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New York Times
20-06-2025
- General
- New York Times
When the Past Is Lost
This personal reflection is part of a series called The Big Ideas, in which writers respond to a single question: What is history? You can read more by visiting The Big Ideas series page. Steel beams hanging in the air,twisted by the intense glass scattered across the floor,melted by the intertwined in all directions,exposed by blackened by soot,resulting from the burning of a country's memory … I wrote these lines shortly after Sept. 2, 2018. It is a day I will never forget. That day, the National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro was devastated by an intense fire. For those of us who work in Brazil's cultural sector, the fire was the realization of our worst nightmare. The tragedy did not come without warning. The risks the museum faced were well-known. The lack of proper maintenance was obvious throughout the building. Along with my fellow museum officials, I frequently pushed government officials for more resources, but these efforts were not successful. If I had to choose one building in Brazil that should be protected and preserved, it would be the museum, and not just because of its collections. The site is connected to many notable moments in Brazil's history. Since 1892, the museum has been housed in the former royal palace. The building was home to the Portuguese royal family after they fled to Rio de Janeiro to escape Napoleon. After Brazil's independence, it was the residence of Brazil's emperor. The museum, which was founded on June 6, 1818, by King John VI of Portugal, is Brazil's first scientific institution. Before the fire, the museum contained over 20 million items, including unpublished documents from Empress Maria Leopoldina, ethnographic objects from Indigenous Brazilians, significant specimens of the country's biodiversity, fossils and rare minerals. The blaze destroyed about 85 percent of the museum's collection. In the aftermath, one of the hardest moments for me was paradoxically also one of the most inspiring. The day after the fire, while smoke was still everywhere, a large group of people, including some high school students, approached the remains of the museum. For security reasons, the police did not let them get close to the building. After some tense negotiations, the group was allowed to do what they came for: The members formed a human chain and embraced the remains of an institution that — in reality — belongs to them, the public. When I remember this scene, it is hard to hold back my tears. We, the guardians of their cultural heritage and history, failed them. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Guardian
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Labour plans ‘risk excluding disabled people from workforce', say arts leaders
More than 2,500 figures from the arts including leaders at the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company have signed an open letter stating that the government's proposed changes to the Access to Work scheme could 'risk disabled people being excluded from the workforce entirely'. Indhu Rubasingham, the artistic director of the National Theatre, and Tamara Harvey and Daniel Evans, the co-artistic directors of the RSC, were among the signatories, who said the changes would have a 'devastating impact' on disabled employment rates within the cultural sector. Addressed to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the letter says the proposals in the 'Pathways to Work' green paper will reverse 'decades of progress'. It says: 'We have worked for decades to ensure that the sector can provide better work for disabled people, and now the proposals threaten that progress, and risk disabled people being excluded from the workforce entirely. There is a clear need to reform Access to Work, but this must be based on constructively supporting disabled people into meaningful work, not a cost-cutting exercise.' Access to Work is designed to help people with disabilities or adverse health conditions get back into work or remain in employment. Companies and employees can apply for grants via the scheme to assist disabled people in the workplace, and can provide support beyond the 'reasonable adjustments' an employer is required to make by law. It is designed to prevent employers from discriminating against those who could require expensive workplace accommodations. The comedian and disability rights campaigner Jess Thom recently told of her 'despair' at being informed her Access to Work payment was being cut by 61%. Tom Ryalls, one of the organisers of the open letter, told the Guardian it was the fact 'Jess was no longer able to do her job' and the current green paper consultation that triggered the letter's release. 'There's the consultation but this is also about unspoken cuts that are already happening,' he said. Almost 15% of the workforce in the creative industries is disabled, compared with about 23% in the general workforce. In organisations funded by Arts Council England, this figure falls to about 9%. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The letter calls for a pause on any changes until the Office for Budget Responsibility publishes its assessment; a commitment to protect and improve Access to Work; a guarantee that changes to the scheme will do no harm to disabled people's participation in cultural life; and for those most affected, particularly disabled artists and cultural workers, to be consulted. A government spokesperson said: 'We are determined to create a welfare system that helps people into work and out of poverty. Our welfare reforms include a £1bn-a-year package to support disabled people who can work into work, so they have fulfilling careers in the arts and other sectors.'
