Kingsley Ben-Adir, Khalid Abdalla, Carla Henry, Pooja Ghai and April De Angelis are among 270+ arts and theatre figures who have signed an open letter to Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre condemning the theatre for censoring references to Palestinian and trans liberation in a recently commissioned work.
The letter criticises the cancellation of director Stef O’Driscoll’s updated version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream which the signatories say interpreted the play through:
“the lens of contemporary rave culture (…) and the diversity and cultural richness that Manchester is known for”.
Nicola Coughlan, Paapa Essiedu, Maxine Peake and Lolly Adefope are among those expressing dismay that the publicly funded institution would:
“censor a call for Palestinian freedom almost a year into Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza”
The signatories who include playwrights, directors, performers and artists nearly half of whom live or work in Manchester, say efforts to remove references to trans rights is:
“unjustifiable at a time of heightened anti-trans violence and political incitement from UK politicians and parts of the media”.
Royal Exchange Theatres censored the phrases “Free Palestine” and the theatre attempted to censor of “trans rights”, according to a statement from director Stef O’Driscoll.
The artists call on the theatre to apologise and “take meaningful and measurable action to address its serious failings”.
The open letter in full:
We artists and cultural workers write in condemnation of the Royal Exchange Theatre’s censorship of expressions of solidarity with Palestinians and with the trans community, leading to the cancellation of its production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Stef O’Driscoll.
A highly respected theatre director, O’Driscoll is known for her engagement with decolonial politics and her commitment to collective liberation. O’Driscoll has explained that this production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream explored the play through the lens of contemporary rave culture, with the staging reflecting that subculture’s tradition of political activism, and the diversity and cultural richness that Manchester is known for.
The Exchange’s recent statement makes misleading claims about the production’s lack of a “cohesive narrative” as an excuse for their actions, which is clearly refuted by director Stef O’Driscoll in her earlier statement. The Exchange does not include the phrases “free Palestine” or “trans rights” at any point in their statement, instead making vague references to “complex issues”. The phrases “free Palestine” and “trans rights” are simple declarations of basic human rights. Their characterisation as “complex issues” by the Exchange is an obstructing attempt to evade accountability.
We condemn this racist and transphobic act of censorship by the Royal Exchange Theatre.
That a public institution would censor a call for Palestinian freedom almost a year into Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza – armed and backed by the UK and other Western states, silencing Palestinian artists by killing them and destroying their cultural infrastructure – shows a shocking level of complicity in shielding Israel from accountability. The attempt to censor references to trans rights is also unjustifiable at a time of heightened anti-trans violence and political incitement from UK politicians and parts of the media.
The Royal Exchange Theatre is a building with historical links to the slave trade in a city made rich by its part in the cotton industry, built on the labour of enslaved Africans. The Royal Exchange therefore cannot claim to be an apolitical space standing apart from past and current colonial violence. The only way for UK arts institutions to oppose systemic exploitation, politically-motivated dehumanisation of marginalised communities, and UK complicity in ongoing colonial violence and genocide, is to actively support the equality, dignity and liberation of all oppressed people.
We know many workers at the Royal Exchange share our disgust at the actions of the Royal Exchange leadership. This letter is a demand for the Royal Exchange leadership to fully apologise for silencing calls for equal rights and liberation, and to commit to taking meaningful, measurable and transparent action to address its serious failings.
As artists and cultural workers, we support the fundamental equality and dignity of Palestinians and the trans community. We support collective liberation and freedom from occupation, apartheid and violent oppression. We support the right of UK artists to express solidarity with marginalised communities, and the right of artists from marginalised communities to participate in the arts and assert their intrinsic rights.
If cultural institutions do not freely allow artists to express the desire for freedom, equality and collective liberation, these institutions never truly belonged to us. If a theatre does not extend its welcome to Palestinians, trans people and their allies, it is not fit to represent our communities.
We demand that:
- The Royal Exchange apologise for attempting to silence expressions of Palestinian and trans liberation.
In their own Vision & Mission statement, the Royal Exchange claims “we will apologise when we have done something wrong.” In the Policies section of their website, the Royal Exchange states, “we value being transparent with all our audiences, customers, visitors, clients, staff, artists, freelancers and volunteers.”
