BLOGPOSTS
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Invitation: Celebrate the Raja Shehadeh Archive
We are delighted to relay the following message from the iconic Educational Bookshop in occupied East Jerusalem concerning a crucial project to help writer Raja Shehadeh save his diaries from destruction:
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Public figures warn against ‘unjust’ terror sentences for Israeli arms site action
Sally Rooney, Greta Thunberg, Steve Coogan, and Lord John Hendy KC are among around 100 public figures warning of a miscarriage of justice if four human rights defenders receive unprecedented terrorism sentences for taking action against an Israeli arms manufacturer.
In an open letter (published below) signatories urged Judge Jeremy Johnson to drop use of a ‘terrorism connection’ in Friday’s sentencing of Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio, and Fatema Zainab Rajwani – part of a group of activists known as the Filton 25.
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250+ artists urge UK theatres to end Bloomberg Philanthropies ties over Israel war crimes
Playwrights Caryl Churchill, Sabrina Mahfouz, and Hannah Khalil and actors Alex Lawther and Billy Howle are among 262 artists calling on five leading British theatres to end partnerships with Bloomberg Philanthropies over its ties to Israel.
Bloomberg Philanthropies funds the Bloomberg-Sagol Center for City Leadership at Tel Aviv University. The centre provides leadership training to mayors and municipal officials, including those governing illegal settlements in Palestine’s occupied West Bank. The letter sets out new evidence documenting the centre’s complicity in a “violent project of settlement that the International Court of Justice has declared to be a war crime”.
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Calls to end Israeli impunity will continue to grow across the arts sector
Last week, a deeply unpopular Keir Starmer suggested that cultural organizations funded by…
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Over 1,000 musicians support Eurovision boycott over Israel inclusion
“As artists, we recognise our collective agency – and the power of refusal.”…
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Bloomberg Philanthropies, Arts Sponsorship, War Crimes: Briefing
The Bloomberg-Sagol Center perpetuates war crimes through its training of Israeli settler leaders and officials in the Palestinian West Bank. It also empowers officials who incite crimes against humanity.
Armed with this knowledge, British and other international cultural organisations should not partner with Bloomberg Philanthropies for as long as it is implicated in grave violations of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people.
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How to Take Action for Palestine as a Charity
A guide: How to take action for Palestine as an arts charity
It’s a myth that registered charities in the UK are prohibited from undertaking work that is political.
Find out more 👇🏽
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The Royal Shakespeare Company, the fashion label and the IDF
Artists for Palestine UK is dismayed to learn of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s collaboration with the US fashion label Alice + Olivia on “a licensed apparel collection inspired by Shakespeare’s literary works”. A + O is a label that declared itself “in support of Israel” while Israel was indiscriminately bombing civilians in Gaza and had already killed hundreds of children. As the death toll rose, the label hosted a fund-raising event for US Friends of the Israeli Defence Force, designated ‘official US partner’ by the Chief of Staff of the Israeli military. Today, following Artists for Palestine UK’s findings and the subsequent backlash from artists, The Stage reports that RSC artistic directors will convene a special meeting of its ethics committee.
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Model EthicS Policy for Cultural Institutions
What are the responsibilities of a British cultural institution, organisation or charity at a time when the gravest of crimes are being committed in plain sight in Gaza?
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Olivia Colman, Javier Bardem, Mark Ruffalo Among 1,300+ Refusing Collaboration with Israeli Film Institutions Complicit in Gaza Genocide
In a historic move, Oscar, BAFTA, Emmy, Cannes, Berlin, Venice, César, Goya, and Peabody Award winners are among more than 1,200 filmmakers who launched a pledge Monday saying they refuse to work with Israeli film institutions “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.”
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Victory for staff as Royal Ballet and Opera pulls Israel production
182 members of The Royal Ballet and Opera said they “reject future performances in Israel”. They stand in solidarity with performer who protested with Palestinian flag.
CEO announces decision to cancel 2026 production in Israel.
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Paul Weller, Tilda Swinton: stop the proscription of Palestine Action
Today, leading artists including musicians Paul Weller, Massive Attack’s Robert del Naja, Brian Eno and US artist Reggie Watts have joined Nadine Shah in calling for the ban to be dropped and for the government to stop supplying arms to Israel.
Actors Tilda Swinton, Steve Coogan and Billy Howle are among those signing the statement saying “Palestine Action is intervening to stop a genocide. It is acting to save life.”
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Caryl Churchill Pulls Donmar Play Over Barclays’ Role in Arming Israel
Caryl Churchill, one of Britain’s greatest living playwrights, has withdrawn a play from the Donmar Warehouse upon learning that the theatre receives support from Barclays, which invests over £2 billion and provides £6.1 billion in loans and underwriting to nine arms companies supplying weapons to Israel. Over 300 theatre workers have signed an open letter, published in full below, backing Churchill and urging the Donmar Warehouse to cut ties with the bank.
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Leading lights demand Almeida Theatre cut ties with Bloomberg over war crimes
Jack Reynor, Billy Howle, Zoe Telford and Caryl Churchill are among leading lights of theatre and screen demanding Islington’s Almeida Theatre end its partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies over its “links to human rights violations and war crimes” and in particular, its “direct and ongoing support for illegal settlements” in the occupied Palestinian West Bank.
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‘A Licence to Kill’: UK government to face High Court over arms to Israel
Award-winning actor Juliet Stevenson has released the short film, ‘A Licence to Kill’, calling on the UK government to stop providing Israel with the weapons it uses to commit genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
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Dozens of ex-Eurovision contestants demand exclusion of Israel from contest
Britain’s Mae Muller and Bianca Nicholas joined Charlie McGettican , Salvador Sobral and dozens of former Eurovision contestants in calling on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to ban Israel’s public broadcaster KAN from the popular song contest.
Over 75 previous participants, who include songwriters, lyricists and other creatives from across Europe, accuse KAN of being “complicit in Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza”.
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Royal Television Society U-Turns on Special Award for Palestinian Journalists
In response to a statement by the Royal Television Society (copied below), UK Screen Industry has said: “We welcome the Royal Television Society’s U-turn in reinstating the Special Award for the courageous Palestinian journalists of Gaza. However, the charity’s statement does little to address or allay our concerns.
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Leading Broadcasters Demand Reinstatement of Special Award Recognising Gaza Journalists
Broadcasters Jonathan Dimbleby, Lindsey Hilsum, Sangita Myska, Matt Frei, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Alex Crawford, Fergal Keane and Orla Guerin are among more than 400 TV and journalism professionals who have sent a letter to the leadership of the Royal Television Society (RTS) demanding transparency around its decision-making after the charity abruptly cancelled its Special Award for journalists in Gaza last week.
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BBC bosses ‘throwing Palestinian children under a bus’
“We welcome Tim Davie saying an independent review of the BBC’s Middle East coverage is appropriate and urge that this accounts for its abject failure to stand by the Palestinian voices it features. We all know Israeli guests would never be treated this way.”
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TV industry urges MPs to press BBC execs over Gaza documentary removal
UK TV and film programme-makers have urged a panel of MPs to press BBC executives on Tuesday over the controversial removal of a documentary about children in Gaza.
