WE, the undersigned artists, media workers, academics and campaigners, write to protest against the Underbelly's programming of a show entitled The City, by the Israeli company Incubator Theatre, during the forthcoming Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The current, brutal assault by Israel upon the people of Gaza, which is an appalling collective punishment, underlines the seriousness of this error in co-operating with a company which is funded by the Ministry of Culture of the State of Israel.
We support the call from Palestinian civil society for a targeted campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions, including of Israeli state-funded academic and cultural institutions. We strongly believe that there can be no "normality" in international relations with Israel while it continues to oppress the Palestinian people.
The state of Israel uses the international ventures of its artists to attempt to lend itself a sense of cultural legitimacy and to distract attention from the brutality of its illegal occupation. Some brave and principled Israeli artists oppose the Israeli state's cynical attempts to use them for propaganda purposes. In taking Israeli state funding, Incubator Theatre is not among them.
We therefore call upon the Underbelly to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and to reconsider the decision to include Incubator Theatre in its Fringe programme.
Liz Lochhead, Scotland's Makar; Alasdair Gray, writer; Sandra White, MSP, Scottish Jews for a Just Peace; Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods; Arthur West, chair, Scottish Friends of Palestine; Wael Shawish, member, the Scottish Palestinian community; Reem Kelani, musician; Prof. Steven Rose; Zareen Islam, chair, Muslim Women's Association of Edinburgh; David Greig, playwright; Donna Franceschild, scriptwriter; Tom Leonard, poet; Ian Pattison, writer; Cora Bissett, actor and director; Iain Robertson, actor; Gavin Mitchell, actor; Andy Field, co-director, Forest Fringe; Rupert Thomson, artistic director, Summerhall; Emma Adams, playwright; Seymour Alexander, documentary filmmaker; Peter Arnott; playwright; Henry Bell, writer; Emma Bird, actor and director; Peter Breingan, activist, Orkney Friends of Palestine; Allan Cameron, writer and translator; Graham Campbell, joint coordinator, African Caribbean Cultures, Glasgow; Tim Crouch, theatre maker; Neil Davidson, lecturer, University of Glasgow; George Docherty, actor; Ewan Downie, director, Company of Wolves; Liz Elkind, retired university lecturer; Brian Ferguson, actor; Prof. Iain Ferguson, University of the West of Scotland; Jim Ferguson, writer; Keith Fleming, actor; Magi Gibson, poet; Harry Giles, poet and performer; John Glenday, writer; Donny Gluckstein, FE National Salaries Convenor, EIS (personal capacity); Chris Goode, playwright and director; Sandy Grierson, actor; Keith Hammond, lecturer, University of Glasgow; Ben Harrison, director; Finn den Hertog, actor and director; Barrie Hunter, actor; Kieran Hurley, playwright; Deb Jones, theatre maker; Prof. Rebecca Kay, University of Glasgow; Jenny Knotts, playwright; Dr Vassiliki Kolocotroni, University of Glasgow; Dr Les Levidow, Open University; Barrie Levine, lecturer, Glasgow Caledonian University (personal capacity); Andy Lindsay, publicist; Ian Macpherson, writer; Martin McCardie, writer; Clare McGarry, actor and director; Trish McGuinness, arts PR; Graham McLaren, director; Prof. Henry Maitles, University of the West of Scotland; Prof. Willy Maley, University of Glasgow; Selma Rahman, equality and diversity consultant; Robert Softley Gale, theatre maker; Adrian Searle, publisher; Chris Somes-Charlton, artist manager; Gerda Stevenson, actor; Julia Taudevin, actor; Keith Warwick, actor; Judith Williams, actor; Bill Wright, director, and Mark Brown, theatre critic, c/o University Of Strathclyde Students' Association, 90 John Street, Glasgow
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