Has to be those pesky students (one of which I used to be). They just don't know when they are beat. Here they are protesting (again). Good luck to them. I didn't join them because I like to have the happiness beat out me through the mundaneness of everyday life rather than at the hands of policemen with truncheons.
Opinion: can the home of art ever be outdoors?
Students of history are taught, from quite early on, of the
power that a museum has on shaping your opinion of an event. Setting for
example, the holocaust or slavery at the very lowest depths of an exhibition space
and then going on to set related events such as the foundation of the state of
Israel or the inauguration of President Obama at the pinnacle of an exhibition
and bathed in light the audience will give out quite clear messages about what
an audience should take away. Some may be sceptical of that kind of a leading
argument from a museum, but at least it is a starting point. Anyone with
initiative can then go away and challenge that story; unfortunately most don’t,
but that is another issue.
In an art gallery it is no doubt the same. Every picture is
put next to another for some sort of reason, some semblance of cohesion so that
the punter can make sense of what is an awful lot to absorb in a short space of
time. Taking art into the audience gives no narrative and can be seen as just
being for the sake of it. If you are aware of it you can work hard to in your
own mind to counter it (should you wish to).
So it was with a fair bit of trepidation that I paid a visit
to to Kensington Gardens to see “Turning the World Upside Down” a range of
sculptures from Anish Kapoor which had been dotted around the park in a
seemingly random fashion. The sculptures themselves one could not really argue
against; they were clearly accomplished works. But why were they outdoors?
The apparent intention of the works is “to call in to
question the viewers’ relationship to both the work and the surrounding environment,”
this sounds very lofty and noble and indeed exciting. What you actually get is a
sense that the objects have been placed at random in this open space. Considering
they are made of highly reflective steel they are fairly static and the fact
that they are so out of place in the natural environment, a feature which could
made them intriguing, only makes you
realise that pieces belong in an art gallery and not in a park.
I was left so bewildered by the installation/exhibits that I
wondered if any art can work outside. Gaudi who is as synonymous with Barcelona
as Lionel Messi ,is one artist who did take art in to the streets with huge
success. His organic structures had a real meaning to them in the age of
futurist modernist architecture with its stiff, regimented lines.
Banksy, is another one who as taken art out in to the
street. His messages are no nonsense “down with the system” ones (I’ll leave it
to you to decide whether he’s being ironic or not) and they add to urban
landscape, something that we already had lots of, graffiti and something that
we have little of in the streets, Art. Hence the controversy he evokes ( He
recently visited my neck of the woods to much hype and clamour.http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/8682588.Southampton____Graffiti____is_a___20_000_Banksy_original_mural/
)
Gaudi had functionality, Banksy with his graffiti was more
urban than concrete. These are artist who make their art relevant to the
outdoor space – graffiti doesn’t work as well indoors and architecture’s home is
the outdoors. You walk past a Banksy or a Gaudi it has some relevance or
purpose for being where it is; but when you just plant it for the sake of it
gets lost because it has no use. Galleries and museums are there for a reason.
Pictures of the Week: National Museum Singapore
The Pictures for this week come from the recent exhibitions
at the National Museum in Singapore. The freaky triangles are toby’s favourite.
This week toby will be raving on about dubstep, instrumental rock and collages, to name but three, as well as art in the outdoor space.
the music for this week is inspired by great song titles; be they great because they capture the emotion of the song perfectly or because they are a completely surreal take on the song. I wanna hear what your suggestions for names that do the song justice are. Any thoughts? Use the drop box.
The good news of the century was broken this week as
Buckingham Palace announced that Prince William was to marry Kate Middleton
some time in 2011. Into a display of flashing light bulbs the happy couple stepped
out, faces smiling showing off their happy glowing faces to the world.
Much of the world’s media has gone into overdrive with what
the actual event will be like; who will she wear? What will they eat? Where will they holiday?
One newspaper suggested Swan should br on the money, whilst many are saying
that in the interest of good all is yet to be decided but a lot of fun is being
had in the conjecture. Congratulations to them. As I am under the age of 30
this will be my first royal wedding, I looked forward to swept away with the
hysteria. To the palace!
Music of the Week: Afrobeat!!
