Latest news with #artsandculture
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lupita Nyong'o, Francesca Hayward Lead Star-Studded Cast for Chanel Connects Season 5 (EXCLUSIVE)
Academy Award-winning actor Lupita Nyong'o headlines the fifth season of Chanel Connects, the luxury house's flagship arts and culture podcast, alongside Royal Ballet principal dancer Francesca Hayward and artist Allison Katz. The new season, which launchs July 16 on Spotify, YouTube Music, and Apple Podcasts, explores themes of home through intimate conversations recorded at La Pausa, Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel's newly restored French Riviera villa that once hosted 20th century luminaries including Salvador Dalí, Jean Cocteau, and Misia Sert. More from Variety Tribeca Festival and Chanel Announce 2025 Artist Awards Program Participants CalArts, Chanel Launch Center for Artists and Tech With AI Focus Tilda Swinton, Apichatpong Weerasethakul Join Forces for Chanel's Asian Cinema Initiatives 'Gabrielle Chanel's villa, La Pausa, was a home of extraordinary creativity, where ideas evolved naturally among the olive groves and lavender. It's a perfect setting for the fifth season of Chanel Connects, which was recorded within the very rooms where Salvador Dali created 11 paintings, Misia Sert triumphed on the piano, and Jean Cocteau crafted his poetry,' said Yana Peel, president of arts, culture and heritage at Chanel. 'This season, we hear from today's creative pioneers. Through a series of conversations, they discuss what's new and next in culture.' Nyong'o, who serves as a Chanel House ambassador, opens the season in conversation with philosopher Emanuele Coccia, author of 'Philosophy of the Home,' exploring how concepts of home have evolved in the digital age. The Oscar winner, who has lived in Kenya, Mexico, and the U.S., reflects on her relationship to place: 'I've adapted and grown with the places I've called home.' She also shares her perspective on storytelling's power, noting that 'stories have the power to be a momentary home.' Episode two pairs Hayward with artist Allison Katz, whose work is held in collections including London's Tate Modern and Los Angeles' Hammer Museum. The duo discusses parallels between dance and painting, with Hayward offering her take on technology's role in performance: 'In a world of AI, you can't replace real life performance.' Katz, meanwhile, speaks to artistic risk-taking: 'It's important to risk my own story to get at something that goes beyond it.' The season continues with New Yorker writer Lauren Collins joining performance art duo Gerard & Kelly to explore dance language and the legacy of Americans on the French Riviera. Gerard & Kelly reflect on artistic evolution, suggesting that 'maybe that's how art moves forward, in the blind spots,' while Collins observes that 'somehow we always tell our own story through our work.' Michelin-starred chef Mauro Colagreco, who is also a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, connects with Paris-based artist Matthew Lutz-Kinoy in episode four. The conversation centers on creative ecology, with both artists drawing from their French surroundings while maintaining connections to their respective Argentine and international backgrounds. The season concludes with American artist Adam Pendleton in conversation with Peel herself, examining how technology will shape art's future. Pendleton, whose work was recently acquired by MoMA and featured at the Hirshhorn, also discusses his passion project preserving Nina Simone's childhood home. Chanel Connects is produced as part of the Chanel Culture Fund, which supports a network of creators and innovators through various programs including Art Partners, the Chanel Next Prize, and partnerships with institutions from CalArts to the Venice Biennale. The podcast amplifies voices across disciplines and generations, tackling contemporary cultural issues while honoring Chanel's century-long commitment to the arts. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch
BBC News
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Carlos Acosta receives honorary University of Birmingham degree
Acclaimed Cuban ballet star Carlos Acosta has received an honorary degree from the University of accolade, which is the highest honour awarded by the university, was for the retired dancer's "outstanding" contribution to the city and for positioning it as a "globally renowned centre for arts and culture".During his five years as director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, he has celebrated the city's cultural heritage through works such as On Your Marks for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Black Sabbath - The said to be recognised "by this prestigious institution, in a city that has become so dear to me, is an immense privilege". He added: "I feel strongly that this honour from the university in its 125th year also pays tribute to the company I direct, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and to the world-class creative industries of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands."We serve with pride and represent to the world this extraordinary second city of the UK." The university marked its anniversary by co-hosting a reception with the Birmingham Royal Ballet at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC ahead of a performance of the heavy metal retired ballet dancer was also praised for his commitment to supporting talent through his Acosta Dance Foundation and Acosta Danza Academy in Havana, Cuba, which provides free education for young dancers and and principal, professor Adam Tickell said Acosta was "one of the most influential and innovative figures in the arts today". "Through his work and achievements, Carlos Acosta embodies our university's values of ambition, innovation and collaboration, and we're incredibly proud to award him an honorary degree." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Zawya
