Shadow of anti-Israel boycott on Sydney Festival over Israeli embassy contribution
The escalating boycott of Sydney Festival over a grant from the Israeli embassy has disrupted more than 20 shows and events, including cancellations, withdrawals from the program and cast changes.
On the eve of the festival, new director Olivia Ansell, who is also facing record COVID-19 cases and forecast wet weather, was doing her best to put a bright face on the city’s cultural extravaganza.
“We’re all prepared,” she said. “We have over 120 events proceeding in the festival, which employs 800 artists right across greater Sydney.”
But the number of events has been dwindling after western Sydney community organisations called for a boycott over the festival’s decision to accept $20,000 from the embassy to stage Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin’s work Decadance. They say the partnership with Israel has made the event unsafe for people of Arab background.
Co-organiser Fahad Ali said 16 shows had either withdrawn from the festival or been cancelled, with another seven disrupted as individuals joined the boycott.
“If you lose 10 per cent of your program, that equates to probably a loss of more than the sponsorship sum,” he said.
The withdrawals include artist Khaled Sabsabi, comedians Nazeem Hussain and Tom Ballard, rapper Barkaa, dance ensemble Bindi Bosses, Arab Theatre Studio, Bankstown Poetry Slam, journalist Amy McQuire and author Yumi Stynes.
The show Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner has withdrawn from the festival “in solidarity with the Palestinian cause and with all Indigenous peoples’ right to sovereignty and liberation” but will still go ahead independently.
While Belvoir Street Theatre’s season of Mararo Wangai’s show Black Brass will also go ahead, the company will no longer accept financial support from the festival “in recognition that the community is now divided and Palestinian artists are unable to participate in [the festival] with the same cultural safety that was so essential to the making of [our show].”
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