With its mix of western soul and jazz and african tribal music Afrobeat is a modern funky offshoot of soul which is oft underappreciated. That's all changing however and Afrobeat is now en vogue, primarily because of the popularity of its most talented exponent; political activist and musician Fela Kuti. Kuti combined the repetitive nature of afrobeat with searing lyrical commentary on politics in Africa to devastating effect. A film detailing the life of Fela is due in 2011, directed by Steve McQueen of Hunger fame it promises much, and I for one can not wait.
He features heavily in this weeks playlist but check out also some of the more modern offerings which yet more areas of world music with African rhythms.
On YouTube can be found “The Obama Deception,” a two hour long documentary detailing everything that is wrong with the Obama administration. The grand theory of this documentary is that Obama hasn’t brought change because he is in fact an agent of Wall St; chosen by them, because of not in spite of his skin colour, to entrench the system and keep their vested interest ticking over. Grandiose terms such as oligarchy and imperialism are used on a very frequent basis. This is most definitely what you would call a conspiracy theory.
And with 7 million hits to his name it seems that the theory has some purchase among people. Conspiracy theories have been around since the dawn of modern politics. JFK’s assassination was the first of modern times, and is still the biggest. The grassy knoll, the smoke, the rifle and it accuracy, the movement of the head, everything about it has been examined endlessly second hand. The firsthand account of evidence from the Warren Report with its perceived inconsistencies is seen as just another layer in the deception and therefore unreliable.
Even in the immediate aftermath it seems American had doubts; 1 in 5 Americans in the days after the assassination of Kennedy did not believe that Oswald had acted alone. In the 21st century “The Obama Deception” proves that conspiracy theories are still well and truly alive. “Loose Change,” another YouTube documentary this time on the 9/11 attacks is further proof of their appeal.
There are all sorts of reasons to explain them: substitute radicalism, or indeed an explanation for the lack of radicalism, a psychological comfort blanket for people who cannot believe that things terrible just happen and sometimes even for no good reason. This is not particularly new or interesting. What is interesting is the damage that they are causing to the current occupant of the White House, President Obama.
Kennedy’s conspiracies served to help his myth, Bush has suffered no blowback from 9/11 conspiracies and as for Reagan and Ford (both victims of assassination attempts), no harm was done either. But for Obama there is real sting to the theories that he is in cahoots with Muslims (1 in 5 Americans believe he is one), or Jewish bankers, or socialist/social democrats.
Another popular charge is that he was not born in the United States, to this end the so called “birthers” have launched numerous court proceedings to see Obama’s birth certificate and even ran an Ad campaign. These conspiracy theories are, unfortunately, increasingly going from the fringe to the mainstream. If one had taken a poll at the recent Glen Beck-athon rally in Washington rest assured significant numbers would have called themselves birthers.
The Obama White House is probably guilty of letting this happen, letting the myth take hold – after all they do have their own press machine. But it must feel like impossible fight, facing two ways at the same time. If you say that Obama is not Muslim, you get hit with the charge that it is the Jews he works for.
As I say many a US President has had a theory or two involving them, but not are doing so much damage – the attacks on Obama are personal and unprecedented, previous theories have only been about an event, not a President’s identity, and identity is a precious commodity in politics. If Obama cannot even persuade Americans that he is a natural born citizen then he is in real trouble.
Living in the UK I am more curious than angry or despairing, we don’t have conspiracies (Princess Diana being the big exception) and good old fashion common sense is a virtue. To Americans conspiracy theories are just a natural extension of Americans innate scepticism of government, but it is an unhealthy and unwelcome one.
Video of the Week
I came across this short film on Vimeo and loved it. It's called Influencia and is directed by David Dutton. It tells the story of an alcoholics journey from sobriety to remorse in a surreal way, but still in an accessible one. especially if you are the sort of person who has ever suffered a blockage of the creative juices.
Sketch of the Week: Shirley and Tim
This week toby has gone for something very different indeed. Rather than weekly pictures, this week it's a bit of creative writing. Here is a short sketch called Shirley and Tim centring on an elderly couple who are coming to grips with the possibility that they may lose their pride and joy. Enjoy this rare written treat. Till next week then...
Shirley and Tim
Shirley and Tim are
couple married for 30 years. They are in their late 50’s early 60’s, their
daughter has been in a car accident. They are coming back from having met seen
her for the first time since the accident.
