18 h. ago ‘I paint extreme emotions’: Rachel Jones on her riotously colourful paintings – and her obsession with mouths

Known for her colourful abstracts, the artist is getting a retrospective at the age of just 34. She talks about her love of karaoke, working on a full-length opera and how to deal with fame at a young ageViewers may find Rachel Jones’s paintings “beautiful”, but they should be warned: the artist herself doesn’t love that word.“In our culture, the idea of beauty sadly isn’t discussed in a critical, rich way – it’s much more reductive as a term,” says the 34 year old. “I hope that when people describe the work as beautiful, it doesn’t just stop there.” Her aim, she says, is to pull viewers in deeper, beyond the surface of the work. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago ‘These guys are idiots’: Sean Penn and Dustin Lance Black call out government’s Harvey Milk erasure

Team behind Oscar-winning biopic of the groundbreaking gay politician hits back at decision to remove his nameSean Penn, the Oscar-winning actor of the 2008 Harvey Milk biopic Milk and Milk writer Dustin Lance Black have spoken out against US defense secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to remove the gay rights icon’s name from a navy ship.“This is yet another move to distract and to fuel the culture wars that create division,” Black told the Hollywood Reporter in a phone call on Wednesday. “It’s meant to get us to react in ways that are self-centered so that we are further distanced from our brothers and sisters in equally important civil rights fights in this country. It’s divide and conquer.” Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago We in the cultural sector must stand up to Trump’s attacks – if not now, when? | Gus Casely

My former colleagues at the Smithsonian in Washington DC face unprecedented pressure. I urge them to defend their principlesGus Casely-Hayford is director of London’s V&A EastIn one of his recent Truth Social posts, Donald Trump appeared to fire Kim Sajet – the fearless and utterly brilliant director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. The president used his social media platform to claim that Sajet’s support for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) made her unsuitable for her role. “Upon the request and recommendation of many people, I am hereby terminating the employment of Kim Sajet as Director of the National Portrait Gallery”, Trump wrote. “She is a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position. Her replacement will be named shortly.”Where to start? By now, we all know the arts has become the terrain for a brutal proxy battle for hearts and minds. A culture war 2.0, where not ...

Politics

3 d. ago Boy, three, starved to death by parents ‘had become invisible to authorities’

A review has warned ‘the safeguarding of children being impacted by harmful cultural practice is paramount’.

Events

4 d. ago Pete Hegseth orders Navy to strip name of gay rights icon Harvey Milk from ship in time for Pride Month

Defense secretary’s memo says stripping the name of the Navy veteran is part of an effort to reestablish ‘warrior culture’

Politics

4 d. ago Star Wars fans unite! All the movies ranked from the worst to the best

Whether you’re a George Lucas fan or a J. J. Abrams devotee, let’s face it, some Star Wars films have been better than others

Events

4 d. ago How the far right seeks to spread its ideology through the publishing world

Efforts raise questions about the far right’s place in the broader culture wars waged by the Trump administration The far right US publisher Passage Press is now part of Foundation Publishing Group and it is connected via a Foundation director, Daniel Lisi, to Network Press, whose only title to date is an “effective accelerationist” manifesto by tech-right venture capitalist Marc Andreessen.Another rightwing publisher, science fiction publisher Ark Press, appears connected to Chapter House which Lisi, a literary scenester in Los Angeles, originally co-founded as an independent publisher of poetry, sci-fi and esoterica, but which now presents itself as a homeschooling resource. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Ryan Reynolds talks Adult Star Wars with sex, swearing and bloody grit – are you ready for the R Rated?

The Deadpool star and his idea to bring a darker, more adult edge to the galaxy far, far away, but is this better left in a galaxy far, far away?

