describing someone as a slave does nothing to diminish their humanity. Enslaving someone diminishes their humanity, which is why one should not do it." Texas and liberals alike can use their words - correctly. - The Atlantic
"A growing number of Latino artists are working to broaden and elevate how Americans view piñatas and (their) history. Some are carving out a place for piñatas in the arts world, while others use the object to make pointed social and political commentary." - The Guardian