They
enter the hospital waiting room, both in a state of shock, Shirley in
particular
Shirley
and Tim enter into the room and sit down, both have their hand clasped together
on the table
Long
pause
Tim. Shirley let’s not get carried away, doctors nowadays can do so
much
Reaches
for her hand, Shirley pulls away
Shirley. You saw what she looked like in there, every machine in
the building on her
Tim. Well the doctor said he’d come by and see us. He knows what
he’s doing
Shirley. Let ’s hope so
Pause
Tim gets up and starts to pace
Tim. I don’t want you to get
negative, she’s a fighter, she is. And
she gets that from you. You’ve got to keep yourself well for when she gets
better, you can’y help her get better if your ill yourself.
Sits down. Pause
Is there anything that I can do?
Shirley. Some tea would be nice
Tim. I won’t be long, send a search a search party after me if I’m
more than ten minutes. These new hospitals, mazes they are.
Tim laughs quietly then leaves
Pause,
Shirley begins to fidget
Shirley. How he can move about I have no idea, it beats me
honestly. Moving around constantly about. I can’t, the fear stopping me
obviously, because I just can’t move at the moment. Its taking all my energy to
raise my head. Fear can do that to some people. You see a car coming and some
people run, fast as they can the other way. Some just stop, fear just stops
them in their tracks. Tim would escape, and I’d just stand there waiting for it
to happen. Maybe she gets that's from me too. Maybe she waited for it to
happen, didn’t move in time cos the fear
Pause
Now look at her, she’s not the same
person. She doesn’t even look well. If you could see her before. Well, every
parent, you see your child as something special, I’m no different. Loved everything about her. And proud of
everything she does. Spent 6 months in Ghana, in a women’s clinic. So proud I was of her really making a
difference in the world, not just of to private for a cash cow, no here she was
off to another country, less well of, to try and help them . I said to her when
she left. “Not everyone would be that selfless, to put themselves in danger
like that”, brave of her it was. Not a prouder mum in England.
Mrs Grieg was always jealous of us.
Her daughter, well she went on the wrong side of the tracks shall we say.
“how’s your Donna doing Majorie”, “She’s fine, Pet,” when was the last time you
spoke to her. Just silence at that point. Everyone could fill in the blanks,
there was a shame written all over her face, every time I asked “when was the
last time you spoke to her”, silence, shame-faced silence, I asked out of
courtesy, never brought up that my daughter was doing so much better, had mafde
the right decisions. Was someone whom I was close to. I didn’t rub in her face,
no matter how proud I was. It was just conversation.
When she came over once, totally
out of the blue, she said she was sick with worry, all she knew was that Donna
had gone to London months ago, no contact since then. My Jane was in Ghana and
I still got weekly letters. Quite how she did such a bad job of raising her I’ll
never know. Well a cup of tea later and she had calmed down a little, started
to open up about her daughter. Pity, real pity.
Pause
Tim says she’s all I ever talk,
sometimes I don’t think he is as proud of her as I am, he wouldn’t say that if
he were. He was never as close, don’t ask me why I have no idea. She knew,
always called to speak to me when she got good news.
So use to good news with her, when
someone called from the hospital I asking if I were her next of kin, it
never
really occurred to me that it was an emergency. “Jane mum’s yes that me”, more
good news I assumed
Shirley
bows her head down
I didn’t for some time I just hung
up the phone, I couldn’t lift my head, I just sat there, I could feel the heart
beating racing, and nothing else. The eyes were open, everything was black and
white for minute, then just black. All
the senses for a second gone, couldn’t see, couldn’t hear, nothing... Awful
feeling, your heat hitting the floor and your world just spinning. The thing
that held me down just disappeared. And I was left floating, it wasn’t pleasant
it was violent, like I had been ripped away into space, a space where you
couldn’t breathe. So many flashbacks I began to feel sick. Those thoughts those
horrid thoughts entered immediately, and they haven’t left sinceTim says I
screamed and that he came down to see what was wrong.
Longer
pause
Shirley
begins to fidget, looking towards the door.
It doesn’t look good must say, we
saw her and when someone has that many wires around them, that many doctors,
that much activity in a hospital it can’t be good. The best thing a doctor can
do for you in a hospital is
leave you well alone.