- The Royal Exchange acknowledges that these attempts to silence expressions of collective liberation were racist and transphobic.
At least 41,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s genocide in Gaza, with a letter in the Lancet estimating that the toll could reach 186,000. Trans people in the UK are facing a record number of hate crimes fueled by dehumanisation from politicians, healthcare systems, and parts of the media.
- The Royal Exchange clarifies its own position on racism, transphobia and collective liberation.
How can the Royal Exchange support trans artists and artists from the Global Majority when it does not allow expressions of their right to live freely? How can the Royal Exchange value “equality, diversity and inclusion” while silencing support for those facing violent exclusion, oppression, and murder based on their nationality, race, ethnicity, and/or gender identity.
- The Royal Exchange takes meaningful and measurable action to address its serious failings.
The Royal Exchange must make a public commitment to ensure that expressions of Palestinian and trans liberation (as well as all other struggles for equal rights and collective liberation) are never again silenced in its productions. This public commitment must be made in consultation with Palestinians, trans people, other marginalised communities, and members of the arts community to create measurable objectives, deadlines, and results. Royal Exchange leadership should hold regular meetings throughout this process that engage with the aforementioned groups in order to ensure that calls for liberation and freedom from oppression are never again silenced within its walls.
Signed in solidarity with Palestinians, trans people, and all struggling for their rights and liberation.
If you work in the arts, please add your name here.
Signatories:
Khalid Abdalla Actor
Kingsley Ben-Adir Actor
Nicola Coughlan Actor
Paapa Essiedu Actor
Maxine Peake Actor / Writer
Amir El-Masry Actor
April De Angelis Playwright
Lolly Adefope Actor
Pooja Ghai Artistic Director: Tamasha
Professor Mojisola Adebayo Playwright / Actor / Director / Producer
Professor Haim Bresheeth-Zabner Photographer / Filmmaker
Amrita Acharia Actress
Ali Al-Jamri Poet
Philip Arditti Actor / Writer
Bill Bankes-Jones Director
Naomi Battrick Actor
Jude Christian Director / Writer
Sînziana Cojocărescu Artistic Director: BÉZNĂ Theatre
Ruth Daniel CEO: In Place Of War
Naomi Evans Author: Everyday Racism
Lee Gower-Drinkwater Ex Royal Exchange Company Manager 2008-2020
Carla Henry Actor
Layla Madanat Theatremaker
Sabrina Mahfouz Writer
Anna Maria Nabirye Manyhisa Actor / Director
Bill Milner Actor
Enyi Okoronkwo Actor
Emma Reynolds Illustrator / Author
Yara Rodrigues Fowler Novelist
Wilf Scolding Actor
Davina Shah Agent: TEAM
Lucy Sheen Actor / Writer / Director and Filmmaker: BEATS.org
Valerie Synmoie Theatre Executive Director: Tamasha
Adele Thomas Opera Director
Manjinder Virk Actor / Filmmaker
Camilla Whitehill Writer
Monsay Whitney Writer
Daniel York Loh Writer / Actor
Milly Zero Actor
Dani Abulhawa Director / Performer / Academic
Faiza Abdulkadir Fundraiser: HighRise Theatre
Salman Akhtar Actor
Elina Akhmetova Dance / Theatre / Film / Performance & Choreography
Ali Ali Actor
Alia Alzougbi Artists & Cultural Producer
Ravina Al-Zarifa Supporting Artist
Alan Jones Photographer
Grant Archer Artist
