Leading artists stand with Lorde
More than 100 artists including leading lights in film, theatre, literature, and music have come together to sign a statement of support for the singer, songwriter and record producer Lorde. While signatories to the letter, which is published on the Guardian’s letter page, may hold a range of positions on BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions), they are united in their defence of the right to freedom of conscience. We are happy to publish the letter and the FULL list of signatories, below.
[Photo: Perou for the Guardian]
Letter in support of Lorde
We write in support of Lorde, who made public her decision not to perform in Israel and has now been branded a “bigot” in a full page advertisement in the Washington Post (Guardian, 1 January 2018).
Shmuley Boteach, the author and promoter of the advert, supports Israel’s illegal settlements and wrote last month on Breitbart to thank Donald Trump for “electrifying the world” with his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in defiance of international law. He has nothing to teach artists about human rights.
We deplore the bullying tactics being used to defend injustice against Palestinians and to suppress an artist’s freedom of conscience. We support Lorde’s right to take a stand.
Signed by:
| Khalid | Abdalla | actor |
| Tunde | Adebimpe | musician |
| Rachel | Aggs | musician |
| Yasmine | Al Massri | actor |
| Kevin | Allen | screenwriter, director |
| Amir | Amirani | filmmaker |
| Adjoa | Andoh | actor |
| Frankie | Armstrong | singer |
| Conrad | Atkinson | artist, emeritus professor |
| Sarah | Beddington | artist |
| Yves | Berger | painter |
| Caroline | Bergvall | writer, artist |
| Nicholas | Blincoe | writer |
| Leah | Borromeo | filmmaker |
| Jonathan | Burrows | choreographer |
| David | Calder | actor |
| Julie | Christie | actor |
| Ian | Christie | film historian, broadcaster |
| Chipo | Chung | actor |
| Caryl | Churchill | playwright |
| Dominic | Cooke | director |
| Kia | Corthron | playwright, novelist |
| Joseph | Coward | writer, artist |
| Molly | Crabapple | artist, writer |
| John | Cusack |
actor, writer, producer, board member Freedom of the Press Foundation
|
| Selma | Dabbagh | writer |
| Cherien | Dabis | film and TV director |
| William | Dalrymple | writer |
| Angela | Davis | writer |
| Dror | Dayan | filmmaker |
| Robert | del Naja | musician |
| Laurence | Dreyfus | director, Phantasm viol consort |
| Carol | Drinkwater | filmmaker |
| David | Edgar | playwright |
| Nancy | Elan | violinist |
| Brian | Eno | musician |
| Eve | Ensler | playwright, performer |
| Samir | Eskanda | musician |
| Jodie | Evans | writer, producer |
| Shepard | Fairey | artist |
| Michelle | Fairley | actor |
| Saeed T. | Farouky | filmmaker |
| Fat White Family | band | |
| Yasmin | Fedda | filmmaker |
| Bella | Freud | designer |
| Peter | Gabriel | musician |
| Lisa | Gerrard | composer |
| Tom | Gilroy | film director |
| David | Gray | musician |
| Kathleen | Hanna | musician, artist |
| John | Keane | artist |
| Reem | Kelani | singer, musicologist |
| Peter | Kennard | artist |
| AL | Kennedy | writer |
| Jonathan | Kent | theatre and opera director |
| Hari | Kunzru | writer |
| Talib | Kweli | musician |
| David | Lan | artistic director, Young Vic |
| Paul | Laverty | scriptwriter |
| Tom | Leonard | poet |
| Ken | Loach | film director |
| Miriam | Margolyes | actor |
| Kika | Markham | actor |
| Yann | Martel | writer |
| Emel | Mathlouthi | musician |
| Pauline | Melville | writer |
| Tom | Morello | musician |
| Jenny | Morgan | filmmaker |
| David | Morrisey | actor, director |
| Viggo | Mortensen Jr | actor, writer, musician, artist |
| Peter | Mullan | actor, director |
| Rebecca | O’Brien | film producer |
| Andrew | O’Hagan | writer |
| Eugene | O’Hare | actor, writer |
| Maxine | Peake | actor |
| Miranda | Pennell | filmmaker |
| Brendan | Perry | musician |
| Nancy | Platt | filmmaker |
| Jocelyn | Pook | composer |
| Dave | Randall | musician |
| Mark | Ruffalo | actor |
| Alexei | Sayle | comedian, writer |
| James | Schamus | producer, writer, director |
| David | Scott | music producer, sound engineer |
| Nabil | Shaban | actor, writer |
| Wallace | Shawn | actor, playwright |
| Farhana | Sheikh | writer |
| Gillian | Slovo | writer |
| Cherry | Smith | poet |
| John | Smith | artist |
| Chris | Somes-Charlton | artist management |
| Ahdaf | Soueif | writer |
| Juliet | Stevenson | actor |
| Jennie | Stoller | actor |
| Samuel | Toms | musician |
| Alice | Walker | writer |
| Naomi | Wallace | playwright, screenwriter |
| Roger | Waters | musician |
| Hilary | Westlake | theatre director |
| Susan | Wooldridge | actor, writer |
| Nicholas | Wright | playwright, director |
| Emily | Young | artist |
| Benjamin | Zephaniah | poet, musician |
Published in the Guardian here