Pause
She’s just not smiling anymore and
that I can’t get used to. From day one she smiled, pick her up from school she
smiled, told her she couldn’t go see the spice girls this time round she sulk
then smile, find a way round it never be negative. She wanted a brother or
sister, but wasn’t getting one she smiled, “well you can be my sister and my
mother too”. She just smiled over it all. She doesn’t even know how much
brighter she makes my day. No, made my day. Should I put her in the past tense,
I don’t know, the doctor says, well does it matter they paid to say thinks will
be OK, he’s coming round in a bit give
us an update
This is a horrible thing to say but
I hope he doesn’t come back, the doctor that is, I’m sorry but I just can’t
deal him with at the moment. Just want her to pull through. He can’t do anthing
about that. If the doctors, I’ll push them to do so and listen to anything they
have to say, I’ll sit like I am now and soak it all in, as much information as
possible. But Tim, he can’t, he can’t do anything and I don’t want to have to
hear what he has to say about anything else.
Short
Pause
Not anymore I don’t . that’s it
basically I can’t, not with him anyway I’m exhausted from it all. No, Tim, I
sure I could cope, No Jane, ever. Could I? This is selfish, really very selfish
of me.
Gets
up
This can wait everything can wait,
(defiantly) I’m going by her bed
that's where I should be, I wont think about anything else, because, everything
else can wait. Tim, everything. It will sort itself out. And It can all wait
till another time
Tucks
in chair makes to leave room, turns her head to face to audience
And if it doesn’t?
Turns
head to exit
(anxiously)
Oh here’s the doctor, I do hope it is good news?
Blackout
Scene 2
Tim
Tim:Walks carrying two polystyrene cups of tea. Sits down.
Looking
side on-
What am I gonna do?
Looking towards the audience
What are we gonna do? It’s
uncharted territory for the both of us. Gotta to be thankful that at least, if
nothing
else. I don’t wanna imagine the worst. I usually don’t but this is
different this isn’t some. Some. I donno its just different. She’s lying there
in an absolute state. The car that hit her was most unforgiven, was he drunk.
Was she wearing a seat belt? That’s half of it, the other half well that's
darker
Pause
Well that stuff is just her not
being her.
Pause.
Gets up and starts pacing around
Indeed lots of thoughts. I don’t
know quite where I am. Up here that is. Should I think about the past, should I
look to the future, a future without her, should I stay in the present , in
this hospital, and pictures of her running at deaths door running through my
head.
Stops,
takes a sip of tea
I should just think about Shirley,
I know that might sound awful, with my daughter at deaths door but, I worry, X,
before this was leading her own life doing her own thing and Shirley was
already missing her, in a way, and I
couldn’t, I was never going to be enough really was. Never really, not after
the haze lifted, saw it for what it was then. Me and her, me and her, me, jumpy
her, still. just me was it ever going to be enough (Nods to say no). She started
seeing it for what it was,
Pause
Then Jane came along, it all went. It has to, you’ve got someone else to thing
about now. Buts since she left. Does she have a reason anymore? Am I enough?
Probably not, she still holds it against me. Not being to have any more kids,
she says she doesn’t, but, what mother wouldn’t. And now look just the two of
us, it was never enough back then
Pacing
Her well being is all I care about
really
Stops
Whatever makes her happy makes me
happy (Sips tea, sits down head bowed,
more tea, )
Audible
sigh
Starts
fidgeting heavily
Doctors these days can do anything
they put their mind to, gotta have faith in that if nothing else. Read the paper and the’re doing all sorts,
Pig’s heart, face transplants even. The pictures weren’t pleasant to see, but
just goes to show you what doctors can do these days
Collapses
his head, head in hands
Whispers
Jane was a doctor. See doctors around and think maybe they knew
her. (very short pause) I need
Shirley to be OK. I need to focus on Shirley and help her get through. So
strong, but this you can see has cut right through her, you can see it, I can’t
just stand there and let it happen. But I don’t know what to do or say. Does
anyone, ever? They were especially close see, especially so. She got on with her Mum much more than she
ever did with me.
Long
pause
Expect the unexpected is what
people would say.
Shakes
his head
Didn’t expect this I must say.
Looking to the future now it’s all very bleak. There’s Jane, but Shirley also.
It could all be, so lonely.