Audrey Albert Visual Artist
Heather Alderson Visual artist
Aisha Allinson Writer
Cindya Angel Dancer
Divya Avula Visual Artist – Manchester
Robert Awosusi Theatremaker
K Balfour Producer
Stella Barnes Theatre and Participatory Arts Practitioner
Emily Barratt Costume Supervisor: Salisbury Playhouse
Morgan Bassichis Performer
Nasima Bee Poet / Playwright / Producer
Sarah Bedi Director / Writer
Marcus Berdaut Creative Producer
Dylan Best Visual Artist
Giovanni Bienne Actor: Equity LGBT+ Councilor
Rose Biggin Writer
Irene Bindi Artist and Editor
Adelheid Bjornlie Writer
Luz Blanco Santos DJ / Creative Producer / Facilitator
Ben Bonnema Playwright
Kat Boon Playwright
Leonie Bradley Visual Artist
Roo Bramley Musician and stage performer
Jamie Brown Musician
John-Paul Brown Visual Artist
Tam Dean Burn Actor / Theatremaker
Jess Bugler Visual Artist
Nafeesah Butt Theatremaker: TEAM
Yasmin Butt Theatre Booking Coordinator
Omar Bynon Actor
Jen Calleja Writer
Elena Cantu Front of House Staff
Anthony Capildeo Writer and Editor
Joshua Carr Lighting Designer
Cathy Chapman Writer, Lit Fest Volunteer
Shankho Chaudhuri Designer
Julie Cheung-Inhin Actor
Taghrid Choucair-Vizoso Cultural Worker / Curator /Artist
Dominic Cisalowicz Visitor Fundraiser
Joe Clark Actor
lizzie clarke Actor / Writer
Dæmon Clelland Artist / Performer / Curator
Anna Cole Associate
Paule Constable Lighting designer
Joseph Conway Producer / Writer: Manchester Theatre for Palestine
Algernon Cornelius Musician
Alastair Curtis Director: The AIDS Plays Project
Mohamed-Zain Dada Playwright
Helen Davies Visual Artist
Jasmin Davies Stage Manager
Nadia Dawber Actor
Marion Dawson Theatre Captioner
Guido Di Bari Dancer
Emma Dibb Designer and academic
Meray Diner Filmmaker
Cristiano D’Urso Production Controller
Jordan Ealey Playwright & dramaturg
Campbell Edinborough Associate Professor in Creative Practice
Jessica El Mal Artist and curator
Heidi El-Kholy Designer
Lizzie Eldridge Writer
Omar Elerian Director
Nadia Emam Director
Jennifer Farmer Writer for Performance
Leonor Estrada Francke Theatre Director/ Performer
Sorcha Fhionntain Playwright
Jude FireSong Performance Poet / Speculative Fiction Writer / Artist
Elaine Fisher Visual Artist
Joey Frances Poet
Georgia Frost Actor
Jasmine Gardner Visual artist
Tommy Garside Actor
Ruth Geye Playwright
Becks Gio Joe Artist-Curator
Nathan Godfrey Engagement Coordinator
Lisa Goldman Writer / Dramaturg / Director
Pauline Goldsmith Actor / Writer
Jacob Gower Writer
Gráinne Gráinne O’Mahony Theatremaker / Arts Comms Worker
Leila Greci Programme and partnerships manager
Jade Grogan Editor
Christopher Groves Illustrator
Alexander Guedeney Visual Artist
Noor Hadid Actress / Front of House Staff
Daisy Hale Producer
Kit Hall Dancer / Choreographer / Producer
Rida Hamidou Playwright
Laura Hanna Performer
Annie Hanauer Choreographer
Bonnie Hancell Poet
James Harker Playwright
Tessa Harris Writer
Jan-Sarah Harrison-Shakarchy Visual artist
Zainab Hasan Actress
Sabrin Hasbun Writer
Jo Hauge Live Artist
Alex Haydn-Williams Editor
Maz Hedgehog Poet / Playwright
Leila Herandi Actor
Azhar Herezata-Ala Poet
Jay Hermann Director
Adam Hipkin Filmmaker
Brian Holland Visual/Tactile Artist
Hazel Holder Voice Coach
Lewys Holt Artist
Kirsty Housley Director / Dramaturg / Writer
Laura Howard Lighting Designer
Tuheen Huda Performance Artist / Writer / Poet.
