Dispatches

A Glimpse into the Future – What U.S. Organizations Can Learn from Australia’s Reopening

Claire Spencer, CEO of Arts Centre Melbourne, shares the lessons she’s learned from the Centre’s reopening, a pause of digital programming, and the challenges of mental health in the workplace. (CI to Eye Podcast)

London’s West End: Where Small is Going to Have to Be Beautiful

Big cities, London specifically, have been the worst places to ride out the pandemic. In the West End, footfall has only jumped back to ~45% since hospitality reopened in April, making landlords such as Shaftesbury gear toward local, community billing rather than anything too big and flashy as tourism hopefully gets back to 2019 levels. (Financial Times)

The Effects of the Pandemic May Not Be Quite as Devastating for American Museums as Once Feared, A New Survey Finds

A new report by the American Alliance of Museums found that fifteen percent (15%) of surveyed museums are at risk of closing now. This time last year, it was 30 percent. (Artnet News) 

Listening to the Music of Community Change

In this report, the Levitt Foundation shares findings from a pre/post research study at Levitt Pavilion Denver and the role of creative placemaking in communities undergoing change. (Levitt Foundation) 

Disabled People Fear Being Left Behind as U.K. Culture Venues Reopen

Some disabled people have spent a year devouring shows online, and they want continued access. Some theaters are promising to provide it, but fears persist. (The New York Times) 

Has BLM Really Changed the Arts?

A year after the murder of George Floyd, black creativity and inclusion in the sector are more vital than ever, writes the founder of campaigning group Inc Arts. (Financial Times)

Slavetrader’s Name Replaced by Symbol of Hope

One year on from the toppling of the Colston statue in Bristol, Phil Castang, Director of Creative Learning and Engagement at Bristol Beacon, reflects on how ditching the Colston name for the concert hall – now the Bristol Beacon – has helped the city move on. (Arts Professional)

The Rise (and Rise?) of ‘Immersive’ Exhibitions

Geoffrey Marsh, Director of Theater and Performance at the Victoria and Albert Museum, lays out the past, present and possible future of immersive and experiential exhibitions and the  V&A's remarkable contribution to the evolution of the genre. (Geoffrey Marsh for the Global Cultural Districts Network) 

Do Museums Foster Innovation through Engagement with the Cultural and Creative Industries?

Economists Talk Art find that strong links in potential spillover of knowledge from museums to the cultural and creative industries outnumber moderate or weak links. (Economists Talk Art)

Is the ‘Arm’s-Length’ Principle Under Threat in UK Museums?

Until now, national museums in the UK have been allowed to operate independently of political pressure. But recent statements and actions by the government suggest that this may no longer be the case. Secretary of State Chris Smith and historian Margot Finn consider the future of the ‘arm’s-length’ principle. (Apollo Magazine) 

Benin Bronzes: The Long Journey Home

Molemo Moiloa centers a number of African experts in conversations about restitution of looted artefacts to the continent, including philosopher Achille Mbembe, Peju Layiwola, and Chao Tayiana Maina, who debunk a number of myths around restitution. (Chatham House)

Returning Colonial-Era Artefacts is Not as Easy as it Seems, Say Experts

Despite the new guidelines on restitution introduced by the Dutch government, experts say bureaucracy and delays expected around provenance research will make the process take much longer given the large number of contested artefacts. (Dutch News)

What the “Nefertiti Hack” Tells Us About Digital Colonialism

A hacked 3D scan of the famous sculpture shows how traditional models of heritage ownership might change in museums. (Hyperallergic)

Christie’s Auction House Exec: NFTs Are the ‘Art World’s Napster’

From art auctions to sports collectibles, non-fungible tokens (NFT), have had a breakout year. But where do we go from here? Noah Davis, Christie’s point person on NFTs speaks at Consensus 2021. (Coindesk)

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