In November last year, 18 women accused Jean-Claude Arnault of sexual harassment and physical abuse. He's a Swedish photographer and married to an Academy member. It's alleged that some of those misconducts took place at properties owned and funded by the Academy. This was followed by similar accusations levelled at other members of the Swedish Academy. And it was finally announced that for the first time in nearly 70 years, there will be no Nobel Prize in literature in 2018. So, an independent initiative has stepped in and set up a platform for this year's literary award

To speak about just how big of an impact this will have on the literary world, Showcase is joined by Alexandra Pascalidou. She is the founder of the New Academy, which is the non-profit organisation looking to find this year's alternative Nobel Prize winner for literature.

In this episode of Showcase:

Ibaaku and Afrofuturism:

Baalbek International Symposium:

Reviving papermaking in Samarkand:

Global art news:

The New Academy Prize in Literature:

Alexandra Pascalidou, founder of the New Academy:

Wooden motorbikes in Lebanon:

Cultural pop-ups in Paris suburbs:

The London Design Biennale was first staged two years ago to celebrate the universal power of design. This year, it's on a mission to explore questions and solution surrounding the idea of migration, pollution and social equality. Visitors are invited to engage in interactive installations all in an immersive, inspiring and entertaining tour of the world.

#LondonDesignBiennale #Design #Showcase

It's been ten years since the 2008 financial crisis brought the world's banking system and art market to the brink of disaster. A decade on and we're still asking the question... Has the art world fully recovered?

To answer that and more, Showcase is joined by Martin Jenner, a contemporary art consultant at PhotoArts.com

#ArtMarket #2008FinancialCrisis #Showcase

Since the 1930s, Disney has updated its classic stories to make them more relatable to each new generation. And now, an exhibition in Madrid is highlighting the origin of some of the iconic studio's most popular films - many of which are often hailed as some of the best works of animation ever created.

#Disney #exhibitions #Showcase

Comic book festivals are often extravagant affairs of fantasy and cosplay, where fans are inundated with a neverending assortment of amusements on offer. But one festival is instead going to back to basics, and showcasing the core elements that go into creating a comic book to offer a more hands-on experience. Showcase sent Sharaz Ali to check it out.

#ICAF #IstanbulComicsandArtFestival #Showcase

The London Design Biennale was first staged two years ago to celebrate the universal power of design. This year, it's on a mission to explore questions and solution surrounding the idea of migration, pollution and social equality. Visitors are invited to engage in interactive installations all in an immersive, inspiring and entertaining tour of the world.

#LondonDesignBiennale #Design #Showcase

British director Mike Leigh is certainly no stranger to the world of screenwriting, having penned the Oscar-nominated Vera Drake and Secrets and Lies among many others. But with his latest project, the BAFTA winner is claiming an important place in British film history. He's among few directors to effectively push socially conscious moral messages to audiences. Here's the story.

#PeterLoo #MikeLeigh #Showcase

One of Italy's most star-studded events just wrapped up for the year - the Venice Film Festival. This year its biggest prize went to a Mexican film, which critics are calling a 'masterpiece'. We bring you a few highlights from the event's 75th edition.

And to find out how this year's Venice Film Festival went, Showcase is joined by culture journalist Jad Salfiti from Lyon, France.

#VeniceFilmFestival #Cinema #Showcase

In this episode of Showcase:

London Design Biennale:

75th Venice Film Festival highlights:

Jad Salfiti, culture journalist:

Global art news:

British Screenwriters Awards:

Julian Friedmann, Film, TV, Literary Agent:

Peterloo film:

Marc Chagall exhibition in Italy:

#Art #Culture #Showcase