Dazzled by Art

The clang of cymbals signalled the start of a "wayang" or Chinese street opera show. As the characters with painted faces and elaborate costumes took to the makeshift stage, members of the audience - often entire families from the neighbourhood - settled in their plastic chairs, rattan fans in hand,... The clang of cymbals signalled the start of a "wayang" or Chinese street opera show. As the characters with painted faces and elaborate costumes took to the makeshift stage, members of the audience - often entire families from the neighbourhood - settled in their plastic chairs, rattan fans in hand, to enjoy an evening's entertainment under the stars. Nearby, hawkers on pushcarts enjoyed brisk business peddling snacks like satay or muah chee. This common scene in the 60s and 70s has faded into our collective memory today. While street operas are few and far between now, it would be wrong to say this venerable art form is "dying", soon to become sepia...

GameCentral speaks to the composer of The 8-Bit Big Band, about the current state of video game music and his upcoming show in London. The 8-Bit Big Band are coming to town GameCentral speaks to the composer of The 8-Bit Big Band, about the current state of video game music and his upcoming show in London. Back in 2022 we did a short news article on a jazz influenced arrangement of a classic Kirby track, which surprisingly had won a Grammy. The music was performed by The 8-Bit Big Band, which I’d never heard of at the time, and arranged by Broadway musical director, composer, and orchestrator Charlie Rosen. Listening to the tune, it suddenly became less surprising as to why it had won, which immediately led me down a rabbit hole of all The 8-Bit Big Band’s other music, with all their stuff easily available on both YouTube and Spotify, quickly turning me into an admiring fan. So when I heard that the band were on tour, and that London would be their only non-US stop, I jumped at t...

Get your fix of history, art, music, and more in these vibrant destinations Whether you’re into contemporary art, awe-inspiring architecture, dazzling design or literary history, Britain is bursting at the seams with amazing cultural experiences – and travelling by rail is the perfect stress-free way to experience them. With a Railcard (there are nine to choose from including the Two Together and Family & Friends Railcard) users can save up to a third off most rail travel around Britain, it pays for itself in no time. With such great discounts as well as great offers like 2FOR1 and a third off selected attractions when you travel by train with National Rail’s Days Out Guide – you can squeeze in even more enjoyment for less this summer. Find the one that’s right for you at railcard.co.uk. What’s more, Railcard have created a handy online calculator to determine what you could save – simply enter your journey details and the relevant Railcard and it will calculate the discount you...

President Donald Trump is threatening to censor Smithsonian exhibits about race, gender and American history that he doesn't like, a move straight out of the authoritarian playbook.WASHINGTON ― “Bullcrap.” That’s what Howard, a retiree visiting the National Portrait Gallery, had to say when I told him about the art show that had just been withdrawn from exhibition there. He was sitting on a bench in the museum when I asked if he’d heard about it. He hadn’t. The more I told him about what happened, the more he just kept repeating, “Bullcrap.” A day earlier, Amy Sherald, the artist behind the famous 2018 portrait of Michelle Obama, cancelled a solo show scheduled for September because, she said, the gallery told her she may have to remove a painting that could anger President Donald Trump. In a statement, the gallery said it “could not come to an agreement” with Sherald on how to present her show. The painting, titled Trans Forming Liberty, features a Black, transgender woman posi...

In general, if someone mentions the words Citizen’s Assembly, just assume the worst. Whatever it is, it will be a buck-passing, backside-covering, partisan and annoying exercise in an institution – usually a government – trying to get through whatever measures it had in mind to begin with, only with the supposed sanction of the public. In general, if someone mentions the words Citizen’s Assembly, just assume the worst. Whatever it is, it will be a buck-passing, backside-covering, partisan and annoying exercise in an institution – usually a government – trying to get through whatever measures it had in mind to begin with, only with the supposed sanction of the public. But now we’ve got something even worse – a non-government public body doing exactly the same thing. The National Gallery, which is one of the most respected cultural institutions in the country, has announced it is going to engage with the public by way of something called NG Citizens, a representative panel, initiall...

LAHAINA >> On a crystalline morning, with humpback whales leaping in the indigo waters offshore, a group of archivists, curators, conservators and volunteers gathered in a makeshift field station at the Lahaina Jodo Mission, a once-magnificent Japanese Buddhist temple compound that was largely obliterated in the wildfires of Aug. 8, 2023. They were there to take on a “CSI”-like challenge: identifying, cleaning and cataloging the surprising array of artifacts that survived the fires, some nearly unrecognizable beneath flaking metal, scorch marks, ashes and soot. LAHAINA >> On a crystalline morning, with humpback whales leaping in the indigo waters offshore, a group of archivists, curators, conservators and volunteers gathered in a makeshift field station at the Lahaina Jodo Mission, a once-magnificent Japanese Buddhist temple compound that was largely obliterated in the wildfires of Aug. 8, 2023. They were there to take on a “CSI”-like challenge: identifying, cleaning and ...

Get latest articles and stories on Business at LatestLY. New Delhi [India], August 6: There's big news for travelers this year: the Digital Schengen visa is finally happening. No more waiting for embassy appointments or physically submitting documents. If you've ever found the process to be tedious, you're not alone, and this move by the EU aims to make things way smoother. In fact, this shift toward a fully digital Schengen visa system is being called one of the biggest changes in Schengen visa application process in years. France was the first EU nation to test this process during the Paris Olympics, issuing 70,000 Digital Schengen barcodes. New Delhi [India], August 6: There's big news for travelers this year: the Digital Schengen visa is finally happening. No more waiting for embassy appointments or physically submitting documents. If you've ever found the process to be tedious, you're not alone, and this move by the EU aims to make things way smoother. I...