Yard Theatre Reopens After £7 Million Rebuild; Albania's Starchitect Backlash; Calder Restoration
The Yard, a fringe theatre located in Hackney Wick, London, has reopened following a £7 million renovation. Originally established by founder Jay Miller as a temporary pop-up for three months, it operated for 14 years and notably brought Michaela Coel's Chewing Gum Dreams to the National Theatre. In Tirana, Albania, 60 international architecture firms have submitted more than 500 proposals to Prime Minister Edi Rama, sparking protests. After being dropped by the Goncourt jury due to AI-related allegations, Québec author Thélyson Orélien sold 18,256 copies in just one week after receiving the Prix Fnac. Additionally, the Seattle Public Library's Books Unbanned initiative has achieved over 1.1 million e-book checkouts, supported by nearly $900,000 in donations. Alexander Calder's final artwork now occupies the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building.
Key facts
- The Yard theatre in Hackney Wick, London, reopened after a £7 million rebuild.
- Jay Miller founded the Yard as a three-month pop-up by posing as a property developer and offering a landlord free night-watchman service.
- The pop-up ran for 14 years and sent Michaela Coel's Chewing Gum Dreams to the National Theatre.
- Sixty foreign architecture firms proposed over 500 projects for Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, coordinated partly via WhatsApp.
- An 800-page book of the plans drew 'Starchitects go home!' placards in Tirana.
- Thélyson Orélien sold 18,256 copies in a week to reach No. 1 in France after being dropped by the Goncourt jury over AI allegations he denies.
- Seattle Public Library's Books Unbanned program passed 1.1 million e-book checkouts by readers aged 13–26 in all 50 states, funded by nearly $900,000 in donations.
- Alexander Calder's Mountains and Clouds was reinstalled in the Hart Senate Office Building atrium; Kennedy Center pianos are being sold at a Georgetown Steinway shop, and Senator Mike Lee objected to a bill protecting presidential memorials.
Entities
Artists
- Jay Miller
- Michaela Coel
- Thélyson Orélien
- Alexander Calder
- Edi Rama
- Mike Lee
Institutions
- The Yard
- National Theatre
- Goncourt jury
- Prix Fnac
- Seattle Public Library
- Books Unbanned
- Hart Senate Office Building
- Steinway
- Kennedy Center
- AlterNet
- The Nerve
- The Guardian
- Rolling Stone Canada
- KOMO News
- The New York Times
Locations
- Hackney Wick
- London
- United Kingdom
- Albania
- Tirana
- France
- Québec
- Canada
- Seattle
- United States
- Georgetown