02-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
PwC Middle East and Mabrian Technologies publish new research on shifting visitor expectations across the Gulf region
Arts and culture now rank as the top visitor motivators across Qatar (28.5%), the United Arab Emirates (26.6%) and Saudi Arabia (24.5%), surpassing more conventional attractions such as retail and coastal leisure. In Qatar, hotel apartments lead occupancy at 74.6%, reflecting growing demand for flexible extended-stay options. These behavioural shifts reveal four emerging visitor archetypes: the culture seeker, the regional family explorer, the wellness-minded weekender, and the blended-purpose voyager. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – New research by PwC Middle East, in collaboration with Mabrian Technologies, a global travel intelligence platform, reveals that visitor preferences across the Gulf region are undergoing a fundamental shift. Visitors are increasingly drawn to destinations that offer cultural meaning and emotional resonance. In response to these findings, PwC Middle East developed a strategic framework detailed in their latest report, Stay Play Shop: Shaping Integrated Destinations for Connected Visitor Experiences. The report presents a clear approach for destination development companies, tourism authorities, destination managers and operators across the Gulf Cooperation Council to accelerate the evolution of destination strategies. It advocates a shift away from static, asset-led development towards dynamic, visitor-centric ecosystems that drive longer stays, deeper engagement and increased economic impact. Nicolas Mayer, Destinations Consulting Lead Partner at PwC Middle East, said, 'Stay Play Shop aims to reframe how we think about destination value by integrating visitor behaviour with the realities of destination planning and placemaking. Stay Play Shop is more than a slogan. It is a robust framework backed by visitor insights and evolving needs offering development companies a strategic framework to drive visitation spending and loyalty.' Building on this idea of redefining destination value, Philippe Najjar, Destinations Consulting Partner at PwC Middle East, added, 'By embracing the Stay Play Shop model leaders can shape not just where people go but how deeply they connect and experience places. This goes beyond destination development to crafting generational legacies that fuel cultural pride visitor loyalty and sustained economic return.' Emphasising a crucial prerequisite for success, Sonia Huerta, Vice President Advisory at Mabrian Technologies, highlighted, 'Public-private partnerships among Destination Management Office, hoteliers, Destination Management Companies, retailers and operators will be a key enabler of the Stay Play Shop model. Equally important is the ability to gauge sentiment and satisfaction across this journey to measure success. This region stands to gain exponentially from enhancements in these metrics making the value delivered even more impactful.' The report provides a practical framework for development companies, tourism entities, destination managers, operators and other stakeholders to shape connected, experience-led destinations. By moving beyond traditional planning approaches (i.e. anchor assets, zoning and standalone amenities) and promoting the integration of accommodation, events, retail and entertainment into a cohesive visitor journey. Ultimately, this framework aims to support the development of destinations where visitors enjoy a fluid and enriching experience throughout their entire journey. Read the full report here. About PwC At PwC, we help clients build trust and reinvent so they can turn complexity into competitive advantage. We're a tech-forward, people-empowered network with more than 370,000 people in 149 countries. Across audit and assurance, tax and legal, deals and consulting we help build, accelerate and sustain momentum. Find out more at With over 12,000 people across 12 countries in 30 offices, PwC Middle East combines deep regional insight with global expertise to help clients solve complex problems, drive transformation, and achieve sustained outcomes. Learn more at PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see for further details. © 2025 PwC. All rights reserved About Mabrian Mabrian Technologies, established in 2013 and specialized in the provision of travel intelligence services at a worldwide level, merged into Almaviva