Sydney Festival caught up in ‘art-wash’ protest

The Sydney Festival has committed to review any future funding from foreign governments following calls to boycott the event over a $20,000 donation from the Israeli Embassy.

Comedian Nazeem Hussain.

The Sydney Festival has committed to review any future funding from foreign governments following calls to boycott the event over a $20,000 donation from the Israeli Embassy to help mount a performance by Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin.

While confirming that all current funding agreements – including for Naharin’s dance performance, Decadance, at the Opera House – will be honoured, the Sydney Festival board said it had determined to “review its practices in relation to funding from foreign governments or ­related parties.”

A number of prominent artists have already pulled out of the event in protest at the sponsorship by the Israeli Embassy in Canberra, including comedians Tom Ballard and Nazeem Hussain, the Arab Theatre Studio, Karate Boogaloo and Bankstown Poetry Slam.

Novelist Michael Mohammed Ahmad has turned down a position on the festival’s board, while the Belvoir St Theatre has announced its production of Black Brass will go ahead but without accepting financial support from the festival.

Many artists and organisations have also called for the funding to be returned to the embassy and for the Israeli Government Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo to be removed from festival promotional material.

A protest is scheduled later this week at Circular Quay to “disrupt” the festival, which begins on Thursday.

The petition was started by support group Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Australia, a “Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality”, and has attracted almost 4500 signatures on change.org.

“Israel funds cultural events and ambassadors to ‘art-wash’ the human rights violations it perpetrates against the Palestinians by presenting itself as a normal ‘democracy’ and one which can be accepted internationally, despite its ongoing grave violations of human rights and international law,” organisers wrote.

Ballard, who had been due to perform at the festival’s Gala Comedy Night, withdrew on Tuesday and called on other artists to join him.

“I love the festival and I love telling jokes, but standing up for human rights and standing against a system of apartheid is more important,” he said.

In a statement released late on Tuesday afternoon, the festival board said it would honour the current funding arrangements and that performances of Decadance would go ahead, but that it would review its funding procedures.

“The Sydney Festival board wishes collectively to affirm its respect for the right of all groups to protest and raise concerns,” the board said.

“We see it as the core role of the Sydney Festival to present art and to provide an inclusive platform for all artists.”

The Australian requested an interview with festival director Olivia Ansell but was told she was not available.

Executive Council of Australian co-chief executive Jewry Peter Wertheim labelled the boycott “ludicrous”.

“The boycott campaign hates Israel more than it loves the Palestinians,” Mr Wertheim said.