 Good morning: Ticket-selling fees have gotten completely out of hand. If you have to buy a ticket to get in to an event, why is the ticket-selling cost separated out as an extra? We don’t charge more for bathroom access or an “intermission fee.” Or a special charge for theatre orchestra or the dry ice used to make fog onstage. And the charges are often ridiculous. The Observer reports: “Analysis of 52 UK gigs this year found that the average mark-up for 26 events sold by Ticketmaster was 25%, while 14 sold by Eventim saw an extra 30% on average. See sold tickets at 45 of the events, with an average mark-up of 24%, and Dice, which shows fees upfront, averaged 17% on its 18 events.” Seriously? And there’s not even paper tickets anymore, and digital sales are automated after the system is set up. The real cost is pennies and should be absorbed as a cost of doing business. Instead, it’s an outrageous tax on the “ticket price” that’s impossible not to pay. And it really really pisses people off and rightfully so. People know when they’re being ripped off. More here in the Observer. End of rant. On to other highlights of the week: - Italian Police Present an Exhibition of Artworks Seized From the Mafia “Eighty works, confiscated by the Italian authorities, went on show at Milan’s Palazzo Reale this week. The exhibition, ‘Save Arts: From Confiscations to Public Collections,’ features paintings, graphic works, and sculptures by Andy Warhol, Salvador Dalí, Robert Rauschenberg, Christo, and other prominent artists.” ARTnews
- Inside the Race to Rebuild Notre Dame “While the people of France supported the effort in the immediate aftermath — within days of the fire, there were donations of more than $900 million — the years that followed were beset by pushback, controversy, and outrage.” The Wall Street Journal
- Scotland’s Desperate Arts Sector Gets an Extra £34 Million From Government “Culture secretary Angus Robertson predicted the new funding for culture earmarked for the coming financial year would be ‘transformational’ for the arts industry. Finance secretary Shona Robison said that she aims to allocate an additional £20 million for the following fiscal year.” The Scotsman
- Opera in Its Traditional Role: Innovator, Leader in Technology
“Every technology affects the way that we think, behave, and interact. AI is not going away. It will become a part of our humanity, and therefore a part of our art-making.” The Guardian - Deal Close on Return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece? “It came as Sir Keir Starmer and his Greek counterpart met for talks in Downing Street on Tuesday — though it is unclear whether the Elgin Marbles were discussed.” BBC
As usual, skip down to read the rest of the stories we’ve collected. See you next week. Doug
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