A UN Library Talk: ‘The Role of the Arts and Cultural Institutions in the Contemporary World’

GENEVA: CULTURAL diversity is an asset. It adds value to and creates opportunities for society – something Art for the World, an NGO associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI), will acknowledge at its latest event, a Library Talk.

Since public art and cultural institutions are important for the promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue – as spaces to deepen an the understanding of different cultures – Art for the World will host a Library Talk in Geneva in October on the ‘Role of the Arts and Cultural Institutions in the Contemporary World’.

Art for the World, founded in 1995, is a ‘bridge between art and society, a museum without walls’, and on October 21, 2016, a panel discussion will solicit views from participants on the concept of participation in the arts.

The panel will also share knowledge the following topics: politics and cultural patronage; economics, culture and education; contemporary art social vision; and initiative for social and cultural welfare.

Panellists include:

• Danilo Santo de Miranda, Regional Director of SESC São Paulo
• Charles Beer, President Pro Helvetia, and Former President of the State Council, Canton of Geneva/Head of Public Education, Culture and Sport,
• Adam Szymczyk, Artistic Director of documenta 14, Athens,Greece/Kassel, Germany 2017
• Barthélémy Toguo, Artist and Founder of Bandjoun Station Project, Cameroon

 The Library Talk is organised in the context of the launch of PARTICIPATION: ART for The World 1995-2016, a book which looks back at Art for the World’s activities over two decases. Copies of the book will also be available for sale at the event.

 To register for this event, interested people should visit www.unog.ch/librarytalk. READ MORE. 

 

Financial institutions promise better relationship with creative industry

NIGERIA: NIGERIAN art and entertainment industry participants will soon be able to access financial support from two financial institutions which have expressed interest in boosting the sector. The promised support comes at a time when Nigeria is feeling the impact of protracted economic woes – and the creative industry in particular.

The promise from Access Bank Plc and Heritage Bank Plc, was recently made at the second review of Committee for Relevant Art (CORA)/Arterial Network workshop, facilitated by the National Coordinator of CORA/Arterial Nigeria, Mr. Ayodele Ganiu, which reviewed investments already made in the industry. READ MORE.

 

DNA study marks Indigenous Australians ‘most ancient civilisation on Earth’

AUSTRALIA: Science has finally proven that Indigenous Australians are the most ancient continuous civilisation on Earth after an extensive genetic study of modern populations in Australian and Papua New Guinea.

Indigenous Australian civilizations date back over 50,000 years ago. Scientists’ analysis shows that their ancestors were probably the first humans to cross an ocean, and reveals evidence of prehistoric liaisons with an unknown hominin cousin.

Prof Eske Willerslev, an evolutionary geneticist who led the work at the University of Copenhagen, said: “This story has been missing for a long time in science. Now we know their relatives are the guys who were the first real human explorers. Our ancestors were sitting being kind of scared of the world while they set out on this exceptional journey across Asia and across the sea.”

The findings appeared in Nature in late September and give first-time insight into how humans initially migrated out of Africa, splitting into distinct populations and spreading worldwide. READ MORE.

 

Nigerian Studio launches new Sky TV channel

UNITED KINGDOM: Rok Studios, an award-winning Nigerian film studio, launched a brand new channel on Sky TV in the United Kingdom (UK) on in September 2016. The Studio is well known for some of Nollywood’s most famous outputs, including Husbands of Lagos, Desperate Housegirls, Losing Control and Cougars.

The new channel for Sky customers in the UK brings to the screen the latest and best Rok Studios produced TV shows, movies and magazine shows to Sky customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Rok on Sky will be available as a free-to-view channel for all Sky subscribers - around 10 million homes in the UK and will be programmed and scheduled in-house from the teams in Lagos and London. READ MORE.

 

Vancouver Is Making Vibrant Public Spaces Out of Back Alleys

VANCOVER, CA: A foosball court is the latest public art initiative to bring alleys — or “laneways” as they are known by those in Vancouver. In a densely populated inner city alleys are now being reimagined as gathering spaces, rather than partial deadens. The foosball experiment in West Hastings Alley is the first of three alleys in a $200,000 pilot project. It has been newly painted in bright pinks and yellows, and also features a basketball hoop and cafe patio.

 “Laneways serve an important business function, but for a big part of the day they are underused and full of potential,” said Charles Gauthier, president and CEO of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (DVBIA), in a statement. “So we asked, if we make our lanes more appealing, could they become public spaces?”

DVBIA partnered with the city and HCMA Architecture and Design on the project, titled “More Awesome Now.” The alleys will remain accessible for service purposes, like the deliveries typically conducted in the morning and afternoons. The city believes that by activating all of downtown’s 200 alley blocks would increase public pedestrian area by as much as 30 percent. READ MORE.

Credit: More Awesome Now