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Daily News Egypt
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily News Egypt
From Cannes to Edinburgh: Europe's 2025 Festivals Demonstrate that Art Is a Powerful Instrument for Peace
In the ancient streets of Edinburgh, where historic stones echo with the sounds of theatre, comedy, and music, the world is witnessing one of the boldest calls for peace: the 2025 International Fringe Festival. The world's largest arts gathering, with more than 3,000 performances, has in its current edition transformed into a vibrant arena for debate on peace, with Palestine and Ukraine at its heart. Amid the lights and satirical performances, Palestinian artist Sami Abu Warda's Palestine: Peace de Resistance stands out. Blending historical narrative with dark comedy, he delivers an absurd yet piercing response to the Palestinian tragedy. His biting satire of colonialism is more than art—it is an act of resistance that transforms suffering into a space for dialogue and reflection. Another performance, Palestine Stands Up, features Palestinian artists sharing their stories through comedy that provokes laughter but leaves a lasting ache—raising a profound question: can peace emerge from laughter? The festival has not been untouched by politics. During an event attended by Scotland's First Minister, John Swinney, Palestinian protesters voiced opposition to his government's support for Israel. The demonstrations were strong enough to cancel several shows—reminding the world that art does not exist apart from politics, but reflects it through the perspective of peoples rather than governments. Yet Edinburgh is not alone this year; Europe as a whole has become one vast stage for peace. At the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025, the Palestinian pavilion returned with strength, affirming that images can resist silencing. Three documentaries on the conflict were screened, including one focusing on Palestinian journalists who face war armed with cameras instead of rifles. In a moving moment, Jury President Juliette Binoche paid tribute to Palestinian photographer Fatima Hassouna, calling on the world to condemn the blockade of Gaza. Meanwhile, Ukraine was honoured through the awarding of the French Order of Arts and Letters to producer Volodymyr Yatsenko—a gesture affirming culture's resilience in the face of destruction. In July, the Festival d'Avignon in France opened its stages to Ukrainian artists envisioning reconstruction. Since 2022, the festival has dedicated space to Ukrainian art, but in 2025 the message was even clearer: here, art is not simply performance but a collective rehearsal for imagining a post-war future. One highlight was a panel entitled The Roles of International Festivals Today, which gathered organisers from across continents to debate the role of culture in a conflict-ridden world. By contrast, the Berlinale 2025 in Germany faced a political storm, after the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) called for its boycott over alleged 'complicity with Israel.' Here, the debates surpassed cinema itself, confronting a larger question: can art ever be neutral? Or is neutrality in times of bloodshed nothing but an illusion? Even smaller festivals echoed the same spirit. Serbia's Festival of Arts and Human Rights (June 2025) featured workshops, plays, and films that addressed Palestine and Ukraine while linking them to broader themes of truth, justice, and freedom. The conclusion was clear: peoples are searching for genuine peace, and art offers the path forward. Why, then, are festivals able to say what political conferences cannot? Research provides an answer. A study from SIT University affirms that cultural festivals foster dialogue and mutual understanding far beyond the language of political interests. On ResearchGate, scholars argue that in post-violence contexts, the arts help repair social ties and nurture empathy between former enemies. Meanwhile, the Oxford Research Encyclopedias emphasise that while art can be harnessed for violence, it more often becomes a powerful instrument of peace, creating shared narratives that dissolve the boundaries of 'us' and 'them.' The picture grows sharper in other studies. Research at Nova Southeastern University highlights that art in conflict zones must be recognised in all its diverse forms, and its true value lies in its independence from biased state politics. A study on reconciliation in Bosnia adds that art builds peace 'from below'—from the people themselves—whereas politics, imposed 'from above,' often fails to reach the human heart. Here lies the stark contrast: political conferences are closed arenas, dominated by governments and their alliances, while artistic festivals are open spaces that amplify the voices of artists, activists, and ordinary people. Politics deafens; art restores hearing with voices that cannot be silenced. In the end, if 2025 has taught us anything, it is that art is neither luxury nor ornament, but a true force for peace. The festivals of Edinburgh, Cannes, Avignon, Berlin, and Serbia have all demonstrated that culture is stronger than political propaganda. If we truly want lasting peace, we must first listen to the artists—before the politicians. Dr. Marwa El-Shinawy – Writer and Academic
Glasgow Times
13-08-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow arts centre 'deeply sorry' for handling of Palestine protest
The Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) on Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow has been closed since Art Workers for Palestine Scotland occupied the building on June 24 over the centre's refusal to adopt a Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) policy or support the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). Protesters had planned to take over the building for five days, hosting events, workshops and screenings exploring 'the complicity of Scotland's cultural institutions' in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. However, the CCA announced a temporary closure after the first day of the takeover led to the arrest of a 63-year-old woman and an injury to one individual. The centre has remained closed, though officials have now said they are 'deeply sorry' for how the incident was handled. READ NEXT: Glasgow DJ at risk of 'far-right repression' launches fundraiser to stay in Scotland READ NEXT: Racist teen thug terrorised East End neighbours during 11-month crime spree Police vans outside of CCA on June 24 (Image: NQ) A statement shared on the venue's website reads: 'CCA Glasgow acknowledges the disruption, confusion and harm experienced over recent weeks, particularly by our community, artists, staff, tenants and partners. 'We sincerely regret the outcome of our decisions on June 24 and that an individual was injured. We recognise that a lack of clarity on our choices had real human consequences, and for this we are deeply sorry. 'We apologise for the delay in external communications, as we focused first on internal dialogue so that we could provide clear and considered information when speaking publicly. 'We are listening and know that trust cannot be repaired with words alone, but through consistent, honest, and long-term work.' Following on from the prolonged closure, CCA have said they are 'accelerating' plans for leadership changes within the institution. A new finance manager is set to be appointed this month and once the current chair's term ends in October, the venue will seek a 'new permanent leadership for CCA'. New board members are also set to be recruited, with 'an aim to widen the scope of experience, background, and representation, including global majority voices'. Amidst the centre's closure, an independent bookshop housed within the premises has been 'asked to leave' after 17 years. Aye Aye Books – whose aim is to think about the world we live in, how it works, what powers it, who runs it, and how we might need to respond to that – was asked to relocate by the centre. In an email from CCA shared by owner Martin Vincent, the centre said that whilst it undertakes discussions with funding sources to work towards reopening, 'it is probably sensible to accept that this period of closure marks the end of CCA's relationship with Aye Aye Books'. Almost two months after the protest, the institution has decided to reverse its decision on stance on supporting PACBI measures, noting the 'urgency' of calls to endorse the movement. The CCA will reopen 'without formal endorsement', but said it is working towards 'adopting an ethical fundraising and programming policy'. 'We condemn the violence of the Israeli state, the ongoing occupation, genocide, and the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza', the statement continues. 'We stand firmly against all forms of oppression and in support of the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people. "We respect the calls for CCA to endorse PACBI (the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel). 'We are grateful to those who have challenged us and held us to account and have clearly and powerfully expressed the need for cultural institutions to take a stand.' A provisional re-opening date has been set for August 25.
STV News
13-08-2025
- Politics
- STV News
CCA apologises for handling of pro-Palestinian protests after two-month closure
The Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Glasgow has apologised for its response to protests by pro-Palestinian activists and announced changes to its board. The institute on Sauchiehall Street has been closed since June 24, when Art Workers for Palestine Scotland began a week-long demonstration occupying the building's public courtyard. The group planned to stage events in the 'liberated zone', including workshops, screenings and discussions that centred on Palestinian liberation and 'interrogate the complicity of Scottish cultural institutions in the ongoing genocide in Gaza'. The action was announced in response to the CCA's Board's refusal to endorse the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). The PACBI advocates for a boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions. Police were called to the CCA building after activists began their takeover, resulting in a 63-year-old woman being arrested and injured. Nearly 50 days on, the CCA has said it 'sincerely regrets' the outcome of its decision on June 24 and that an individual was injured. STV News Art Workers for Palestine Scotland action at CCA In a statement, it acknowledged the 'disruption, confusion and harm experienced over recent weeks, particularly by our community, artists, staff, tenants and partners'. 'We recognise that a lack of clarity on our choices had real human consequences, and for this we are deeply sorry', the statement adds. The centre said it is 'committed to meaningful engagement first within the organisation, and then with all those we work with and serve'. It goes on: 'We are listening and know that trust cannot be repaired with words alone, but through consistent, honest, and long-term work. 'We are working to refresh our processes to ensure leadership reflects our principles, to amplify staff voices and to meet the changing needs of CCA. 'Through this, we remain committed to meaningful engagement first within the organisation, and then with all those we work with and serve. 'This includes constructive dialogue with those who have raised concerns. Reopening will require a collective effort across our entire community. We now ask for your support and patience as we undertake this process of reflection and repair.' Following the closure, plans to change the Board membership are set to be accelerated. New members, including a finance minister, will be recruited, and the current chair will finish her term in October. The new leadership is set to revisit the decision not to endorse PACBI, with the centre saying it 'respects the calls for CCA to endorse PACBI' and is 'grateful to those who have challenged us and held us to account and have clearly and powerfully expressed the need for cultural institutions to take a stand'. 