Sydney Festival will suspend all funding from international governments and their cultural agencies.
The festival announced the decision following an independent review into “international government investment”, which festival chair David Kirk promised earlier this year in response to the backlash surrounding the festival’s decision to receive funding from the Israeli Embassy.
Almost 50 stakeholders, including artists, partners, employees, the festival’s leadership team and the board, as well as other festivals and arts bodies contributed to the review.
The review found the festival had to improve policies and procedures surrounding arts partnerships and sponsorships, which includes accepting funding from international governments.
Statement from the board of Sydney Festival.
Full statement: https://t.co/bKZR8lJkkg pic.twitter.com/Be6B4GX05i
— Sydney Festival (@sydney_festival) September 27, 2022
“Sydney Festival acknowledges that events leading up to and during the 2022 Festival could have been better managed to minimise the impact on artists, employees, partners, supporters and the wider community,” Kirk said in a statement.
“We sincerely apologise to all those affected. We would like to thank everyone who shared their experiences as part of the review process. We have listened to what was said, and we are acting on key findings.”
Consider this your notice: do not accept dirty money from governments, corporations, & any other entities complicit in injustice & human rights abuses anywhere.
Sydney Festival suspends overseas government funding after Israel boycott furore.https://t.co/CDu1kd9FSZ
— sara m. saleh | سارة صالح (@SaraSalehTweets) September 27, 2022
The festival will also review and update its crisis management response policies and procedures, and develop a funding and sponsorship charter to assess future sponsorship opportunities. Once the board has finalised and approved the charter, the festival will look into the role of international government funding again.
The review also called for the festival to work with diverse stakeholders when it came to discussing the “social and cultural issues” linked to financial sponsorship.
The lead up to the 2022 Sydney Festival was mired by controversy after myriad artists and organisations staged a mass boycott over the Israeli Embassy providing $20,000 to co-fund a Sydney Dance Company performance featuring the work of Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin.
Please read 🖤 pic.twitter.com/4FjZzobWHi
— Shari Niliwil Sebbens (@sharileesebbo) January 5, 2022
After listening to the calls to boycott the @Sydney_Festival over its decision to accept funding from and partner with the Embassy of Israel, I have decided to withdraw from my scheduled performance at the Festival’s Gala Comedy Night, in solidarity.
— Tom Ballard (@TomCBallard) January 4, 2022
A number of pro-Palestine activists and groups joined the call for a boycott, including the Palestine Justice Movement Sydney.
“The Israeli government uses culture to hide its apartheid practices and present itself to the world as a free, fair and enlightened liberal democracy,” the movement said in a statement on Twitter.
“By partnering with Israel, Sydney Festival will be complicit in Israel’s strategy to art-wash its crimes, and will contribute to the normalisation of an apartheid state.”
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
@sydney_festival has refused artist calls to divest its Star Partnership with the Israeli Embassy and end all relations with the apartheid state.
As artists we will not be silent. #boycottsydfest #sydneyfestival pic.twitter.com/4oL17jfupE— Arab Theatre Studio (@ArabiStudio) January 2, 2022
You can’t PR apartheid. You can’t sing, dance or paint over apartheid. @sydney_festival #boycottsydfest
Artist: @ahmedelkhalidi https://t.co/QO8y4K5aM2 pic.twitter.com/e7yIhz9mLB
— Jennine (@jennineak) January 7, 2022
The 2023 festival program will be announced next month.
