International News in March 2005
Show all of 2005
MLA launches Disability Experts database
The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council has launched a new online tool, 'Disability Experts', to help cultural and heritage organisations meet their disability access needs. more >
Seoul to reach out to cultural leaders in Asia for partnership
South Korea is planning a budget to build a network of artists and cultural experts around Asia who will promote Korean culture in their home countries, officials said Thursday. more >
African-Americans Offer Hope to African Film
"We'll be back," vowed American actor Danny Glover as he prepared to jet out of Africa's top film festival. That pledge could be just what Africa's cash-strapped film industry needs as it strives to sell its films to global audiences and get funds to make more. more >
Are Culture Wars Inevitable in the Arts?
Controversial art is nothing new in American cultural life. Over the past 20 years, scandals have erupted on numerous occasions, in which government funds have gone to subsidize the production or exhibition of art considered by some to be obscene, blasphemous, or offensively unpatriotic. more >
Ballot-box blues, why politicians can't understand the arts
Art is all the things politics isn't, says Richard Eyre, so no wonder the government ignores it more >
Benefits of Arts Funding Questioned
AUDIO REPORT: A new study by RAND Corp. questions the assertions made by arts advocates who have argued for the link between well-funded museums, theaters and other arts outlets and the health of local economies. more >
Casualties in Russia's culture wars
Culture wars over blasphemous art, such as Andres Serrano's urine-dipped crucifix or Chris Ofili's elephant dung-decorated Madonna, have flared up periodically in the United States in recent years... more >
Creative Commons Is Rewriting Rules of Copyright
When Chuck D and the Fine Arts Militia released their latest single, "No Meaning No," several months ago, they didn't try to stop people from circulating free copies on the Internet. They encouraged it. more >
Downtown Arts Plan Remains Uncertain
In the nine months since four arts institutions were selected to take up residence at ground zero, the groups have been under pressure to prove themselves all over again. more >
Foreign box offices contribute most to Hollywood's coffers
International box office receipts for Hollywood films surpassed those in the US for the first time last year. more >
Labour proposes wealthy artists should pay tax
The Labour Party has suggested that authors, artists and musicians who earn more than €100,000 each year should lose the tax-free status on their artistic income. more >
New Study Reveals that Arts-Related Businesses Provide
Americans for the Arts today released Creative Industries 2005: The Congressional Report, which presents detailed analysis of arts-related businesses, institutions, and organizations in all 435 Congressional districts and the District of Columbia. more >
Nunavut aims to repatriate Inuit artifacts
The government of Nunavut is hoping to find enough money to build a cultural centre to house thousands of Inuit artifacts dispersed around the world by explorers and anthropologists. more >
Orchestras 'safe', but no new funds
Symphony orchestras around Australia were told categorically yesterday player numbers would not be cut. That just left the ticklish problem of how they would be funded. more >
Using Arts to Craft Higher Self-Esteem
An Innovative Program In Alexandria Gives Troubled Girls a Chance To Improve Their Lives And Living Quarters more >
MPs condemn arts funding freeze
An influential group of MPs has criticised the government's decision to freeze funding to Arts Council England. more >
‘Stop-start’ funding inevitable unless DCMS cuts reversed, warns ACE
A return to ‘stop-start’ funding of cultural organisations is inevitable by the end of the decade if the government fails to listen to the arts community a second time, Arts Council England theatre director Nicola Thorold has warned. more >
Abolish the arts council, SNP tell review
The SNP are calling for the effective abolition of the Scottish Arts Council and the creation of a Scottish Academy instead, in a submission to the Cultural Commission review. more >
Cultural Heritage Chief to Visit Dokdo
South Korea's top cultural heritage policymaker will visit the Dokdo islets, officials said Friday. more >
French counter-attack on Net culture
French President Jacques Chirac has vowed to launch a new "counter-offensive" against American cultural domination, enlisting the support of the British, German and Spanish governments in a multi-million euro bid to put the whole of European literature on-line. more >
Arts groups hit by funding cuts
More than 120 arts organisations are to have their funding cut by the Arts Council, it has been announced. more >
Chinese arts managers study Canadian ways
Chinese delegation is studying how Canadian performing arts centres are funded in an effort to modernise China's cultural institutions. more >
A louder knock on government's door
Arts Council England chief executive, Peter Hewitt, is on a four-month sabbatical to research "current and prospective governments' perceptions" of the council, the case for the arts and the "Arts Council of the future". As part of the mission, Hewitt spent 10 days in Australia recently. more >
Funding is vital for the arts
In its submission to the body charged with recasting Scotland's cultural strategy, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities has adopted a policy of pre-emptive strike. more >
Minister apologises for art bill delays
It took the Namibian Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture a decade to develop a proper arts and culture policy before it was finally tabled as a Bill in the National Assembly. more >
No cultural capital without the artist
To be seen as a good place to live, work and play, Singapore must invest more in artists and perhaps less in arts infrastructure. more >
Taxpayer support for artists: too much of a good thing?