Sonia Hughes Artist
Sameena Hussain Director
Sarah Impey Artist: Equity REC
Irvine Iqbal Actor
Afreena Islam-Wright Theatremaker
Deeqa Ismail Fine artist
Leveret Jaques Sound designer
Jayce Jayce Salloum Visual Artist
Tom Jeffreys Writer
Jessie Jones Communications Manager
Nick Jones Producer / Story Teller
Max Jones Designer
Adele Jordan Artist
Hannah Joss Director
Sarah Kadri Producer
Jamil Keating Artist / Theatremaker: Co-Director of Northern Light Film CIC, Associate Artist of CNOA, Member of Divergency
Nelly Kelly Playwright / Performer
Susan Kempster Choreographer
Karim Khan Playwright
Rahela Khan Visual Artist
Michael Kitchin Producer
Stewart Knights Visual artist
Karol Kochanowski Visual artist
Lora Krasteva Performance artist
Jo Lane Writer / Director
Jo Lansley Artist
Ruth Lass Actress
Em Laxton Sound designer
Ciara Leeming Photographer / Writer
Chara Lewis Artist
Jazmine Linklater Editor / Writer: Corridor8
Alexandra Lort Phillips Producer
Caroline Magee Actor / Playwright
Dea Maglione Writer / Composer
Ginni Manning Playwright
Emily Marsden Cultural Worker
Sara Masry Actor
Chloe Massey Actor
axmed maxamed Writer
Charlotte McBurney Actor
MJ McCarthy Composer / Sound Designer
Clare McNulty Artist / Writer
Elizabeth McLoughlin Artist (Painter)
Prema Mehta Lighting Designer
Leila Mimmack Actor
Hussein Mitha Artist
Nicola Moore Visual Artist / Art Therapist
Ishana Moores Events staff
Sam Murray Painter
Tanushka Muna Director
Chris Myers Actor: Theatre Workers for a Ceasefire
Sînziana Myers Writer
Martha Nabila Writer
Emma Nafz Stage Manager
Rehab Nazzal Visual Artist / Filmmaker / Educator
Kate Neilan Marketer of Books: Unbound
Arian Nik Actor
Sinéad Nunes Marketing Manager: Heart of Glass
Fionn Ó Loingsigh Actor
Ioana-Melania Pahome Artist-Curator
Polly Palmerini Visual arts
J.C. Pankratz Playwright
Emma Jayne Park Dancer / Theatre Maker
Kim Pearce Theatre Director
Elena Pena Sound Designer
Miranda Pennell Filmmaker
Meropi Peponides Theatremaker / Producer
Joshua Pharo Lighting Designer
Ergo Phizmiz Composer / Writer / Director: Avanthardcollective
Aniela Piasecka Dance Artist and Choreographer
Jamie Potter Theatremaker
Cara Powell Producer
Em Pren Deaf Theatremaker
Candice Purwin Illustrator and Graphic Novelist
Sara Ramirez Actor / Producer
Jake Rayner Blair Actor / Theatremaker
Khadija Raza Set and Costume Designer
Devan Reid Artist
Mais Robinson Facilitator
ML Roberts Writer / Performer
Danusia Samal Actor / Playwright
Kareem Samara Musician / Composer
Lenni Sanders Writer
Michal Sapir Musician / Writer
Aran Savory Artist
Iona Schwalowsky-Monks Visual Artist
Billy Scouse Comedian
Lavinia Serban Stage Manager
Rajha Shakiry Designer
Maariyah Sharjil Designer
Sabine Sharp Scholar
Rosie Sheehy Artist
Evie Siddal Visual and Performance Artist
Eleanor Sikorski Choreographer / Filmmaker / lecturer
Greg Simmons Screenwriter
Christine Singer Writer
Beth Sitek Producer
Eyal Sivan Filmmaker
James Skull Writer, assistant director, actor
Kate Smith Senior Researcher – Visual and Critical Arts-Based Methods
Ceallach Spellman Actor
Abena Louisa D B St Bartholomew-Brown Morgan Actor
Amanda Stoodley Designer
Sam Swann Actor
Laura Swift Editor
Humera Syed Actor
Karl Taylor Producer: BUZZCUT
Giles Thomas Composer / Sound Designer
Abir Tobji Producer
Jo Tyabji Director
Jamie Tyson Musician
Josie Underwood Theatremaker: Silent Faces
Paula Varjack Theatremaker
Borja Velez Playwright
Jai Vethamony Actor
Clara Vulliamy Author and Illustrator
Darcy Wallace Choreographer
Sylvia Waltering Visual artist
Stephanie Webber Visual artist
Mathew Wernham Artist
Hilary White Writer
Don Wilkie Record Label Owner: Constellation
Jack Young Writer
Artists for Palestine UK 