What’s the point of watching workers? Maybe, as Franz Kafka suggested in a short parable, the point is not simply to alter a person’s behaviour temporarily, but to fundamentally change them. Through this transformation, the demarcations separating those who watch from those who are watched begin to dissolve. - Psyche
This month saw the inauguration of Jashn-e-Rekhta, an annual three-day festival devoted to Urdu verse, old and new. Attendance was over 300,000 —notwithstanding the fact that Urdu, while very, very closely related to Hindi, is commonly associated with Islam in a country awash in Hindu nationalism. - The New York Times
"The Guardian took every Christmas song that had charted in the UK Top 100 since 1952, and selected the 100 most popular of those on Spotify. Two-thirds were released at least 30 years ago." Which is to say: "all we want for Christmas is mid-20th-century nostalgia." - The Guardian
Working pro bono with engineering studio Arup, the Norman Foster Foundation and Kharkiv Group of Architects, Foster + Partners founder Foster has developed a masterplan for the rejuvenation of the city following heavy bombardment during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. - Dezeen
"(Creative New Zealand) has, over the last several months, found itself (in) multiple controversial decisions, including declining funding applications for ... the Shakespeare Globe Centre of New Zealand and Arts on Tour, among others, which resulted in a call for an inquiry into how the agency operates." - Stuff (New Zealand)
According to Google’s Year in Search, an annual retrospective of trending searches compiled by the tech company, dark academia was among ten trending interior styles from 2022, a representative confirmed. - Architectural Digest
The Gospels don't really tell much about the birth of Jesus: the shepherds are only in Luke, the Wise Men only in Matthew. So depictions of the Nativity over the centuries — what they include, what they leave out, what they add — offer something of a history of Christianity. - Smithsonian Magazine
"That complicated history of 'Carol of the Bells' has embodied a grim motif since its inception. ... Then as now, Ukraine was under threat from Russia, a shadow of an anxious past that still extends over the country." - The New York Times
"Members of the Van Wezel Foundation have been working with Sarasota officials on plans for a new performance space, arguing that the 54-year-old Van Wezel Hall is outdated and beyond repair. But the grandchildren of Lewis Van Wezel, who primarily funded the iconic purple hall, want it to be saved." - Axios
"Going forward, entry-level dancers who pass the main company audition will start as full company members, earning entry-level pay based on a collective-bargaining-agreement scale. ... Last season's roster of 39 company members, six of whom were apprentices, now comprises 40 company dancers and no apprentices." - Pointe Magazine
The private equity group which purchased Nielsen last March is reorganizing into three divisions: Nielsen Audience Measurement, Nielsen Analytics and Gracenote. The company, once a near-monopoly, has faced increasing competition from other audience measurement businesses as well as criticism for botched analysis during the pandemic. - Broadcasting and Cable
"(He) was known as the dean of American orchestral clarinetists during a 60-year career with the New York Philharmonic, ... presenting a style and sound that typified the Philharmonic's character — soloistic, technically and sonically brilliant, flamboyant and on the verge of brash." - The New York Times
In 2020/21, when activities were restricted due to lockdowns, the RSC’s box office income was £94,000. This rose to £12.5 million for 2021/22, and total income for 2021/22 was £39.7 million, 62% of which was self-generated from box office sales, commercial trading and fundraising. - The Stage