The Netherlands is an intriguing case study in the debate over how much public funding should go to the arts. more >
BBC Gets New Lease on Life, but Government Calls for Overhaul
After months of rancorous debate over its status and standards, the British Broadcasting Corporation won a reprieve on Wednesday when the government approved a further 10-year Royal Charter guaranteeing compulsory public financing. more >
European Commissioner speaks of important role for the arts
In his speech at a European Commission conference held in February, Commissioner Jan Figel said that the Arts had an important role to play in creating a 'new' Europe. more >
New Legislation Makes Arkansas the Nation's Leader in Arts Education
Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee signed a piece of landmark arts education legislation designed to provide music and art instruction for all Arkansas school children. more >
RAND Corporation to conduct national analysis of cultural support in 11 cities nationwide
The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and the William Penn Foundation have announced a grant by the Foundation to the RAND Corporation, a non-profit national research organisation, to conduct a comparative analysis of culture in major American cities. more >
America needs a new system for supporting the arts
Bill Ivey, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts and now director of the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy at Vanderbilt University, calls for "a new model for building a vibrant arts landscape" in the US. more >
Jordan hosts book fair to replenish Iraqi libraries
Around 300 Arab publishing houses will take part in a 10-day book fair in the Jordanian capital this week aimed at restocking Iraqi libraries, victims of UN sanctions and wars. more >
Libraries 'in scandalous state'
A "significant deterioration" in the quality of public library buildings is a "scandal", MPs have said. more >
Restructuring and repair of Kenyan museums underway
A major restructuring and refurbishing programme at the National Museums of Kenya is on course, National Heritage Minister Najib Balala said yesterday. more >
UNESCO Programme Grants Funding to 51 New Media Projects in Developing Countries
The Bureau of UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication granted US$1,050,000 million to 51 media projects in developing countries and countries in transition at its meeting at Headquarters, (March 7 - 9), which was chaired by Torben Krogh from Denmark. more >
Arts are crucial for UK economy, says opera chief
Increased government funding of the arts is a "no brainer" as the creative industries become more and more important to the British economy, according to Tony Hall, the chief executive of the Royal Opera House. more >
Are culture wars inevitable in the arts?
Controversial art is nothing new in American cultural life. Over the past 20 years, scandals have erupted on numerous occasions, in which government funds have gone to subsidise the production or exhibition of art considered by some to be obscene, blasphemous, or offensively unpatriotic. more >
Database of native art planned
The Bill Reid Foundation is teaming up with Simon Fraser University to establish an online database of native art. more >
Writers plan to break away from ‘catch-all’ Scottish Arts Council
Literature is a special case within the arts and should be governed by its own funding body, according to a proposal submitted to the Cultural Commission. more >
The international who's who in cultural policy, planning and research >