Three arts organisations have announced they will no longer be participating in Sydney Festival 2022 following a sponsorship deal between the festival and the Israeli Embassy.
The call for a boycott has been instated with protests taking place supported by a coalition of Arab and pro-Palestinian organisations as well as assorted academics and artists.
The protests are fuelled by the $20,000 sponsorship agreement by the Sydney Dance Company to have a production staged by Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin called Decadance.
The list of artists is continuing to grow, with current withdrawals including Blake Prize-winning artist Khaled Sabsabi, dance company Bindi Bosses, Malyangapa and Barkindji rapper Barkaa, Bankstown poetry slam, comedian Nazeem Hussain, and the Arab Theatre Studio.
Read our media release: Palestine Justice Movement Sydney joins other Palestine solidarity-organisations in calling on audiences and performers to boycott @sydney_festival this January. We’re also calling on festival directors to refuse complicity w Israeli apartheid & resign. pic.twitter.com/AquadkgjdY
— Palestine Justice Movement Sydney (@PalestineRising) December 22, 2021
Read the article by Lara Dee from Happy Media.