'When we play, everyone dances!' Benin girl group Star Feminine Band The Guardian
In the west African country, not everyone likes girls to play instruments – but this group of seven ultra-cool musicians are ripping up those expectations. Read more here
Kissing cowboys: the queer
rodeo stars bucking a macho
American tradition The Guardian
Photographer Luke Gilford could not believe his eyes when he first stumbled across a gay rodeo. He set about capturing the joyous, tender, authentic world he saw there. Read more here
Home Bass: How Music Helps Us Work & Create Through Lockdown The Quietus
During the Covid pandemic many of us have had to start working from home. But how does the music we listen to affect our labours? And what impact can it have on creativity? Read more here
Jena Friedman: the outrageous talkshow host women have been waiting for The Guardian
Provocative and very funny, the comedian’s satirical chatshow specialises in taking on white men who have never had their values questioned. Read more here
Watch the throne: why artist Thierry Oussou faked an archaeological dig The Guardian
When archaeology students unearthed a royal throne in Benin they were astonished. But it was actually a replica, planted to make a statement about the colonial looting of African art. Read more here
Audio-entertainment companies are coming to home-schooling parents’ aid The Economist
There are few better ways to keep a child occupied than with a compelling story, vividly told. Read here
A 4.30am start and three-minute toilet breaks: are you ready for microscheduling? The Guardian
It’s easy to feel swamped by work and succumb to stress, so some people have decided the answer lies in scheduling their day, minute by minute. Read here
Seeds, kale and red meat once a month – how to eat the diet that will save the world The Guardian
A complete overhaul of what we eat may be the only way to meet the needs of a planet in crisis. So what’s on – and off – the menu? Read here
Call My Agent: the French comedy gem A-listers are desperate to star in The Guardian
The sharp, hilarious look at the hell of being an agent already features everyone from Juliette Binoche to Isabelle Huppert sending themselves up. Now, Hollywood has come knocking. Read more here
The Atlas des régions naturelles: France as you've never seen her before The Guardian
They set out to capture the forgotten France, the everyday architecture of emptied towns and overlooked villages – before their uniqueness is lost for ever. Eric Tabuchi and Nelly Monnier talk us through their vast photographic atlas. Read more here
An oral history of the AIM away message (by the people who were there) Inside Design
Online chat was the thing no one knew they needed then live without. And AOL Instant Messenger is where it all started. Read more here
Uyghur civilisation in China continues to be erased as part of chilling mission The Art Newspaper
Australian think tank data reveals that two-thirds of the region’s mosques have been either destroyed or damaged.
Read more here
'Art history isn’t the neat package you think it is': first look at MoMA's $450m expansion The Art Newspaper
How the New York museum has remixed its unrivalled collection ahead of its 21 October re-opening. Read here
‘You need to prepare yourselves’: how a good review can destroy a restaurant The Guardian
A US food critic has revealed how his power list of burgers led to the closure of the restaurant at No 1. It’s an experience his fellow critics can relate to. Read here
'Tech CEOs are like cult leaders' – the artists taking on Facebook and big data The Guardian
Langlands and Bell are celebrating their 40th year together – by taking an uncompromising look at Silicon Valley’s utopian promises. Read more here
Extreme loneliness or the perfect balance? How to work from home and stay healthy The Guardian
More and more people are working where they live, attracted by the promise of flexibility, efficiency and no commute. But does this come at a cost to their wellbeing? Read here
Our lost world in watercolours – the paintings that documented Earth The Guardian
A new website is digitising millions of watercolours – to make instantly available a wealth of vital historic imagery that could assist everything from climate research to school teachers. Read more here
The truth about expired food: how best-before dates create a waste mountain The Guardian
What happens if you ignore expiry dates altogether? One man did that for a year, without ill effects – but his approach is debatable. Read here
How Lockdown Allowed London’s Local Neighbourhoods to Shine Elephant Magazine
Street corners, pavements and front doors have taken on a new significance this year in London under lockdown. Artists have long celebrated the quiet joy of the city and its local communities, telling a story of political upheaval, power and transformation. Read more here
Back in the frame: the extraordinary artists Britain forgot The Guardian
Combing through musty studios and garrets has become a way of life for specialists Liss Llewellyn, whose Hidden Gems exhibition lays bare museum-grade works that have fallen into oblivion – more often than not by women. Read more here
Monumental loss: Azerbaijan and 'the worst cultural genocide of the 21st century' The Guardian
A damning new report details an attempted erasure by Azerbaijan of its Armenian cultural heritage, including the destruction of tens of thousands of Unesco-protected ancient stone carvings. Read more here
An oral history of the hamburger icon (by the people who were there) Inside Design
Users the world over know what those three little lines mean: how a throwaway icon became a staple of information architecture. Read more here
Bourse de Commerce: opening of Pinault's long-awaited Paris museum is—pandemic permitting—finally around the corner The Art Newspaper
Two decades since the billionaire started planning a home for his collection in the French capital, the spectacular space is due to open on 23 January. Read more here
'Take care of your actors': the intimacy director keeping Netflix’s sex scenes safe
The Guardian
The teen comedy Sex Education has been praised for its sex-positive bedroom portrayals. Its secret weapon? An intimacy co-ordinator and her copy of The Lesbian Kama Sutra. Read more here
When did just looking at art lose its appeal? The Art Newspaper
Sleep in Hopper’s motel room or dive into Monet’s pond—museums are increasingly going beyond traditional exhibition formats to attract visitors.
Read more here
Deadly appetite: 10 animals we are eating into extinction The Guardian
From eel and sturgeon to pangolin and turtle, hundreds of species are threatened by human hunger or greed. Here are some of the most at risk. Read here
