Latest news with #ArtWorkersforPalestine
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Arts centre to overhaul leadership after pro-Palestinian occupation
An arts centre has pledged to appoint new leadership and condemned the 'genocide' in Gaza after it was occupied by pro-Palestinian activists earlier this summer. Glasgow's Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) has been closed since Art Workers for Palestine Scotland occupied the building on June 24 after the venue could not come to a consensus on endorsing their cultural boycott of Israel. The campaign group had planned to host an unofficial week-long programme of workshops and screenings at the centre, but police were called and a violent altercation ensued. The CCA has now issued an apology and announced that plans to 'turnaround' the board would be 'accelerated'. In a statement, a spokesman said the centre 'acknowledges the disruption, confusion and harm experienced over recent weeks' and 'we sincerely regret the outcome of our decisions on 24 June'. He added: 'We recognise that a lack of clarity on our choices had real human consequences, and for this we are deeply sorry.' Art Workers for Palestine Scotland had called on the CCA to back the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). But on June 6, the centre announced on Instagram that its board had not come to a consensus on publicly endorsing the boycott. The CCA has now said it will 'revisit the decision on endorsement of PACBI when the new leadership is in place' and is now working towards adopting 'ethical fundraising and programming policy'. The centre said it 'respects' and recognises the 'urgency' of calls to endorse PACBI and it is 'grateful to those who have challenged us and held us to account', though it will reopen without formal endorsement until the new leadership is in place. It said new diverse board members would be recruited with an intention to 'widen the scope of experience, background and representation, including global majority'. The centre said recruitment would also be launched to replace the current chairman when she completes her term of office in October. The centre, heavily subsided by Creative Scotland, added: 'We condemn the violence of the Israeli state, the ongoing occupation, genocide, and the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. We stand firmly against all forms of oppression and in support of the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people.' The announcement was celebrated by Art Workers for Palestine Scotland, which said: 'CCA's leadership have agreed to almost every demand that has been made of them. 'We understand this statement to mark a vital and momentous change of direction at CCA – a signal towards real institutional decolonisation. It is a huge win, not only for our city of Glasgow's proud and defiant solidarity with Palestine, but also internationally. 'As Glasgow's contemporary art centre, CCA must be a beacon for our city's solidarity with Palestine, for anti-colonialism, and for art to stand on the side of liberation. We urge everyone to use the example and precedent of CCA to apply pressure to publicly funded arts organisations.' The group had previously condemned the centre for calling the police, which led to the arrest of a 63-year-old woman and an injury to a person. 'The illusion has been shattered, all trust is lost, the mask has dropped,' it had said. The CCA hopes to reopen from the week commencing August 25.
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Censorship play company 'almost' pulled plug on Festival run
The company has posted a video mocking the restrictions it claims to have faced in the run-up to the opening night of the production, which is billed as 'daring, thought-provoking theatre that refuses to shy away from the truth.' Read more: Its show, which will be running at the Church Hill Theatre in Morningside over the next few days, is said to explore 'the ever-tightening grip of censorship on artistic freedom.' The video created by the cast and shared on the social media platform Instagram suggests that the arts sector is 'awash with dirty money.' Cutting the Tightrope is being performed at the Edinburgh International Festival. (Image: Ali Wright) The company's performers poke fun at this year's EIF theme, The Truth We Seek, highlights the number of restrictions in their EIF contracts on what they 'can and cannot say,' and explores the link between Baillie Gifford and defence giant Babcock International. The EIF has come under growing pressure in recent weeks from pro-Palestine campaigners to sever its links with the Edinburgh-based investment company. The Art Workers for Palestine group has previously asked EIF performers, arts industry workers and audience members to back an open letter calling for the 78-year-old to drop Baillie Gifford, which has been targeted over its investments in firms which have been linked with Israel. Cutting the Tightrope, which is being performed in Scotland for the first time, was launched by the London-based theatre company Arcola last year. The show was partly inspired by controversial new guidance issued by Arts Council England warning that political statements made by companies and artists which cause 'reputational risk' could breach funding agreements. The show, which was also said to have been created in response to 'silence around Palestine on UK stages,' consists of a series of short plays exploring 'the power of the arts in today's world events, political resistance and displays of artistic freedom.' Writing on the EIF website, festival director Nicola Benedetti describes Cutting the Tightrope as an 'urgent artistic response to that moment and audaciously explores the power of the arts in today's world events, political resistance and dialogue around artistic freedom." Cutting the Tightrope's video, which is partly bleeped out, has emerged in the wake of claims that the EIF has tried to gag artists and performers appearing in this year's event. The Art Workers for Palestine group has published an exchange of emails which suggests visiting companies have been warned against doing anything which may affect the reputation of the festival or any of its sponsors. However the EIF has insisted that clauses in the contracts of artists are "standard provisions" used across the UK arts sector. At the start of Cutting the Tightrope's video, one of the company says: "Today we want to talk about truth. We are currently in rehearsals for our run at the Edinburgh International Festival. We're really excited to bring this to you. 'It's a really fantastic show, and you know what? We almost didn't do it, but we ultimately decided that it's more important to tell these stories on that stage, especially at this current point in time, and we thought we could raise some awareness while we're doing it.' Another performer says: 'We just had to check our contracts, because this year, there are quite a lot of clauses in the contract about what we can and can't say, particularly in relation to the festival and their sponsors. 'You see, Baillie Gifford is one of the EIF biggest institutional funders. It's a Scottish investment firm, which in turn holds millions in arms and fossil fuel companies.' A third member of the company said: 'We decided to take up this space and tell these stories that need to be told in a sector that is, when you really look at it, quite disgustingly awash with dirty money.' The video ends with the message: 'Come watch our show, Cutting the Tightrope, where we tackle issues of censorship in the arts scene, as part of the Edinburgh International Festival, whose theme this year is The Truth We Seek." A spokesperson for the EIF said: 'We're proud to be the only international festival to present Cutting the Tightrope this year. 'Having sought out this collection of plays at the Arcola Theatre, we issued an invitation to the festival because we believed in its artistic potential and its daring, important themes. 'The plays sit alongside a number of powerful productions we have selected this year to tackle urgent global issues head-on, from a range of perspectives, reflecting our theme. 'It is often our role to boldly programme work that others would not. We give voice to artists, and create a platform for important questions to be addressed artistically with nuance and empathy. 'As Cutting The Tightrope do-director Kirsty Housley said in the audio introduction to this work: 'The platform that Edinburgh International Festival are giving us feels really important. It's the first time we've ever received proper organisational support. It means that we have access to a different audience, a wider audience, an international audience, as well as the local Edinburgh audience, but also, just have infrastructure around us.' 'We are also proud of the longstanding support we have received from Baillie Gifford over the past two decades. We believe that Baillie Gifford's investment principles and portfolio are being mis-characterised and we encourage anyone commenting on this to ensure their own factual accuracy. 'We have always been transparent and forthright with artists about the essential mix of public and private funding that the festival requires. We recognise that people have different personal views on this subject and support the right for these to be expressed. "The festival doesn't prevent anyone from expressing their political views and we support we are giving artists a significant international platform for their work. We look forward to introducing these powerful plays to new audiences, and now more than ever, these important stories deserve to be heard.' The Herald has teamed up with to make the purchase of tickets for the festival so much easier. To buy tickets, please click here.
