Out of 213 classically-based companies examined, only 30% of artistic directors are women and 70% are men. Women comprise 32.3% of artistic directors at second companies and 46.2% of assistant or associate artistic directors. Nearly half (49.2) of company executive directors are female. - Dance Data Project
SOLT’s update on attendances for 2024 shows that 17.1 million attended performances – the same as in 2023. When compared with 2019 – the year before theatres shut due to the pandemic lockdowns – attendances are up 11% (from 15.3 million). - The Stage
Like Battersea, Barcelona’s plant is set to undergo a radical transformation into the new Catalunya Media City—a cutting-edge hub for digital arts, technology, and education. - Fast Company
As a professor of computer science who has authored hundreds of works on artificial intelligence, including AI textbooks that cover social impact of large language models, I think understanding how the models work can help writers and educators consider the limitations and potential uses of AI for what might be called “creative” writing. - The Conversation
“Filed last week in New York federal court, the complaint from Dr. Brian Morley, the ex-medical director of health insurance corporation AmeriHealth Caritas, … (states) “Defendants falsely told millions of viewers … that Dr. Morley testified in a Medicaid hearing that ‘he thinks it’s okay if people have shit on them for days.’” - Deadline
Following the attempted prosecution of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth for child pornography over an exhibition of Sally Mann’s photography, a state representative has proposed a law that would fine a museum $500,000 per item per day for displaying anything deemed “obscene or harmful material.” - Fort Worth Report
The festival, located where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario on the US-Canada border, had planned to close the century-old Royal George Theatre permanently. Now the provincial government has pledged C$35 million to reconstruct the venue — with more physical stability, updated facilities and expanded seating. - Toronto Star
For 2025-26, the company will again offer all seats at $11 each (or higher if the buyer chooses). There are twice as many performances as this season, and five works scheduled rather than this season’s three — but only one of those works is a conventional opera. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
“(He) has served as a museum director, educator and historian — positions in which he has demonstrated a skill for diplomacy. But perhaps no amount of charm or discretion can help him avoid the fight he now faces over the direction of the Smithsonian Institution, the cultural behemoth he stewards.” - The New York Times
“The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to create (the district) to boost the visibility of the arts scene in a corridor of downtown that includes the Broad museum, Center Theatre Group, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, REDCAT and the Colburn School.” - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)
Pursuant to a judge’s order, the US Agency for Global Media said last week it has rescinded its decision to terminate funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Yet no money has actually arrived from Washington, so the agency has started furloughing all staff at its headquarters in Prague. - Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
“When we were less assaulted by news on a daily basis — and, crucially, when we had no access to social media — April Fool adverts did manage to make us laugh.” But our relationship with truth and misinformation wasn’t quite as fraught back then as it is in 2025. - Prospect (UK)
While most of the 100 museums in the list grew their social media followings over the past year, this is despite almost all of them experiencing a decline in followers on X. - The Art Newspaper
“He’s actually a replica of what we see in the tech industry,” Yuval Sharon said. “There’s a messianic belief that we must transcend our own humanity and that AI is making up for all the terrible ways we behave. People really do believe that the future of humanity is robotic.” - APNews
For three decades, starting in 1942, “Marian Chace helped shell-shocked soldiers, sexual abuse victims, and the mentally ill use movement to communicate their feelings. ... The former Denishawn dancer proved that dance isn’t just entertaining and beautiful; it could free the deepest parts of the soul and strengthen an entire person.” - Dance Teacher
