“I want it to be a theatre where theatre people can come and see a show and that generates a kind of warmth,” he says. “You’ll often find actors in the bar afterwards.” - The Times (UK)
In contemporary European literature, a book these days is often the beginning of a familial feud. With thinly disguised autobiographical accounts of family strife undergoing a sustained boom across the continent, it can increasingly lead to family reunions in courtrooms. - The Guardian
Search traffic to news sites has already plunged by a third in a single year globally, with the rise of AI overviews and chatbots, as well as changes to the search algorithms that have been the lifeblood of some media companies since the rise of the internet. - The Guardian
“The real reason I’ve left (the U.S.) is deeper than politics: it’s the culture. The culture creates the politics. … The relentless commercialisation, rising tides of xenophobia, the strident acrimony of social discourse, the violence, and the increasingly hysterical tenor of life in the USA have simply worn us down.” - The Saturday Paper (Australia)
“Clements joined the Guardian arts team in August 1993, succeeding Edward Greenfield as the paper’s chief music critic. His appointment was clinched by a personal recommendation to the editor from the late Alfred Brendel. … For the next 32 years, Clements ranged across all fields of classical music … and often beyond.” - The Guardian
“(He) rose to prominence in 1968 with the publication of … Chariots of the Gods, … (which) was followed by more than two dozen similar books, spawning a literary niche in which fact and fantasy were mixed together against all historical and scientific evidence.” He became the first winner of the Ig Nobel Prize. - AP
“While the museums offered severance, the layoffs were announced without warning on a (Friday) afternoon Zoom call, according to former employees. Museum representatives (said) that the staff cuts stemmed from reduced funding and were approved by the museum’s executive committee of the board.” - ARTnews
“PBS News Weekend signed off Sunday, ‘at least for the foreseeable future,’ anchor John Yang said. ... Starting Saturday, PBS will air the weekly show Horizons on science and technology issues. The new show Compass Points will focus on foreign affairs Sunday.” - AP
In response to the festival board’s earlier intervention to disinvite Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah, more than 180 writers and speakers cancelled their appearances at the February-March event and half the board resigned. Now the remaining board members have quit and the festival has been called off. - The Guardian
Last week the museum was partially closed due to the ongoing walkouts over inadequate pay, staffing and building maintenance, but public access to the biggest attractions, such as Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, was maintained. Work stoppages on Monday shuttered the entire building. - ARTnews
Supporters argue that performing at the center now risks aligning the Ballet with an institution they say has been politicized under Trump’s leadership. - San Francisco Chronicle
We ask for help from artificial customer service representatives. Some of us accept friend requests from bots and are, thereafter, influenced by the content they post. This is a momentous change to the nature of the public square. - 3 Quarks Daily
“Disengagement” from institutions that uphold freedom of expression and artistic freedom “weakens the global protective frameworks on which artists and cultural workers depend.” - Artnet
If Canada wants its cultural policy to survive the age of slop, it will have to insist that what claims to be human—and Canadian—be verified as such. Sovereignty, in this context, is not just about protecting domestic production from foreign influence. - The Walrus
As Gen Z ditch books at record levels, students are arriving to classrooms unable to complete assigned reading on par with previous expectations. It’s leaving colleges no choice but to lower their expectations. - Fortune (MSN)
