An unexpected wind blows from Canada's (centre) left

[ed_rex]

Jack Layton's positive campaign bears unexpected fruit

 

Originally posted at True North Perspective.

I admit it. Neither I, nor anyone else here at True North Perspective, saw it coming. And even now, there is an aura of doubt, of disbelief, as we watch the polls and see the continuing ascent of the New Democratic Party under Jack Layton.

Can this really be true? we wondered last week, when the New Democrats began to poll even with Canada's one-time Natural Governing Party. One poll led to another and another and another.

If stated intentions turn out to be votes on Monday, it looks like it really is true.

If present trends continue, it's just (barely) possible that Monday night will see Layton elected Prime Minister of Canada.

Read the full story at Edifice Rex Online.

Muammar Gaddafi's son killed in NATO airstrike

[la_vie_noire]

Muammar Gaddafi son killed by Nato air strike – Libyan government.

Saif al-Arab Gaddafi, 29, was killed along with three of Muammar Gaddafi's grandsons, according to reports.

The Libyan leader was in the building at the time of the strike, but was unharmed. Several of Gaddafi's friends and relatives were wounded.

This is fucking BULLSHIT

[the_future_modernes]

Black and minority ethnic arts: the unfairest funding cuts of all?

Last month, as over 1,300 arts organisations nervously waited for Arts Council England emails to arrive in their inboxes, containing news about whether they would have funding from next year, the Daily Mail's theatre critic made a bold prediction: it would be "temples to middle-class taste and artistic excellence" that would suffer disproportionately. "Fringier outfits," he speculated, "particularly those of an inner-city, multicultural kidney, may do rather better." Companies such as the RSC and English National Ballet (in receipt of over £16m and £6m respectively in the current financial year), would lose out, thanks to "corduroyed luvvies" and "left-wing breast beating about 'broadening access'".


The reality, as we now know, was somewhat different: just 57 of 650 black or minority ethnic (BME) organisations were welcomed into the Arts Council's national portfolio (NPO) roster, down from the 74 that previously existed as regularly funded organisations (RFOs).

Indeed, inner-city arts centres specifically targeting multi-ethnic audiences faced some of the biggest cuts: London's Rich Mix, Watermans and Yaa Asantewaa saw their funding slashed by more than half. Meanwhile, Greenroom, a performing arts venue in Manchester led by the country's only black British artistic director, saw its entire £295,000 grant vanish; 25 years after it opened, the space is set to close at the end of next month.
Elsewhere, the casualties began to mount up. Nitro, Britain's oldest black theatre company, lost all its annual funding (£273,000), as did south Asian storytelling company Vayu Naidu (£63,000). Five carnival arts organisations were shed from the new portfolio; as well as street arts company Xtrax, the Osun Arts Foundation, dance companies Henri Oguike and Chitraleka, Collective Artistes – the list goes on. Perhaps most surprising of all, though, was the 100% cut to Yellow Earth – the country's only east Asian theatre company.



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