“About five years ago, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art determined that only 11 percent of the artists with works in its collection — those identified by name, as opposed to anonymous traditional artisans — were women. The museum then embarked on an ambitious push to acquire more work by women, doubling its holdings by female artists to 22 percent today. Drawn from its permanent collection, the exhibition I Am … Contemporary Women Artists of Africa highlights these efforts, featuring modern and contemporary work by 27 artists.” – The Washington Post
Pale, male and stale: does modern classical have a gender problem?
“Modern classical and electronic music is still dominated by stars who are largely ‘pale, male and stale’, leading industry figures have warned, after learning of a major new compilation album featuring only two works composed by women.” – The Guardian
Tackling diversity in children’s arts: what we’ve learned in a year
“Last year, The Spark Arts for Children launched Vital Spark, a four-year programme with an ambitious aim: to address the lack of diversity in the children’s arts sector. … At that point, we recognised the need to look at our own diversity gaps and the power dynamic between us and the artists. One year on, we’ve begun to see a shift, as well as experiencing some steep learning curves. We’ve identified three themes to steer the way forward.” – Arts Professional
We need new operas, not cleaned-up versions of offensive classics
“As a sanitised version of The Magic Flute opens in Glyndebourne, Rebecca Franks asks its creative team if this modern reworking is worth it.” – The Times (UK)