Melbourne University dance work is a black and white case of ‘identity politics’

Multicultural Affairs Minister Alan Tudge attacks Uni of Melbourne for backing a dance work that divides audience members along race.

Dance student Isabella Mason whose work Where We Stand has created controversy. Picture: Aaron Francis

Multicultural Affairs Minister Alan Tudge has attacked the University of Melbourne’s “adoption of identity politics” for standing by a contemporary dance performance that divides audience members along racial lines and requires whites to sign a declaration before entering the theatre.

Mr Tudge said the Where We Stand performance — created by third-year Victorian College of the Arts dance student Isabella Mason — promoted racism and condoned segregation, warning that “morally righteous” activists were “actually supporting a reversal of hard-fought rights”.

“I despair at some of our universities and their adoption of identity politics, particularly in relation to race,” he told The Australian. “Australia is an incredible multicultural nation where most Australians are concerned only with people’s character and contribution, not the colour of their skin. Yes, racism still exists. But our aim should be to stamp it out, not promote it.”

Melbourne University was standing by Mason’s performance yesterday, saying it would not cancel any performances — due tonight and tomorrow night — and which are featured as part of the Dance ON 2018 showcase to celebrate 40 years of the Victorian College of the Arts’ dance course.

Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane did not directly answer a series of questions from The Australian about the performance, but provided a short statement noting the Racial Discrimination Act exempted discrimination in “artistic work and public discussion that is done reasonably and in good faith”.

The response was attacked by former prime minister Tony Abbott as “very selective” given the Human Rights Commission’s investigation into the late Bill Leak over his 2016 cartoon in The Australian depicting indigenous disadvantage.

In its February 2017 report, the parliamentary joint committee on human rights found that Dr Soutphommasane’s conduct in relation to the Leak case warranted the introduction of new guidelines to ensure “perceptions of complaint soliciting are not able to be drawn”.

Mr Abbott told The Australian: “I think we can say that Tim Soutphommasane has always adopted a very selective approach to his job.”

“He certainly seems to have double standards when it comes to the application of 18D. The basic problem with the Human Rights Commission more generally is that it always seems to operate to assert the rights of people associated with the green left and repress the rights of people who might be described as conservative.”

Dr Soutphommasane told The Australian: “The Racial Discrimination Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, and section 18C makes it unlawful to act in a way that is reasonably likely to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate on the grounds of race.”

“However, section 18D exempts artistic work and public discussion that is done reasonably and in good faith.” The acting dean of Melbourne University’s Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, Jon Cattapan, yesterday hit out at Institute of Public Affairs director Bella D’Abrera for saying Mason’s show should be cancelled if it continued to segregate its audience.

“It’s surprising to see the IPA calling for free speech and creative licence to be shut down,” he said. “There is no plan to cancel the remaining two performances … contemporary and, on occasion, challenging student work is something we encourage.

“We have received one email complaint about the show today, from an audience member who felt the performance of Where We Stand came across as a lecture rather than a dance performance,” he said.

“The Faculty of Fine Arts and Music follows a consistent process of careful discussion and final ­approval of student shows.”