Festival launched by Angus Robertson faces apology demand

The Herald Scotland

2 days ago

The Art Workers for Palestine campaign is also demanding that the festival, the UK's largely annual celebration of visual art, sign up to a full cultural boycott of Israel.
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Campaigners for the same group have been stepping up pressure on the Edinburgh International Festival in recent weeks over its backing by the investment firm Baillie Gifford.
The EIF has resisted calls to sever its links with the company over its investment in firms which have been linked to Israel, including the defence giant Babcock International.
The art festival distanced itself from Baillie Gifford two years after controversy flared over the firm's backing of the book festival. Art festival chair Gemma Cairney was due to interview climate activist Greta Thunberg before she pulled out of her book festival and accused Baillie Gifford of "greenwashing" events by putting money into them while it had investments in the fossil fuels industry.
Jupiter Artland is one of the venues hosting events during the Edinburgh Art Festival. (Image: Neil Hanna)
At the time, the art festival said it was aiming to be a "responsible and ethical organisation."
Writing in this year's programme, director Kim McAleese said the 2025 festival would be exploring "the conditions under which we live, work, gather and resist."
Angus Robertson has been criticised for meeting Daniela Grudsky, Israel's deputy ambassador to the UK. (Image: Twitter/X)
The art festival has come under pressure over Mr Robertson's involvement in the event days after Fringe venue Summerhall said sorry to performers appearing in this year's festival for the 'oversight' of allowing Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes to be interviewed in an event organised by The Herald.
The art festival, has been running for 21 years, secured a new three-year Scottish Government deal worth £470,000 in January, while the government is also funding this year's programme to the tune of £200,000 through its Festivals Expo Fund.
Its programme encompasses 82 exhibitions and events across 45 galleries and venues, including Jupiter Artland, the Fruitmarket, the Royal Botanic Garden, St Giles' Cathedral, Dovecot Studios and the Talbot Rice Gallery.
Mr Robertson, who made a speech at a launch of the art festival at its base at Outer Spaces on Leith Street, was also filmed for a video used by the Scottish Government to promote Edinburgh's summer festivals.
He said: 'Edinburgh is the world capital of festivals. Festivals are Edinburgh's cultural jewel and I would encourage absolutely everybody to try something they have not tried.
'Culture in Scotland is in the process of receiving the biggest ever increase in government spending because culture and the arts matter so much to us as a country, as a society and for our economy too.
'Festivals are a really tangible example of why that is such a sensible investment, for the cultural health of the country, but also for all the people they bring, the people who attend and perform in festivals, and the supply chains that go with them.'
Mr Robertson faced calls to resign and criticism from SNP politicians last year after it emerged that he had met with Israel's deputy ambassador to the UK, Daniela Grudsky, after accepting an invitation from the Israeli government.
He later apologised for how the meeting had been handled and said that in hindsight that it should been solely focused on discussions about Gaza.
The statement on the art festival posted by Arts Workers for Palestine states: 'This is a festival that claims to invite audiences to 'witness, reflect and participate' in 'narratives that fought to be remembered.'
'We will not forget Robertson's actions. We will not forget his complicity.
'We demand that the festival publicly apologises, and commits to fully endorsing and practising the cultural boycott of Israel.'
A spokesperson for the art festival said: 'The Scottish Government is one of the funders of the Edinburgh Art Festival.
'Angus Robertson spoke at the launch of festival to acknowledge this. He speaks on behalf of the Scottish Government at Edinburgh festival launch events."
A spokesperson for the government said: "The Scottish Government has repeatedly called for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages and an urgent increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza.
"The government will continue to press the UK Government to recognise a sovereign Palestinian state, as part of a two-state solution to secure lasting peace in the region.'
Edinburgh's festivals have been staged against a growing backdrop of controversy over the involvement of politicians, claims books and authors have been deliberately excluded from programmes and events, and the ongoing support from Edinburgh-based investment firm Baillie Gifford for a number of cultural institutions.
The National Library of Scotland was accused of 'cowardice' and capitulation to censorship' earlier this week after it emerged it had withdrawn a gender critical book from an exhibition staged to mark its centenary from complaints from staff.
Summerhall has been criticised by Ms Forbes, finance secretary Shona Robison and former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon after Summerhall 'apologised unreservedly' for the presence of the Deputy First Minister in the building.
Summer said it would be introducing new 'inclusion and wellbeing policies' as a result of concerns that had been raised by artists and performers.
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