Dispatches

‘It’s Really Desperate’: Cost of Living Crisis Spells Bleak Times for British Arts Venues

Many in the UK’s creative sector are being hit hard by rising fuel costs and reluctant audiences. Some, including a number of major museums and galleries, are burning through their reserves just to be able to survive, says Paula Orrell, director of Cvan England. “These are not the kind of institutions that as a country we can afford to lose.” (The Guardian)

Four Scenarios for a World in Disorder

The world is clearly not reverting to some pre-COVID status quo. Instead, a combination of underlying forces has upended the previous world order and ushered in a period of profound disorder. (The Conversation) 

How Many van Goghs is One Earth Worth?

What could the loss of one great painting mean to a civilization that doesn’t exist? The prospect of that loss, averted, allows us to seriously confront the degree to which we as a society collectively dismiss and downplay climate change. (Vox) 

A New Art Nonprofit in New York Has a Radical Founding Idea: Actually Listen to the People It Claims to Serve

To do things differently, “it has to be very context-sensitive,” the director explained. “It has to be in relationship to the people we are, the neighborhood in which we operate, the city that we live in, the people that are part of the team, and the relationships they have with the world. There is not a manual. We have to learn through being very present.” (Artnet News) 

How Mobile Placemaking in Omaha, Nebraska is Supporting the City’s Black Commercial Corridors

Created in 2021 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic’s toll on artists, Omaha Mobile Stage is an accessible, adaptable, and transportable mobile venue created from a repurposed box truck. (Brookings) 

UN Steps Up Satellite Tracking of Damage to Ukraine Culture

The United Nations’ cultural and satellite agencies have joined forces to more systematically track the impact of Russia’s invasion on Ukraine’s architecture, art, historic buildings and other cultural heritage, and have compiled an initial list of more than 200 sites that have been damaged or destroyed. (AP News) 

NPO Decisions: Enlarged Portfolio Shifts Funding Away from London

A total of 276 new organisations have been added to Arts Council England's National Portfolio for 2023-26, with increased funding outside London and higher investment in Black, Asian and Ethnically diverse-led organisations. (Arts Professional) 

Lure of Cultural Districts is Hard to Ignore

Immersing ourselves in the delights of cultural and creative experiences is nothing short of a whimsical experience. That is why cities across the globe are capitalizing on their priceless cultural treasures and brilliant creatives to design pockets of cultural districts across city maps in a way that feels urbane, yet distinctive. (Arab News)

Guggenheim Effect: How the Museum Helped Transform Bilbao

“The idea of using culture as a transformative element wasn’t that clear back then; it was a bit of a dream,” says the museum’s director general, Juan Ignacio Vidarte. (The Guardian)

What’s Behind the Boom in Rome’s Artist-Run Spaces?

How spontaneous, informal networks are transforming the art scene of the eternal city. Unlike museums and art foundations, which were forced to close in 2020 due to the pandemic, studios were still allowed to operate, which pushed many art professionals, to uncover the art scene in their hometown – long ignored by the city’s institutions in favour of internationally recognized Italian artists or artists from abroad. (FRIEZE)

The Golden Age of AI-Generated Art is Here. It’s Going to Get Weird

How software that can create almost any image from a few words will change human creativity. The only thing more amazing than the tech itself is the wild leaps of imagination of its users: Nosferatu in RuPaul’s Drag Race, Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” but the apostles are crowding round to take a selfie, the French Revolution as seen from the perspective of a helmet-mounted GoPro camera, a bottle of ranch dressing testifying in court. (Financial Times) 

Culture Summit Abu Dhabi: The Power of Cultural Districts 

On October 23rd, Director Adrian Ellis joined a discussion on 'The Power of Cultural Districts' for Day 1 of Culture Summit Abu Dhabi held at Manarat Al Saadiyat, where panelists uncovered cultural districts' potential in fostering creativity and solidifying cultural identity.

Watch Day 1 and 'The Power of Cultural Districts.' 

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