US Artists Call for Change in Policy towards Cuba

A call has been made to the Obama administration by a network of US artists and presenters to renew cultural ties with Cuba. In a March 3rd letter, signed by over 1100 Americans in the arts including Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Harry Belafonte, Bonnie Raitt and Danny Glover, the US-Cuba Cultural Exchange called for Cuban artists to be permitted entry into the United States and for the elimination of restrictions that prevent Americans from traveling to Cuba. The call comes as the Administration reviews Cuba policy and Congress prepares to consider legislation that could eliminate restrictions on travel to Cuba. Organizers say that the campaign will remain in effect until changes are implemented to allow for the free flow of expression between the United States and Cuba. The letter may be viewed online here.

Will Arts Play a Part in the Economic Recovery?

Arts leaders in the U.S. are urging Obama not to overlook the role the arts should play in the economic recovery. With the departure of Dana Gioia, Bush's chairman of the NEA, Obama has yet to name a successor. Funds for the N.E.A. have declined to $145 million in FY09 from $176 million in '92. Read the full NYTimes article here.

Obama on My Mind

Right on the heels of his historic inauguration yesterday is the announcement of a new musical based on the presidential campaign of Barack Obama. Featuring a book, music and lyrics by American film maker and crime writer Teddy Hayes, Obama on my Mind will open in the UK (Islington) in March. Featuring pop, jazz, gospel and soft rock, the show will be directed by Tim McArthur with musical direction by Chris Jerome. Visit http://www.theobamamusical.com/ to purchase tickets or just have a good laugh.

Sec. of the Arts and Arts Stimulus Plan Petitions

Here are two petitions for U.S. citizens to our soon-to-be-president and new Congress to help them make the arts a vital and necessary part of American life. As of this posting, over 16,000 people have signed this first petition encouraging President-elect Obama, upon the recommendation of Quincy Jones, to create a Secretary of the Arts cabinet position. The second petition encourages the new Congress to dedicate 1% of the upcoming economic stimulus package for funding for the arts. Visit both sites and sign today.

Antonin Artaud for President

I read in the morning paper today that of all of the write-in votes for the recent U.S. presidential election, amidst the ballots cast for Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, someone wrote in 'Antonin Artaud'. Lord knows what ol' Antonin would think of Barack Obama, but I trust we can be pretty thankful that Artaud isn't around to run for office. Hasn't George W. Bush conducted enough 'Theatre of Cruelty'?

Obama, The Musical!

Far be it for the theatre to lag behind when it comes to keeping up with current affairs. This past Sunday, OBAMA, The Musical opened in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. The hour-long production was written and directed by George Orido, and tells the story of Obama’s life, beginning with his father’s move to America. Orido says there have already been invitations to perform in the UK and South Africa, and he isn't ruling out a sequel. Read the complete BBC story here.

Obama to the World

"And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security – we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope. For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow."

- President-elect Barack Hussein Obama

Obama and McCain on the Arts

Not surprising, both U.S. candidates have differing view on the arts and government’s role in funding it. Obama is calling for more federal support, while McCain is calling for less. The McCain campaign has released very little language on the subject, but two weeks ago issued this four-sentence statement basically saying it’s up to local entities.

“John McCain believes that arts education can play a vital role fostering creativity and expression. He is a strong believer in empowering local school districts to establish priorities based on the needs of local schools and school districts. Schools receiving federal funds for education must be held accountable for providing a quality education in basic subjects critical to ensuring students are prepared to compete and succeed in the global economy. Where these local priorities allow, he believes investing in arts education can play a role in nurturing the creativity of expression so vital to the health of our cultural life and providing a means of creative expression for young people.”

Obama, on the other hand, has made arts proposals a part of his official party platform. His key points are: Expand Public/Private Partnerships Between Schools and Arts Organizations; Create an Artist Corps; Publicly Champion the Importance of Arts Education; Support Increased Funding for the NEA; Attract Foreign Talent; Provide Health Care to Artists and Ensure Tax Fairness for Artists. You can find his arts policy statement here.

If the World Could Vote on the US Election

As a non-partisan organization, The Internationalists don't officially support any candidate for US president in the upcoming election, but as a global entity, we'd like to draw your attention to a site that asks the world who they'd like to see running the show. Thus far over 113,000 people from 178 countries have responded. You can draw your own conclusions as to which way we're leaning.