Stories about Arts & Culture from May, 2012
China: Workers’ Culture on Weibo
Jennifer Cheung from China Labour Bulletin introduces how workers in China make use of micro-blog to tell their stories in different artistic forms.
South Sudan: South Sudan Theatre Company Online
South Sudan Theatre Company online: “Advised and led by three of South Sudan’s most respected cultural leaders, a group of artists and dramatists have come together to form the South Sudan Theatre Company. Under the shadow of war, southern Sudanese artists experimented with theatrical form and created performances in streets,...
South Africa: The Spear, Freedom of Speech and Morality
A painting by Cape Town-based artist Brett Murray depicting President Jacob Zuma's genitals has ignited online debate about morality and freedom of speech in South Africa. The painting tilted “The Spear” is part of Hail to the Thief II exhibition in Johannesburg.
Azerbaijan: Is Eurovision A Rare Opportunity For Change?
With increased media attention on the country during this week's Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan, former prisoner of conscience Emin Milli argues that the international music competition offers a rare opportunity to raise concerns with human rights abuses and the lack of democratic freedoms in the oil-rich former Soviet...
Africa: Regimes Under Attack From Satire and Cartoons
The use of satirical language and cartoons in the media is relatively new in most African countries. Abdoulaye Bah explores the history behind these comic tools.
Brazil: Famous Singer Pays Homage to Her Iconic Mother
The singer Maria Rita toured Brazil with a series of free concerts in homage to her late mother Elis Regina, one of the most iconic performers of Brazilian music. The subject became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter, as fans of both singers flooded social media with their impressions of the shows.
Haiti: Haitian Flag Day
Haitians all over the world recently celebrated the 209th Haitian Flag Day along with the country's educational system. Martinican blogger at Bel Balawou publishes a stream of pictures [Fr], taken during the event in Haiti, while Haitian Alterpresse explains and comments [Fr] on the main speeches of the day.
Brazil: A Comic Book and its Soundtrack
Brazilian blogger Francielle Costa reviews [pt] Achados e Perdidos (Lost and Found), a comic book in which each chapter counts on an original soundtrack produced especially for the story. The project was crowdfunded. Chapter 1, and its soundtrack, is available here [pt].
Iran: Buying book can become dangerous
Several bloggers published a photo where a woman pushed to the ground by the security forces in a book fair. Gargagarga writes it happens in book fair and everybody is watching. It seems people get used to seeing such scenes.
Macedonia: Graffiti Art in “Times of Revived Antiquity”
A short documentary on the Macedonian graffiti scene within the context of the state-sponsored art/construction boom, made by two female scientists and bloggers, has been shown at the renowned archeological conference Buffalo TAG 2012. Filip Stojanovski reports.
Afghanistan: Women's Voices Raised to Poetry
Through twitter, Al Jazeera shares the video story of a group of Afghan women who are using poetry as a way to empower themselves and reclaim their voice.
Cape Verde: Encouraging Storytelling and Creative Writing
Set over the course of seven weeks, a creative writing competition promoted by the young Cape Verdean journalist Odair Varela on his blog, has led a dozen word lovers to get behind their keyboards and let their imaginations flow. The winners have already been announced and this article provides an overview of the stories told.
Palestine: PalFest Literature Festival in Gaza for First Time
This year for the first time the Palestinian Festival of Literature was held in Gaza. A group of about forty Egyptian, Tunisian, Sudanese and Palestinian authors, artists and activists were granted permission to visit Gaza and participate in PalFest 2012 from May 5 to 10.
Argentina: Transforming a Neighborhood Through a Cultural Shed
The Piedrabuenarte Cultural Shed in the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina is transforming the neighborhood through culture, arts and citizen media. Formerly a warehouse for discarded scenery and sets for the Colon Theater, the space was transformed by artists in the community into a center for arts. Through their YouTube channel they are telling the world about it.
Indonesia: Lady Gaga's Concert Permit Denied
After being pressured by conservative politicians and hardline groups, which branded Lady Gaga as a devil worshiper, the Indonesian police announced that it won't issue a permit to the highly anticipated Lady Gaga concert in Jakarta, leaving over 50,000 fans disappointed.
Mexico: Netizens Say Goodbye to Writer Carlos Fuentes
On May 15, 2012, Latin America lost one of its most important contemporary writers. Mexican author Carlos Fuentes died in Mexico City, at the age of 83. Netizens all over the world were shocked by his sudden death.
China: Motor-Powered Breakfast Crepes
The Presurfer shares a video where we can see how the Beijing Jianbing is made. This large breakfast crepe is made possible thanks to a very steady hand and a motorized wheel that allows a really large and thin crepe to be evenly cooked.
Video: Indigenous Video Festival Open for Submissions
The XI International Film and Video Festival of Indigenous Peoples to be held in Colombia during last quarter of 2012 is putting out a call for entries for audiovisual material about indigenous and first people issues and topics.
Guyana: Creator of “Cuffie” Statue Dies
Demerara Waves acknowledges the passing of “internationally acclaimed artist and sculptor, Philip Moore”, who was perhaps best known for sculpting the 1763 Monument, a tribute to Cuffy, a former slave who is recognised as a national hero in Guyana.
Brazil: ‘Hands That Cure, Words That Heal’
With their herbs, gestures, prayers and comforting words, folk healing is an important element of Brazilian culture. Although some people believe that traditional healing art is disappearing, folk healers from two Brazilian cities have just had their activities recognised by pioneering laws.
Latin America: Art from the Colonial Period in 2.0
We present a sample of the numerous blogs, videos and internet sites dedicated to promoting knowledge about colonial period art, a common artistic denominator for the majority of the American continent, the individual indigenous cultures of which first adopted and then adapted as their own.