Group in 2023 as a subsidiary of The Data Appeal Company, which is part of Almawave tech ecosystem and leader on the market of technological solutions location intelligence. The Company combines technological development based on the analysis of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence techniques with a deep knowledge of the tourism sector by its pool of analysts. With its technology Mabrian offers services to tourist destinations at any level (Country, Region, city), as well as to companies in the hotelier and transportation sectors, or consultancy related to tourism (marketing, promotion, strategy, investments, etc.), to support sector players in the decision-making process based on updated data and a constantly evolving context. © 2025 PwC. All rights reserved
South China Morning Post
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Syrian in Hong Kong wanted to show the arts and culture of her region. Here's what she did
Syria-born Serene Debs used to watch foreign consulates in Hong Kong host year-round public events and sponsor artists to come to the city, and wished that her home region enjoyed the same level of visibility. Her solution? Founding her own cultural 'embassy', called Make Du Si, to represent Syria and its Arabic-speaking neighbours in the Levant – a region east of the Mediterranean Sea – through arts and culture. Debs, a mixed-media artist and art educator, explains that the name Make Du Si comes from the Cantonese pronunciation of the Arabic word makdous, a cured eggplant dish common in the Levant. Specifically, her 'embassy' aims to represent the four countries in the Levant that lack diplomatic representation in Hong Kong: Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. Make Du Si's 'Arabian Night' cultural evening at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong hotel on December 5, 2024 involved music, Arabic calligraphy and art-making. Photo: Serene Debs Debs moved to Hong Kong in 2016 at the age of 24, but her family's connection to the city goes back decades. 'In the 1940s, my grandfather and his brothers came to East Asia to do business. My grandfather was in Shanghai, where he met my Russian grandmother,' she says.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Henley Literary Festival announces partnership with The Independent for third year running
Henley Literary Festival is partnering with The Independent for the third year running, to create one of the most spectacular events in the arts and culture calendar this autumn. Some of the nation's biggest authors and national treasures will feature at the nine-day-long festival, with guest speakers including Fawlty Towers star John Cleese, Sir Michael Palin, celebrity baker Dame Mary Berry, broadcaster Graham Norton and former Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse. The festival runs more than 120 events at venues across Henley-on-Thames from 3 to 12 October, with already announced speakers such as acclaimed children's author Michael Morpurgo, chef Raymond Blanc, Absolutely Fabulous star Joanna Lumley and poet Simon Armitage. The partnership will feature exclusive news and interviews running in The Independent, alongside special programming at the festival itself, with a series of on-stage discussions between The Independent's journalists and Jeremy Hunt, Simon Armitage, Judy Murray and Michael Heseltine. Hunt will be in conversation with The Independent's Consultant Editor Simon Walters, while Armitage will speak with The Independent Editor-in-Chief Geordie Greig, both on 9 October. Judy Murray will talk with The Independent's TV Editor Ellie Harrison on 12 October. Events for children will include Paddington star Hugh Bonneville, poet Donna Ashworth, Clarkson's Farm star Kaleb Cooper and award-winning author-illustrator Emily Gravett. Gavin & Stacey star Joanna Page will discuss her autobiography Lush!, while her sitcom co-star Larry Lamb will join Carol Drinkwater, the actor turned author of All Creatures Great and Small. For those interested in the thriller genre, the festival will feature an evening hosted by crime fiction aficionado and Olympic icon Dame Katherine Grainger, as well as Death in Paradise and Marlow Murder Club creator Robert Thorogood, who will speak to broadcaster Jeremy Vine about his first crime novel Murder on Line One. As for sport, highlights will include England men's most-capped rugby player Ben Youngs with his much-anticipated memoir and Test Match Special favourite Phil Tufnell, who will deliver an overview of the Ashes. Henley Literary Festival director Harriet Reed said: 'From the menopause, farming and the impact of Empire to much-loved sitcoms, record-breaking sports stars and wonderful children's authors and illustrators we are so excited to share our most eclectic line-up and yet – with some lovely surprises to come when the full programme arrives next month!' Greig said: 'Henley Literary Festival is a fantastic event and it's our great pleasure to partner with it for the third year running. We look forward to bringing fascinating conversation to Independent readers and festival attendees.' Tickets for the festival, which is suitable for both adults and children, can be booked here.