Gets
up and starts pacing slowly,
It must be something that I’ve
done, you see there are no memories, if she dies, and if you seen her back
there then you know it’s more likely than not, if she dies, I won’t remember
her. I can’t you see. Never spent time
with the poor girl. How can I have that on my conscience, not remembering her.
Facing
audience
I can’t remember her, can’t forget
her. Where does that leave me?
Turns
to side
Here’s the doctor now, and with
Shirley. Good news perhaps.
This week toby raves will be looking at alcoholism and conspiracy theories, to name but two, as well an obligatory article on the upcoming wedding of the century between Kate Middleton and Prince William.
New Feature Added!!
the toby raves blog now has a soundcloud dropbox which allows you guys to send me any music that you think will fit in with the weekly playlist. This week, it's afrobeat vibe that is being sought - any suggestions, then drop them in...
first an apology for the lack of posting last week - illness felled me. As a consequence there is no story of the week, and the comment article was written in August of this year on the topic of the fringe and curtain calls (still worth a read). I shall be back properly next week.
Comment
Curtain Calls. But
for how much longer?
Simon Callow's one man
Edinburgh show of the life of Shakespeare is a hit by all accounts. “You got a
standing ovation from the one I saw”, Clive Anderson reminded Callow, on radio
4's Loose Ends. Shakespeare +
Callow means bums on seats, and off them again at the end of show, such a
perfect combination can’t hardly fail to attract praise.
At Edinburgh, classic
combinations have to sit, cheek by jowl, with the more experimental side of
theatre. Praise for the new breed, well, that’s
not quite so overt.
Belt Up, the theatre
company of the hour, has had not one standing ovation during their mammoth
Edinburgh run of 8 individual shows. Rather than give an opportunity for an
audience to show their appreciation, audiences, still in the moment of the
spectacle, are led away, the opportunity for applause denied to both actor and
audience. “The whole point”, says Alexander Wright, one of the four artistic
directors, “is to create a sense that even when the audience aren't there, the
world still exist.”
Theatre which
never concludes, but rather, develops in an ongoing process in the audiences’
mind is an intriguing proposition.
But where does this
leave Shakespeare, Callow and the classical theatregoer? What Wright calls an
“organic” development in theatre leaves Callow's standing ovation look like the
height of vanity; presumably he could have walked off at any point.
In fairness Callow
does regard curtain calls as“all rather
embarrassing”.He
no doubt recognises that the applause and standing ovations benefit us much as
it benefits him; The circle complete, one can go home contented. But in the
world of perpetual theatre, the feelings from the play linger, the issues are
left unresolved in the mind. Theatre? Yes. Entertainment... well...
Music of the week 90's Rock This week's playlist is particular personal, a taste of 90's rock, when it was all guitars and screeching voices is the order of week. So enjoy a little My Sacrifice from Creed which should, if you were once like me, a wrestling fan should evoke memories of the sport. Or maybe a little Sum 41, with rock at it most angst-y.
track listing Papa Roach - Last Resort P.O.D - Alive Creed - My Sacrifice Sum 41 - In Too Deep
The setting this week is the main hall of St Pancras, specifically its bronze statues. From "the meeting point" to the statue of John Betjeman in a fluid pose these statues have become rather iconic very quickly. Enjoy. Photos courtesy Ray Tang
Videos of the week The Shanghai Expo was the worlds largest to date and huge undertaking by the Chinese government. The pavilions on display are intended for a commercial purpose but also have a distinct artistic merit; the British Pavilion (the second video) is evidence of that. The first video accompanies was an accompaniment to the Danish Pavilion, my personal favourite and expands on the themes of urbanisation and water in a very stylised way. That's all for this week until next time then... EXPO Water city from martin de thurah on Vimeo.
The main political news of the week continues to be the fallout from the spending review that was published last week Wednesday, though the stories have been rather thin on the ground in Westminster as eyes turn further afield.
On Thursday prime minister David Cameron travelled to a summit of EU leaders in Brussels at loggerheads over their stance on the EU budget. As Britain prepares to face a new age of austerity and fiscal restraint the EU was hoping to raise their annual budget by 6%, something which Cameron called “unacceptable.” The budget increase would mean the UK paying an extra £900million in to the European Union. The Conservative party had in the past campaigned for a freeze in the EU budget. Cameron appears to have won a partial victory on the subject by winning an agreement that in future the EU budget will reflect how the budget of national countries.
