Entertaiment is a rich and varied concept with no fixed definition; what is entertainment for one person may be considered work or cruelty by another. Familiar forms of entertainment have shown a remarkable capacity for crossing over different media, retaining their appeal and providing the possibility of creative remix.
Entertainment has become strongly associated with amusement, but many entertainments have a serious purpose: ceremony, celebration, religious festival or satire for example. The word comes from the Latin intertenere, derived from the Indo-European root ten, meaning to stretch or extend. It is fitting that the article in this issue of T E News should consider the enormous extension of entertainment that has now taken place and the corresponding expansion of the industry.