'We condemn the violence of the Israeli state, the ongoing occupation, genocide, and the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza', the statement adds. 'We stand firmly against all forms of oppression and in support of the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people.' The CCA said it is working towards reopening on August 25, following a period of work with artists and communities to rebuild trust. Art Workers for Palestine Scotland described the statement as a 'moment of real institutional change and real decolonisation'. Commenting, the group said: 'It is huge win for pro-Palestinian campaigners, organisers, staff, artists and members of the CCA's community, and shows us how we can use our collective power to successfully demand that arts organisations represent the views of the people who constitute them, and stand in unequivocal solidarity with Palestine and against the genocidal settler-colonial state. 'We will now hold CCA to account and ensure that a formal endorsement of PACBI, the cultural boycott of Israel, is made as soon as a new board is in place.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The National
11-08-2025
- Politics
- The National
Scottish cultural groups 'lead world by far' on Israel boycott
On Monday, Art Workers for Palestine Scotland confirmed that more than 200 Scottish organisations had given their backing to the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). PACBI dates back to 2004. It asks artists and academics to sign up to boycott Israeli institutions in protest of the country's policies toward Palestinians, which experts including Amnesty International and B'Tselem say constitutes genocide. READ MORE: Wee Ginger Dug: The real reason Gaza journalists are killed? To hide Israel's crimes In Scotland, organisations including the Scottish Artists Union, BUZZCUT, Atlas Arts, Scottish Queer International Film Festival, Timespan, Arika, and the V&A Dundee Young People's Collective have all pledged to support PACBI. The PACBI campaign said that crossing the 200 threshold meant Scotland had 'by far the highest proportional uptake of our call in any country on earth'. The Scottish Government under SNP leader John Swinney is also considering a state boycott of Israel, as The National revealed last week, after it was challenged by Green MSP Ross Greer to follow up on its description of Israel's actions as genocide. A spokesperson from Art Workers for Palestine Scotland campaign said: 'Over the last two years our campaign for the cultural boycott of Israel has garnered over 200 endorsements from across the length and breadth of Scotland, sending a clear message to our cultural 'leaders' and politicians: that Scottish culture stands proudly and unequivocally with the Palestinian people. 'Israel's longstanding use of a 'culture' as a way to disguise its brutal regime of genocide and ethnic cleansing will no longer go unchallenged. We stand for real decolonisation in the arts and recognise the vital role of artists and art workers to use our platform and our skills for liberation. 'The backing of PACBI in Scotland represents the highest proportional uptake of PACBI anywhere in the world and is a testament to the radical currents running through Scottish culture, which was also at the forefront of the cultural boycott of Apartheid South Africa. 'We urge the Scottish Government to end its complicity and to use its full devolved power to back the Greer proposal and institute legislation that effectively boycotts the pariah state of Israel, which is in breach of international law, as Apartheid South Africa was before it. 'We especially demand the Scottish Government formerly backs a full sporting and cultural boycott of Israel.'
The National
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Police Scotland accused of 'injuring 63-year-old Palestine activist'
Lindsey Murray was arrested on June 24 amid a protest against complicity with Israeli war crimes at the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Glasgow. The Gaza Genocide Emergency Committee (GGEC) later claimed she had been 'brought unnecessarily to the ground' and 'sustained debilitating injuries' that required hospital treatment. Activists had organised a week-long series of events in the CCA's public space to demonstrate against the board's refusal to adopt a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) policy or endorse the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). READ MORE: BBC host takes issue with legal expert labelling Israel's plans 'concentration camps' However, it was shut down on the first day, with police called to remove demonstrators from the building. A Police Scotland spokesperson said at the time: 'Around 12.55pm on Tuesday, 24 June, 2025, we received a report of a disturbance involving a large group on Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. 'One woman, aged 63, has been arrested in connection.' The GGEC claimed that Murray had been subject to a 'brutal arrest and hospitalisation by Police Scotland officers'. A statement from the group alleged that 'despite being seriously injured, unable to walk, and pleading for medical help', she was placed into a police van before being taken to a station. READ MORE: Scots Language Centre plunged into crisis as board resigns over payments row It said that she had been 'deemed unable to walk by medics' and taken to hospital, where she remained for two weeks. Video of the incident on social media shows Murray laying handcuffed, half-in a police van, as she says she cannot get further in. A Police Scotland spokesperson did not address the allegations in the statement. They said only: "A complaint has been received and is being assessed." The Scottish Ambulance Service said it had no record of being involved in treating a person in those circumstances on that date.
