AI, Barbie and me – what is next for the creative industries?

Did I love Barbie? Did I love Ken? Was this the greatest phenomenon of the 2023 cinematic genre? Probably not … it did not win anything except a great deal of money as everyone wanted to see it. … It does, however, stake a claim for what is art, culture and the future. Is it pink? In this issue we have an eclectic mix of what is available and of interest to our reviewers and you. The range of work in this issue comes from many countries and crosses digital transcriptions, genres of definition and proclaim meanings of words – life, love, death and disease – to change and challenge how each of the art forms develops at pace. Back in the day, well at least in the past century, I worked in a Sindy Doll Factory in Kent, UK. Sindy was a poor relation to Barbie, and no one has ever made a film about her and her feminizing ways. Sindy was a British Fashion Doll – the doll you love to dress. Apparently, there was market research which showed that Barbie, the American rival was unpopular with British buyers, who were undoubtedly the parents of little girls in the United Kingdom. She was originally called Tammy and after a poll the name was changed to Sindy, which eventually became Cindy in the United States. Whilst Sindy was sporty and fashionable, she also did the ironing, washing and cooking, and Sindy’s boyfriend was called Paul. The manufacturers even took advantage of colour-changing technology and made hair and swimming costumes that could change colour when immersed in water. In the factory we made horses and full equestrian kit for Sindy; we had Queen Anne bedroom furniture set with wardrobe, dressing table chairs and stool and multiple kits of gym paraphernalia including an electric slimming belt for Sindy, which was annoyingly difficult to put together. It was quite swiftly discontinued. … In September 2023, Sindy was 60.