QMusic’s $450k funding at risk after stood down teacher Kellee Green’s ‘divisive’ speech

A major Queensland arts body could lose public funding after controversial comments at an awards night by a pro-Palestinian jazz composer - who has since been stood down from her day job at a Brisbane school.

Arts organisation QMusic faces losing its public funding due to controversial comments made at an awards night by a pro-Palestinian jazz composer — who has since been stood down from her teaching day job.

Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek has issued a please explain to QMusic — which receives $450,000 in state government funding a year – over “divisive commentary” at the Queensland Music Awards as he warned “actions have consequences”.

QMusic has already lost $25,000 in Brisbane City Council funding for the annual Queensland Music Awards, with Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner questioning if the event had been “hijacked by extremists”.

It can now be revealed the musician at the centre of the furore — jazz composer Kellee Green — has been asked to go on leave by Brisbane private catholic girls’ school Brigidine College where she works as the arts director.

Jazz composer Kellee Green.

In a letter to parents, viewed by The Courier Mail, Brigidine College principal Brendan Cahill said he had been told by the teacher that she had “not made political statements to students”.

“Ms Green did this in a personal capacity and was not representing the College. In an acceptance speech, Ms Green made political statements about conflict in the Middle East, criticising Israel, “ the letter said.

“Thank you to parents who have contacted the College today to express their concerns. Please be assured that Brigidine College will continue to strive to promote an inclusive community in which students feel valued and supported.”

A parent wirth two children at the school, who wanted to remain anonymous, said Ms Green’s future at the college should be “considered”.

A letter from Brigidine College principal Brendan Cahill to parents.

“The comments were offensive to many people and they are certainly not aligned with the Brigidine tradition that we love about the school,” he said

“Teachers have a right to personal views but when their views are offensive to another section of the community and they are expressed publicly they should not be tolerated. The Principal should be commended for moving so quickly and taking a stance.

“The teacher’s long term future at Brigidine should be seriously considered by the school’s leadership”

Ms Green won the top jazz gong at the QMA’s for her seven-minute instrumental song “River to Sea”— a phrase used by militant group Hamas that Jewish groups say is anti-Semitic as it suggests the erasure of Israel as a state.

She then used her acceptance speech to accuse the federal government of helping Israel “kill innocent Palestinian men, women and children”.

QMusic chief executive Kris Stewart, in a statement, accepted the phrase “River to Sea” carried political connotations but said the title “did not stand out as divisive within the volume of songs received for the category”.

“We recognise there are leanings from this year’s event and commit to providing our members with an update on any changes ahead of next year’s awards,” she said.

CEO of QMusic Kris Stewart. Picture: Eyes Wide Open Images

Mr Schrinner said the “promotion of anti-Semitism” at the QMA’s was “utterly shameful and divisive”.

“Allowing such vile hate speech to occur shows the awards seem to be no longer capable of achieving their own stated goal to ‘promote diversity and inclusion,” he said.

“The decision to hand a major prize to an offensively titled anti-Jewish song raises serious questions about whether the awards have been hijacked by extremists.”

Mr Langbroek said the QMA’s “should have never been the place for this divisive commentary to occur”.

Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

“I have sought an explanation from QMusic and I will be questioning the awards process, current eligibility criteria, and comments made at the awards ceremony,” he said.

A Brigidine College spokeswoman confirmed Ms Green had agreed to go on leave after being asked by the school.

The spokeswoman said the school did not condone the statements made by Ms Green, and confirmed they were seeking more information on the comments she made at the awards and “her personal musical recordings”.

Ms Green was contacted for comment.

Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler said platforming artists who were effectively glorifying the eradication of the State of Israel under the guise of “artistic expression” was an attack on Jewish people and on Australian values.

Originally published as QMusic’s $450k funding at risk after stood down teacher Kellee Green’s ‘divisive’ speech