Boris gaffe on housing benefit
The main dispute in government seems to be over the housing budget and possible cuts to housing benefit. Boris Johnson, the Conservative mayor of London, came out this week as being against “Kosovo – style social cleansing” which could be one effect of imposing a cap on housing benefits as areas with a high rate of rent (in the city centre) will see a mass movement of people to the outskirts as rents become unaffordable. The Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable called mayor Johnson’s words “inflammatory language.” The issue of housing benefit reform looks set to be one of the most divisive for the coalition government.
Comment: South Bank Show on Sky Arts: is toby raves eatinghumble pie?
Last week I wrote about how Sky needs to be doing more to invest in quality journalism and programme making and how if they were going to become the dominant force in British broadcasting that taking on a more proactive role, making their programme budget come nearer to their marketing budget, was part of the added responsibility that they were taking on.
Could it be that I was just being reactionary, venting anger unjustifiably towards the Murdoch machine? Sky Arts, the cultural TV channel from BSkyB, snapped up the rights to host the South Bank Show from 2011. Consisting of a live screening of the awards ceremony itself (as opposed to the delayed offering from ITV) the show will also screen a series of documentaries on the winners. It seems then that Murdoch has managed to keep the venerated institution that is the South Bank Show; an institution Prince Charles said “remained without rival.”
So Sky has done more than ITV in keeping a show of high repute going. At least that seems the case. What I said last week was that the channel had to start investing in new top quality programmes. South Bank is a fantastic show but it is hardly new.
It’s a show with a strong brand and anyone who has even the remotest interest in arts television will have had a watch of the show. The host, Melvyn Bragg, is a (too) familiar one. The subject matter it could be argued don’t need illuminating on. The RSC was the last ever focus for an episode of the South Bank Show, one could argue that they were a worthy subject matter, but, one could also argue that they were a little safe. In the 21st century when there is such a diversity of talents and media through which talent is communicated why focus on the most traditional talent in the most traditional of means?
This debate comes down to whether or not arts television is there to shed light on a host of new emerging talent that is out there, or whether it is to delve deeper into the hearts and minds of household name artist. Personally I think that the South Bank Show coming back to our screens, even if it is just for satellite viewers, is a good thing. Just.
The show is, ultimately, a brand and its presenter is its biggest exponent. Bragg breaks the first rule of the Frost school of journalism, because he himself becomes the story a lot of the times. But the issues of it being a too much of a brand give way to its big selling point: for many people it is the first point of call with an artist. The first time many people realise the value that an artist holds because of the significance of being on the show. A South Bank Show is proof that you’ve arrived.
It is also still an education, focussed on making the viewer learn about the subject, not the subject matter. We know of the inner demons of Francis Bacon not because of an inquisitive biographer but because of the inquisitive nature of the show. The paranoia that Howard Hodgkin feels ,as an artist more at home in the foreign land of America, than at home Britain is a new angle not known to many viewers until aired on the South Bank Show. The show comes into its own when it portrays elusive painters and sculptors in particular.
The South Bank Show definitely has a place in the arts tv landscape, some would say that at the top of the tree and Sky is ultimately hoping that to be the case. But there needs to be shows which illuminate viewers on parts of cultural life in Britain which are as yet undiscovered. There should be shows which make you feel you’ve learnt about someone new, who does something that, before you sat down never even knew existed. The South Bank: Underground... now there’s a thought.
Pictures of the Week: Guilin China
The last in our series of pictures from China, this week we look at Guilin. The city located in the Guangxi Zhuang province and is renowned for it unique scenery of fauna, and literally means 'city of sweet Osmanthus' in acknowledgement at the abundance of Osmanthus trees in the area. This pictures capture everyday life in the city as well as the temple and its surroundings. Enjoy!
photos courtesy Suswati Basu
Playlist of the Week: Jazz
I'm sure no one here needs telling of the virtues of this art form, but still Jazz has always been under appreciated as a genre. Any fan of improv has to admire the way it puts spontaneity at the front of the list of rules. toby raves is loving listening to the Reykjavik Jazz Quartet at the moment and their album 'Hot House'. The music just seems to spiral, one to the next.This week's playlist is just like the jazz quartet themselves. Spontaneous, ice cold and red hot, all at the same time.
