ArtsJournal - Newsside

Leading Thinkers Speculate On What A Post-Virus World Will Look Like

IDEAS Posted:

As it has always been, history will be written by the “victors” of the COVID-19 crisis. Every nation, and increasingly every individual, is experiencing the societal strain of this disease in new and powerful ways. Inevitably, those nations that persevere—both by virtue of their unique political and economic systems, as well as from a public health perspective—will claim success over those who experience a different, more devastating outcome. – Foreign Policy

So What Exactly *Is* A Dance Curator?

DANCE Posted:

“Dance curators do a lot more than program a season. They spot raw talent, develop and shape careers, identify trends and create context around what they are presenting. But what does it take to get into this kind of wide-ranging work — and what do curators actually do on a daily basis?” Three of them tell us. – Dance Magazine

Berlin Launches €100 Million Aid Program For Freelance Arts Workers

ISSUES Posted:

“The Berlin Senate announced … that it would soon be offering €100 million ($107 million) in €5,000 ($5,366) grants to freelance workers and small businesses in the cultural sector. In addition, the senate is offering another €300 million ($322 million) in loans for the retail, hotel, restaurant, and cultural industries.” – Artnet

James Hatch, Archivist Of Black Theatre, Has Died At 91

PEOPLE Posted:

Hatch and his wife, artist and filmmaker Camille Billops, “created a vast archive of interviews with black actors, singers, writers and artists. … He became an expert in the history of black theater, not only rediscovering overlooked works but also unearthing the black origins of elements that had been appropriated by white playwrights and entertainers.” – The New York Times

Our Story Is Not Ended: Chay Yew On His Last, Closed Play And The Future Of Theatre

THEATRE Posted:

Yew, who was ending his run as artistic director of Victory Gardens in Chicago: “We will emerge with new stories to tell. We will revisit old tales that give our lives new meaning and sustenance. We will find innovative ways to see and think. We will found new spaces for our stories; they may again be in shuttered storefronts, church basements, or around the fire, as when we first told stories. New homes will be built by a new generation of American artists, and they will be more equitable and inclusive than our current ones.” – American Theatre

Broadway Unions Reach Deal With Producers To Help Workers For A Few Weeks

THEATRE Posted:

The “emergency relief agreement” negotiated by the Broadway League and 14 different unions created an agreement “to pay hundreds of actors, musicians, stagehands and others for the first few weeks of the industry shutdown, and to cover their health insurance for at least a month.” – The New York Times

What Theatre Can Do For Humanity In The Midst Of This Unprecedented Crisis

AUDIENCE, THEATRE Posted:

First of all, theatre can acknowledge the uncertainty, anxiety, grief, and pain of this time – and the resilience that so many people are bringing right now. “Some theatres … have recorded performances, and many others are doing or considering live streaming. That is a good start. After this crisis passes, we will also need to equip education and community engagement departments with the funds and technology tools needed to make our work more accessible to our communities—the future of our field and our future audiences depend on it. I remain hopeful we can do it. Theatre people are nothing if not resourceful and adaptable.” – American Theatre

The Film Industry, Devastated In An Hour

MEDIA Posted:

One film art director: “Over one hour, everything was cancelled. That’s £28,000 gone in an instant. My head started spinning. I realised the knock-on effect this would have in the industry and felt sick. It will be months before it’s gaining traction again, and once it does, it will be a feeding frenzy for us freelancers. I’ve never felt this hopeless and bleak in my life.” – The Guardian (UK)

Suzy Delair, Who Starred In Movies And Music Halls, Has Died At 102

PEOPLE Posted:

Delair starred in Laurel and Hardy’s last movie, but she was best known for starring in 1940s thrillers directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, some of which were made during the Nazi occupation of Paris. She had begun singing in cafés when she was 14, which is how she met the director and, eventually, became a movie star – but she never stopped singing. – The New York Times

Do You Suffer From Imposter Syndrome?

IDEAS Posted:

This kind of reflexive self-doubt is not so much a ‘syndrome’ as it is a widespread state of psychological distortion, with roughly 70 per cent of people experiencing it at some point in their lives. – Aeon

Movie Box Office Falls 97 Percent As Theatres Shut

AUDIENCE, MEDIA Posted:

Box office revenue limped to a historic low of $300,000 or less on Wednesday as the vast majority of cinemas in North America closed their doors indefinitely due to the coronavirus crisis. That compares to $10.7 million in revenue on the same Wednesday a year ago, resulting in a year-over-year decline of 97 percent. – The Hollywood Reporter

Philanthropies Are Lining Up To Try To Help The Arts

ISSUES Posted:

Though the organizers of the fund wanted to start with New York because of the city’s importance as a cultural center, they know the need spans the country, extending to individuals as well as nonprofit groups. Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, another fund contributor, expects Mellon to partner with other advocacy organizations to develop additional granting programs soon. – Washington Post

American Alliance Of Museums Asks Congress For $4 Billion In Aid

VISUAL Posted:

The letter notes that museums annually contribute $50 billion to the US economy, generate $12 billion in local, state, and federal tax, along with supporting 726,000 jobs, expressing worry that great losses in the cultural sector will displace thousands of workers and act as a blow to the greater economy. – Hyperallergic

Yale Shuts Its Art History Survey Course – The End Of Western Civ?

VISUAL Posted:

“For outside observers, this was yet one more sign of the American university’s dereliction of its responsibility as the carrier of Western culture. Yale “has succumbed to a life-draining decadence” (Wall Street Journal), perpetrated by “a band of hyper-educated Visigoths” (New York Post). As Visigoths go, Yale comes late to the pillaging; for a generation now, universities have quietly been shelving their introductory surveys. Had Yale done so in the 1990s, as Harvard did, it would have passed unnoticed. Or perhaps not, for Yale holds an exceptional place in the history of American art education.” – Commentary