BACKGovernment scraps controversial campaign that suggested ballet dancers ‘rethink’ and ‘reskill’
The UK government has removed an advert that was seen by many as dismissing and diminishing dreams of careers in the arts. On Monday, the arts world rallied in support of a young ballet dancer, pictured in a government-backed advert. The campaign to encourage young people into the world of tech pictures a dancer, named as Fatima, with the words “rethink, reskill, reboot”.
Culture secretary Oliver Dowden quickly distanced his department from the campaign image, calling it “crass” and saying he wanted to save at-risk jobs in the arts.
That afternoon, a spokesperson for the prime minister said: “This particular piece of content was not appropriate and has been removed from the campaign. The government recognises the challenge to the cultural industry.”
Le concert solidaire de l’association UNiSSON au profit des artistes lyriques
Samedi 17 octobre, l’Opéra Comique accueillera un concert solidaire au profit de l’Association UNiSSON. Créé pendant le confinement, ce collectif apporte soutien et accompagnement aux chanteurs et chanteurs lyriques en France. Il compte aujourd’hui plus de 250 artistes.
Contrats annulés, pertes de salaires, rémunérations suspendues … En mars dernier, chanteurs et chanteuses lyriques se sont retrouvés du jour au lendemain sans possibilité de chanter. Ils ont donc décidé de se rassembler en créant UNiSSON, pour s’apporter un soutien moral mais aussi offrir une aide financière aux artistes les plus fragilisés. C’est l’objectif de la soirée organisée ce samedi 17 octobre à l’Opéra comique. Elle a été pensée dès le mois de juin, nous explique le ténor Philippe Do, chargé du mécénat au sein de l’association : « Nous notre idée c’était d’aider nos adhérents en leur permettant de se produire et de collecter des fonds à travers ce concert caritatif qui permettrait d’abonder un fonds de dotation qui viendrait en aide ensuite aux artistes lyriques les plus en difficulté. »
Une sorte de bourse UNiSSON, dont les contours sont en train d’être pensés, « on va définir très rapidement les conditions d’admissibilité à ce fonds et les conditions d’octroi de ce fonds. Mais ça prend un peu de temps. »
The UNiSSON association’s solidarity concert for the benefit of lyric artists
On Saturday 17 October, the Opéra Comique will host a solidarity concert in aid of the UNiSSON Association. Created during the confinement, this collective brings support and accompaniment to singers and opera singers in France. It currently has more than 250 artists.
Contracts cancelled, loss of wages, salaries suspended … Last March, opera singers found themselves overnight without the possibility of singing. They therefore decided to come together by creating UNiSSON, to give each other moral support but also to offer financial aid to the most vulnerable artists. This is the objective of the evening organised on Saturday 17 October at the Opéra Comique. It was conceived as early as June, explains tenor Philippe Do, in charge of patronage within the association: “Our idea was to help our members by allowing them to perform and to collect funds through this charity concert which would allow us to replenish an endowment fund which would then help the most disadvantaged opera artists. »
A sort of UNiSSON scholarship, whose contours are currently being thought out, “we will very quickly define the conditions of eligibility for this fund and the conditions for granting it. But it’s taking a bit of time. »
Donaueschinger Musiktage 2020 abgesagt
Die Donaueschinger Musiktage 2020 sind drei Tage vor dem geplanten Beginn abgesagt worden. Diese Entscheidung trafen die Veranstalter des Neue-Musik-Festivals am Montagabend. Aufgrund des Beherbergungsverbots und der sich drastisch verschlechternden Corona-Infektionszahlen hätten sich die Verantwortlichen zu diesem Schritt gezwungen gesehen, hieß es in einer Mitteilung. Die Sicherheit von Künstlern und Mitwirkenden und die Gesundheit des Publikums hätten oberste Priorität.
“Angesichts der rasanten Entwicklung der vergangenen Tage blieb uns keine andere Wahl”, erklärte der Künstlerische Leiter der Musiktage, Björn Gottstein. “Es ist frustrierend und tut unglaublich weh, die Musiktage so kurz vor Festivalbeginn absagen zu müssen.”
Donaueschingen Music Days 2020 cancelled
The Donaueschingen Music Days 2020 have been cancelled three days before the beginning. This decision was taken by the organisers of the New Music Festival on Monday evening. Due to the ban on accommodation and the drastically increasing number of corona infections, those responsible felt compelled to take this step, according to a statement. The safety of artists and performers and the health of the audience were top priorities.
“In view of the rapid development of the past few days, we had no other choice,” explained the artistic director of the Music Days, Björn Gottstein. “It is frustrating and incredibly painful to have to cancel the Music Days so shortly before the festival begins”.
The long read
Was ist der „White Gaze“?
Bücher werden für weiße Menschen geschrieben. Sowie Filme, Bilder, Technologien – die gesamte Welt. Kolumbus entdeckte Amerika und POC-Autor*innen, unabhängig ihres Genres, werden in der deutschen Buchbranche unter die „Ausländer*innen“-Literatur sortiert.
Für dieses Phänomen gibt es eine Bezeichnung und zwar White Gaze. Es tritt immer dann auf, wenn geschaffene Kunst und Kultur von Schwarzen Menschen, in einem weißen Ethnozentrismus (Anm. d. Red.: eine Weltanschauung, nach der die eigene Gruppe als den anderen überlegen verstanden wird) bewertet wird. Weißsein ist der Standard, normal, der Maßstab, der sich wie ein Deckmantel über die gesamte Welt legt. Alles, was dem nicht entspricht, ist nicht gut, falsch, nicht schön oder anders.
What is the “White Gaze”?
Books are written for white people. As well as films, pictures, technologies – the whole world. Columbus discovered America and POC authors, regardless of their genre, are sorted under “foreigners” literature in the German book industry.
There is a name for this phenomenon: White Gaze. It occurs whenever created art and culture is evaluated by black people, in a white ethnocentrism (editor’s note: a world view according to which one’s own group is understood as superior to the others). Whiteness is the standard, normal, the yardstick that covers the whole world like a cloak. Everything that does not conform to this is not good, wrong, not beautiful or different.