Note the inclusion of 'Motovu -Bor-chu', a song which mixes black jazz with hebrew prayers. Spontaneity and fusion. Enjoy.
track listing:
John Coltrane - Stardust
Herbie Hancock, Thad Jones, Ron Carter, Jonathan Klien, - Motovu -Bor'chu
(cover) Miles Davis - On Green Dolphin Street
Video of the week
It's the scariest week of the year, and so in acknowledgement of that this week toby raves thought it only appropriate that the video for this week should have a suitably scary edge. The Gate is a cult 1980's horror film which has a fair share of gore, and some imaginative animation which is even scarier in this age of CGI. check out the trailer for this film here.
toby raves second video of the week is the first part of a South Bank show profiling Howard Hodgkin, the British abstract painter. Even in 1999, when the film was made, Hodgkin was regarded as one of the most important artist to come from Britain. That all from toby raves week, until next Saturday...
This week there was only one story, every other story was simply the periphery to the core issue. The Comprehensive Spending Review, what in essence amounts to a audit of all the money that the government spends was announced by George Osborne is the house of commons on Wednesday. “today is the day when Britain steps back from the brink” announced Osborne as he set out explaining why the biggest cuts to the public sector since the end of the Second World War were necessary.
Even in the wake of the announcement before parliament and the publication of the review there is still debate wrangling over how fair the cuts are, especially to the poorest in society. The independent research institute, The Institute of Fiscal Studies, described the measures outlined as reinforcing the regressive nature of the coalition government’s economic plan. Nick Clegg responded to the accusations on Thursday, calling them “airbrushed” and a distortion of the facts. Despite the fact that the ramifications are unclear, here is what we do know:
· Department for Work and Pensions has been the biggest casualty with a £7bn cut to welfare budget. These cuts have some of the widest ramification with fundamental challenges to the idea of a universal welfare state. The highest bracket of earners are likely to have to see a decrease in their child benefit, whilst disability living allowance and the Employment Support Allowance are all set to be cut.
· The budget for Local governments is also set to be cut with the biggest casualty being the social housing budget which is to be cut by 50%. To make up for the expected shortfall the government is expected to raise the amount of rent paid by council tenants so that they are more in line with markets. It is still hoped that up to 115,000 new homes will be able to be built by 2015.
# ·The Home Office has also suffered major cuts to its budget, and as a result there will almost certainly be fewer police officers patrolling the streets. How badly the Home Office cuts of around 14% will affect front-line services are as yet unknown.
And there we have it, the Spending Review to end all Spending Reviews and certainly the most important document to come out of Whitehall in a generation. The country will change beyond recognition if these cuts are seen through with the public sector being relied upon less and less to provide services in this country and the private sector more and more. It remains to be seen whether what is being described as chancellor Osbourne’s “colossal gamble” will indeed pay off for the country.
This Week's Comment
Murdoch vs BBC: is it a fair fight?
“The time, it is hoped, is gone by, when any defence would be necessary of the ‘liberty of the press’ as one of the securities against corrupt or tyrannical government.” So begins the J.S. Mill essay On Liberty. Written to communicate the need and indeed necessity for a thriving society ( then 19th century Victorian Britain) to remain a pluralist one, guarding against what he calls the tyranny of the majority. Modern day Britain seems to have forgotten the lesson.
Out of the handful of big players in our free press there are two giants in the field: BBC and BSkyB. This week saw the beginnings of what looks like a divergence between the two,one growing stronger, the other, weaker. The BBC under the terms of the Spending Review will have to absorb the World Service and welsh provider S4C into its business model, for BSkyB and NewsCorp, the company which owns 40% of the shares of BSkyB, the prospect of buying the remainder shares, giving Murdoch control of Britain’s biggest broadcaster as well as the biggest selling newspaper in Britain, is still on the cards.
The plan, in case you weren't aware, is to have all of NewsCorp’s output in one place. The great unanswered question of print, how to make money from newspapers and websites is suddenly cracked. How? Step 1, set up a paywall on your newspaper websites. Step2, merge your print and TV operations. Step 3, at the point of payment simply incorporate your two sections – when people pay for their satellite TV simply offer them the chance to have access to the print websites added to any package, giving the customer convenience and access, whilst giving your newspaper much needed additional income.
