Calls To Boycott Sydney Festival Grow As More Than 30 Artists Withdraw

More and more artists are withdrawing from Sydney Festival and calling for others to do the same as controversy surrounding its funding continues.

Set to kick off tomorrow, the festival has lost more than 30 artists following outrage over organisers accepting a controversial $20,000 in sponsorship from the Israeli embassy in Canberra.

As The Guardian reports, Arab, pro-Palestinian, First Nations and Greens groups are calling for a boycott, accusing the festival of enabling Israel to mask its “human right violations” against Palestinians by “art washing”.

Melbourne bands Good Morning and Karate Boogaloo, Sydney-based Malyangapa and Barkindji rapper Barkaa, comedian Tom Ballard and more who were originally scheduled to take part in the festival are among those protesting.

“We’ve pulled out of Sydney Festival and strongly urge any of our fellow performers to do the same!” Good Morning said via socials.

“We stand with the Palestinian people and with the BDS movement.”

Karate Boogaloo posted to Instagram: “In response to the Sydney Festival’s decision to accept money from the Israeli Embassy, Karate Boogaloo are choosing to boycott the 2022 Sydney Festival and not perform. 

“Boycotts and divestments have a strong track record of holding governments and corporations accountable for their actions which is why Karate Boogaloo is standing in solidarity with Palestinian people and boycotting the Sydney Festival as a result of it accepting money from the human rights abusing regime that is the Israeli Government.”

Ballard said that he had withdrawn from the Festival's Gala Comedy Night “in solidarity”.

“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.

“I respectfully ask that Sydney Festival review its decision and return the funding in question, and I call on other artists to consider joining this boycott, too.”

In response to the growing controversy, Sydney Festival released a statement confirming that the event would still be opening on Thursday as planned.

“The Board is also conscious of the calls for artists and audiences to boycott the Festival in relation to the Israeli Embassy’s financial support of a performance by the Sydney Dance Company of a work, Decadance, by world renowned Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin,” said Chair of the festival's board David Kirk.

“The Sydney Festival Board wishes collectively to affirm its respect for the right of all groups to protest and raise concerns. We spent time with a number of groups who have concerns about this funding and welcomed the opportunity to engage with them.

"We respect the right of any artist to withdraw from the Festival and hope that they will feel able to participate in future festivals.

“We likewise respect the many artists who continue to look forward to their participation in this year’s Sydney Festival and welcome them, and audiences to view the art they will present and its myriad of perspectives.

Kirk confirmed that all current funding agreements would be honoured and that Decadance would be going ahead, but that the Board would “review its practices in relation to funding from foreign governments or related parties”.

You can read Sydney Festival’s full statement here.