Stories about Arts & Culture
Burqa ban in Sri Lanka would undermine national security and human rights
Many in Sri Lanka and abroad are condemning the impending ban on wearing burqas and other full-face coverings in public as a breach of human rights.
Imagining the Caribbean's architectural alphabet
As his contribution to the online design challenge "36 Days of Type," Trinidadian artist Nicholas Huggins decided to create a visual alphabet inspired by the architecture of the region.
Two Malaysian artists face police probe for online commentary and artwork
"The persecution of artists such as Zunar and Fahmi stifles creative expression, chills public discourse, and undermines trust in Malaysian authorities."
Russian feminist activist Yulia Tsvetkova announces hunger strike
Demanding a swift trial, Tsvetkova wrote: "Let’s stop waiting for people being persecuted to be heroes. We don’t need heroes. We need to prevent the persecution of the innocent."
Alternative Indian movies: Is Netflix at last embracing cultural diversity?
Netflix, which has become the entertainment go-to for millions during the pandemic's prolonged lockdowns, is exploring new Indian productions that stray away from the typical plotlines and visuals.
‘Industrial Heaven': A Ukrainian Instagram account digs deeper into the Donbas region
The visual archive portrays “a split region” through a curated collection of current photos, found imagery, and ephemera such as propaganda posters and postcards, and archival images from bygone eras.
Egyptian TV show reignites political schism over 2013's bloody summer
The show depicts the official narrative of the 2013 coup, and of the security forces' dismantling of a sit-in at Cairo's Rabaa Al-Adawiya Square in which nearly 1,000 protesters were...
Serbian anti-vaxxers revive the medieval ‘Danse Macabre,’ while pandemic deaths rise
Dance of Death: A round dance in central Belgrade around a new monument of medieval king Stefan Nemanja was part of a chain of anti-lockdown protests across Europe.
‘The Mermaid Project’ highlights Mexico’s gender violence problem
"It is vital that men take an active and critical role in the fight against the systematization that perpetuates violence against women."
Feminist activist in Russia faces prison term for ‘body-positive’ drawings
Human rights groups have labeled Yulia Tsvetkova a prisoner of conscience and have called on Russia to remove all charges and to "stop targeting feminist, LGBTI and other activists."
Jamaica's spate of femicides raises perennial questions about the influence of dancehall music
The uptick in female murders has the prime minister chastising the perceived influence of dancehall music, and fanning the flames of an issue on which Jamaicans remain quite divided.
Digital resources are the key to saving the ‘definitely endangered’ Nepalbhasa language
Community efforts recently led to the launch of an online dictionary containing close to 30,000 entries, making it the largest repository of linguistic data for the Nepalbhasa language to date.
Artists ‘raise three fingers’ in support of Myanmar protesters
"When we see somebody, and we raise three fingers, we know the movement is still alive. There is still hope."
Can the Eurovision Song Contest change Russia's views on migrants from Central Asia?
Russia has nominated Tajik-Russian singer Manizha as its representative for the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest. But many Russians reject her as the chosen face of their country at the international...
Bert Rose, pioneer of Jamaica’s independence-era dance movement, dies at 81
"Mr. Rose’s contribution to nation-building has created the foundation for others to rise to their own greatness. He has left behind a legacy that will live on for generations."
Belarus banned from 2021 Eurovision contest for controversial song lyrics
The European Broadcasting Union found Belarus to be "in breach of the rules of the competition that ensure the Contest is not instrumentalized or brought into disrepute."
North Macedonia forced to re-edit Eurovision music video following nationalist rage
North Macedonia's nationalists have weighed a campaign against singer Vasil Garvanliev for "spreading Bulgarian propaganda" -- as two frames in the original video showed an artwork with the colors of...
Rape case involving major film star and senior politician reignites Serbia's #MeToo movement
The scandal comes on the heels of a similar development that sparked a new #MeToo movement in Serbia in January 2021.
The Laz people's mission to save their language from extinction
There could be anything between 30,000 to 200,000 speakers of Lazuri, the language of the modern Laz people. The majority of them still live in the historical region of Rize, in...