Why is this so important? Well, while people are reading blogs such as toby raves more often they still pay attention to what the print media has to say. An endorsement from the Sun going in to elections is what parties spend time and money trying to achieve. Papers don’t give you money, but they do give you power. Days after becoming Prime Minister David Cameron held a private meeting with Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch left by the back door.
Merging what was previously two separate entities, print with its forum for outspoken journalism and broadcast with its much stricter regulation is a revolution in media with the potential to damage the free press Murdoch is said to care about.
Murdoch himself has come out fighting. This week he gave the inaugural Margaret Thatcher lecture in which he described those who were opposed to the merger as “small thinkers,” who were opposed to growth and therefore, implicitly, not seeing the bigger picture. The whole theme running throughout the lecture is that state dependency, in all its guises is something to be abhorred.What then, in the paradise world that Murdoch inhabits should the press look like? Murdoch has this to say:
“A free society requires an independent press: turbulent …enquiring…bustling…and free.That's why our journalism is hard-driving and questioning of authority. And so are our journalists. Often, I have cause to celebrate editorial endeavour.”
In truth I am opposed to the merger. Primarily because Murdoch would be the first to admit that he is an influential person, not many are angry of that fact, though some are, and some would even applaud him of that fact. It certainly is not his job to say, “hold on, I’m too powerful, let me stop” but it is someone’s job. A job that would neglected if the nation’s strongest commercial broadcaster were to be allied on a solid,official basis with multiple print outlets. One opinion stream, one headquarters, two outlets – diversity, but hardly pluralism. It is in my opinion the job ofthe government to mitigate the influence that one person has in shaping the agenda and deciding what people should be outraged at and what people shouldn’t- this isn’t the same as restricting growth. But for the sake of playing devil’s advocate I will say that Murdoch could, could, have a point.
Much, then, becomes dependent on the BBC, the natural counterweight, and the only other big beast. This week saw their leaves being pruned. The World Service will no longer receive a grant and S4C, the welsh language channel will be paid for from the licence fee, this equates to a 16%cut in the budget. Austerity has spread even to the wild free for all that is the beeb.
The BBC is becoming weaker right at the time when its strength is needed most. As Mark Thompson explained in his MacTaggart lecture, competition between the two is welcome but BSkyB (and soon the whole ofthe Murdoch empire) has to invest more in keeping journalism at a high quality and programming to a high standard - Sky’s marketing budgeting is the same as ITV’s programming budget. In a world where the BBC is diminished and NewsCorp is keen to fill the breach in market share, who will feel the breach for high standards of journalism and programme making if NewsCorp are all about marketing and less about finding the best talent around? Journalist and news agencies can sometimes be the story themselves. The phone hacking scandal at the News Of the World bear testament to that – in a society whose mainstream media is so close to decision makers and where the media is a monopoly who will hold Cameron or Murdoch to account? The intentions of NewsCorp may be noble (thisis me playing devil’s advocate here) but to have a situation where the Times, theSun, and Sky News are dominant is dangerous.
There are many ways you can interpret the J.S Mill quote I started with. Freedom of the press can mean freedom from government interference, or it can mean freedom to hear many different viewpoints and not have any suppressed but a strong counterweight to the BBC cannot hide from its responsibilities or indeed, if it were true to its moral code, be happy to be a monopoly.
continuing our series of pictures taken from China this week the pictures are from the Yangshou, in the province of Guangxi. The area is well known for its mountain retreats and rock climbing. Photos courtesy Suswati Basu.
Playlist of the week - American Harmony Everyone loves a good harmony and it seems that those Americans do it better than anyone else. This week's selection of tracks certainly emphasises that point. starting with the gentle tones of Freelance Whales this playlist takes you on a acoustic guitar ride of cheerfulness with afrikaan drums from Vampire Weekend along the way.
Video of the Week - London art scene London: the centre of it all, where the action occurs. Well, if your like me and not in on all the art action going on in the big city then see these clips.
The Frieze Art Fair came to town this week. This five day festival of contemporary art was full of the latest trends and the usual debates on what is art. On the off chance you missed it check out this clip of the show and see if you can spot the appearances of Ai Weiwei and Grayson Perry.Also this week saw the opening of the London Film Festival - here are trailers from two highlights of the festival, Route Irish directed by Ken Loach and Mike Leigh's Another Year, out on the 5th November. That's all from toby raves until next week.