Events

8 d. ago Faizan Zaki, 13, rebounds from stunning gaffe to win National Spelling Bee crown

Texas teen Zaki wins 97th Scripps National Spelling BeeSpelling Bee quiz: can you beat the past years’ winners?Gallery: Best shots from the National Spelling BeeFaizan Zaki nearly threw away his opportunity to go from runner-up to champion at the Scripps National Spelling Bee with a shocking moment of overconfidence. Given a second chance, he seized the title of best speller in the English language.The 13-year-old from Allen, Texas, who lost in a lightning-round tiebreaker last year, outlasted eight other accomplished spellers to win the title on Thursday night, including two that he let back into the competition after his own careless flub. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Faizan Zaki wins the Scripps National Spelling Bee a year after finishing runner

Faizan Zaki has seized the title of best speller in the English language at the Scripps National Spelling Bee

Politics

9 d. ago National Spelling Bee finals: nine finalists compete for orthographic glory – live updates

Nine finalists compete for $50,000 top prize at 8pm ETHow ‘womyn’ dragged the Bee into the US culture warsSpelling Bee quiz: can you beat the past years’ winners?Reach Bryan on Bluesky at @BryanAGraham or emailIt’s time! The nine finalists have taken the stage. Esha Marupudi is first and she nails isopag, an equiglacial line on a map or chart that connects the points where ice is present for approximately the same number of days in winter. Next up is Oliver Halkett and he confidently spells corbicula. Sarvadnya Kadam has no problems with dolabrate. Now it’s Sarv Dharavane, the 11-year-old who is the youngest of the nine finalists. His word is ethology, defined as the scientific and objective study of animal behavior especially under natural conditions. After a few questions for head pronouncer Dr Jacques Bailly, he coolly drills it. Four up, four down: a roaring start heading into the first commercial break.The majority of entrants in the National Spelling Bee are from the US, haili...

Politics

9 d. ago ‘This inanimate object? She’s called Zoe’: What’s behind the feminisation of everyday items?

Ellie Harrison looks at the way queer culture has changed how we speak, adding warmth and humour to the driest of sentences

Politics

9 d. ago ‘She looks Indian’: Woman mocked for eating with hands on London train, viral video ignites culture war

‘She looks Indian’: Woman mocked for eating with hands on London train, viral video ignites culture war  Hindustan Times

Events

1 week ago Anger as National Spelling Bee introduces new words to mix up competition

For those who might find the new words unfair, Scripps has a message: Study harder

Politics

1 week ago AP PHOTOS: Top young spellers compete in 100th Scripps National Spelling Bee

The best young spellers in the English language are competing at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

Culture

1 week ago Rio’s mayor loosens restrictions on live beach music after an outcry

Rio de Janeiro’s mayor has loosened new restrictions on live music on the city’s beaches after many people warned of a threat to the dynamic cultural scene

Society

1 week ago To win the Scripps National Spelling Bee, contenders must also master geography

There are times when the Scripps National Spelling Bee transforms into a geography bee

Politics

1 week ago Miriam Margolyes: Iconic Festival Fringe performer warns it is 'unlikely' she will perform in Edinburgh again

Miriam Margolyes has planned a Charles Dickens themed show for this summer at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Events

1 week ago How the word ‘womyn’ dragged the National Spelling Bee into the US culture wars

In an age of division where authoritarianism is seeping into every corner of American discourse, the Spelling Bee offers up a reminder of what America should truly beWe’re living through turbulent times, to say the least. Authoritarianism and fascism threaten the United States. The conspiracy thinking, paranoia and manufactured outrage so characteristic of QAnon and the big lie about the 2020 election have colonized our political discourse like a fungus. Even the National Spelling Bee, a cultural institution which will be celebrating its centennial this year and which is generally exempted from the far right’s paranoid vitriol, hasn’t been immune. Earlier this year, a foofaraw erupted when right-wing outlets reported on the acceptance of “womyn” as an alternate spelling of “women” in the regional-level wordlist which the National Spelling Bee issues each year.The reason “womyn” was included in the wordlist wasn’t some shadowy feminist plot by the Bee’s organizers. The competition si...

Events

1 week ago Scripps National Spelling Bee guide: How to watch, who the notable spellers are, rules and prizes

The best young spellers in the English language are set to compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year

Politics