Suicide is NOT Painless

A personal perspective by Denis Joe March 2013

The man who kills a man, kills a man. The man who kills himself, kills all men. As far as he is concerned he wipes out the world.
G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that
is suicide. Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to
answering the fundamental question of philosophy. All the rest —
whether or not the world has three dimensions, whether the mind
has nine or twelve categories—comes afterwards.
Albert Camus, The Myth Of Sisyphus

 

Oiling the wheels of opera

by Denis Joe March 2013

During the interval at the premiere of David Pountney’s Lulu, for Welsh National Opera, much of the talk amongst the opera goers, was not about the opera they were seeing, but about Welsh National Opera’s acceptance of a $2m donation from the Getty Foundation.

A kick up the Arts

Opinion by Denis Joe August 2012

In January this year, West End theatre ticket sales broke box office records, and the most recent Turner prize exhibition, held this year at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts in Gateshead, enjoyed an increase in footfall of around 40% compared with previous years. It seems that the arts have never been more popular.

So why do the arts organisations increasingly resort to claims of curative properties in order to secure the funding they need to survive? In the health sector, especially in mental health and geriatric services, art therapy is increasingly seen as an alternative to psychiatric and medical care.

Liverpool busking permits will choke city life

Opinion by Denis Joe June 2012

For centuries, street entertainers have been an informal part of public life, but thanks to the ever-officious Liverpool City Council, this centuries-old tradition may soon be under threat in the city.

On Wednesday, 8 June 2012, the Council announced new regulations, effective from next month, to restrict busking in the city through, what are in effect, licencing laws. Buskers will need a £20 permit as well as liability insurance to continue performing on our streets. Whatever we think of the talents of certain individual buskers, we should be very clear on what we stand to lose culturally should these regulations be brought into effect.