CULTURE KLATCH | Indonesian government focuses on the nexus of culture and sustainable development in Bali forum
Everyone knows that by investing in the arts and incorporating arts and culture into their economic development plans, counties can reap numerous benefits — economic, social, civic, and cultural—that help generate a more stable, creative workforce; new tourism; and more livable communities. But as long as cultural sustainability is framed in terms of promotion, national image, tourism and economic advantage alone, there will never be a true paradigm shift.
DEADLINES | 2-minute videos sought for Arab Fund’s “Why Culture?” competition
AFAC is now tossing the question into the field of pictures in motion, videos and animation. AFAC has opened the call for the “Why Culture? Video Competition,” and the challenge is: Can you create a 2 minute video that delivers a concept on why culture matters? The competition is open to everyone.
CULTURE KLATCH | Trans Europe Halles grapples with art for social change in Europe and the Arab world
Twenty-five artists and cultural operators from Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Palestine, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey will be guests at Trans Europe Halles Meeting 76. They will offer inspiration and examples of how they work in independent culture under harsh conditions and to share their stories of how culture actions can lead to social change and a more open society.
DISSENT VS. DIPLOMACY | Did the US exact revenge against Bulgarian-German writer Ilija Trojanov for his critique of America’s NSA surveillance powers?
Ilija Trojanov, a Bulgarian-German author, was on his way to a Denver conference of the German Studies Association, and had been issued an invitation to appear at the Goethe-Institut’s “New Literature From Europe” Festival in November. “Barring Mr. Trojanov, an outspoken critic of America’s controversial surveillance powers, from attending an academic conference in the United States will hardly calm the anxiety our colleagues around the world are feeling about America’s electronic spying,” said Suzanne Nossel, executive director of PEN American Center.
ART & POLITICS | Hope lingers in Sarajevo’s Festival MESS, one of the Balkan region’s most important festivals
Dino Mustafic, director of Festival MESS, describes this year’s Festival as conquest for happiness and hope. Mustafic, one of the most important theater directors in the region, adds that the theater in the Balkans is “struggling to survive.” Over the last five years, Festival MESS’s budget was slashed by 73 percent.
REVOLUTION 2.0 | You must remember this: Egypt’s artists drove its Summer of Mass Re-Awakening
Make no mistake: artists led Egypt’s Revolution 2.0, which moved to depose its first freely elected Islamist president. The military’s action to oust Morsi was, in fact, but the final moving piece in Egypt’s complicated political domino. It should be remembered that this Summer of Mass Re-Awakening began as a culture war. It was a fight for free expression. It was a battle for Egypt’s soul.
RADIO INTERVIEW | Speaking about politics and world culture on SiriusXM’s “Pia Lindström Presents”
In October 2012, I was invited to be a guest on “Pia Lindström Presents” She asked me to speak about politics, the arts and world theater. She also asked me personal questions.
OPERA NEWS | Philippine Center hosts public awareness presentation of Filipino opera production of “Noli Me Tangere”
Members of the Filipino-American community are invited to hear musical excerpts from the opera and meet the producers and performed on Thursday, January 31st at 6:30PM at the Philippine Center. (556 Fifth Avenue).
CURATORIAL ESSAY | From the Edge: Performance Design in the Divided States of America
I would go so far to say that, after post-structuralism, communication is now the dominant force in design innovations. PQ provides designers with an international art-based platform where they can wrest back the current valorization of time-based performance modes, which visual artists have ruthlessly co-opted for their own ends
INTERVIEW Part 2 | From the Edge: Active Searching & The Value of the Prague Quadrennial
“These events, on a practical level, raise the public’s level of awareness of the importance of good creative design. They affirm the professionalism and creativity of outstanding designers and theater architects. And these events have demonstrated an economic impact to the countries that host them.”
Causes | African Children’s Choir hosts Dec. 3 fundraising gala in New York
Straight from their Christmas theatrical tour, the African Children’s Choir will be performing a segment of their new show “An African Christmas,” in which they share the warmth of what it’s like to celebrate Christmas in the villages of East Africa
Arts news | Detroit arts and cultural organizations get grants from Kresge Foundation
“We know that’s been helpful to arts organizations during the economic downturn,” said George Jacobsen, an associate program officer at the foundation. “The Detroit Arts Support grants weren’t created with that in mind. But it’s clear that they’re provided some stability in a difficult period.”
Russia demands U.S. stop support of Russian pro-democracy and civil society groups
he move stands to cut off aid that currently totals about $50 million a year, a relatively small sum but a potentially devastating blow for groups that came to rely on foreign money as domestic controls over politics tightened
Congolese choreographer/director Faustin Linyekula dances solo after profound dialogue with director Peter Sellars
Tonight, September 18, Linyekula returns to Florence Gould Hall to debut his autobiographical new work, Le Cargo, which tells of his 2011 return to Obilo, the Congolese village where he spent part of his childhood. Co-presented by “Crossing the Line” (the French Institute Alliance Française’s annual fall festival) in association with the Museum for African Art.
Queens arts gallery re-members Philippine martial law with exhibit, performance and salon talk
The event, which will take place in Queens, consists of an exhibition by Eric De Leon Zamuco, an installation performance piece by Jeho Bitancor; and a salon-style talk by transnational writer Ninotchka Rosca, the author of “Endgame: The Fall of Marcos.”
In an upcoming Fortune interview, Romney says he will kill funding for the arts if elected
Romney originally campaigned in the primaries that he would cuts arts spending in half. His new position means: Goodbye arts subsidy programs. Goodbye Amtrak subsidy. Goodbye PBS. Goodbye National Endowment for the Arts. Goodbye National Endowment for the Humanities.
Putin’s Pussy problem | As world awaits Russian court’s verdict, “Free Pussy Riot” protest actions become global
Activists in more than 40 cities around the world (Dublin, Odessa, Melbourne, Barcelona, Tel Aviv, San Francisco, Vienna, London, Paris, Moscow and so forth) have joined forces on this very same day to organize political and performance actions that demand the freedom of Pussy Riot. A complete list of events around the world during “Free Pussy Riot Global Day” appears here.
Putin’s Pussy problem | Feminist punk group Pussy Riot calls Vladimir Putin’s Russia “repressive” and “totalitarian”
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, one of the three women, said, “If this political system throws itself against three girls … it shows this political system is afraid of truth.” She called the charges against them a “political order for repression” and denounced Putin’s “totalitarian-authoritarian system.”
Lesbian herstory as performance design | 100 feminist drawings by 100 artist go to bed with collected objects from Brooklyn Museum
Ulrike Müller’s conceptual project, “Herstory Inventory” is a theatrical installation. It pushes together two sets of created inventory: new art inspired by the Lesbian Herstory Archive, and museum objects from the Brooklyn Museum where it is presently on view through September 9, 2012.
