Scotland's largest contemporary art festival is facing accusations of discrimination after announcing it conformed to the demands of the boycott movement..
The team behind the Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Arts declared in an open letter on social media that this year’s event had complied with the principles of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI).
But UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) argue that the action represents a breach of the 2010 Equality Act.
The open letter was signed by Glasgow festival director Richard Birkett, convenor Siobhan Carroll, curator Poi Marr, assistant curator Pelumi Odubanjo, and festival manager Diana Stevenson.
They wrote: “As individuals who are employed by Glasgow Life to deliver Glasgow International, and in the face of the horrific genocide that is ongoing in Gaza, we feel it is vital to publicly express our own positions of solidarity and support for the people of Palestine and for Palestinian liberation.
They added: “We recognise that cultural organisations and workers are not neutral onlookers, and that the actions we take collectively and individually have impacts on how artists’ voices are heard, and on how a landscape of material actions against genocide and apartheid can be built.
The “2024 edition of Glasgow International”, the organising team said, had been developed “in line with the principles of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS).”
The biennial festival, which took place over three weeks in June, featured Scottish and international artists. It is not known if any Israeli artists did appear.
Pacbi says it targets institutions which form part of the “scaffolding of Israel’s regime of occupation” but not individuals.
But UKLFI) claim the decision not to include Israeli artists on the basis of their nationality would constitute discrimination.
The war in Gaza was evident in several works — in one piece entitled “Air Pressure” Beirut-based artist Lawrence Abu Hamdan acted as an “earwitness” to the noise of Israeli jets and drones in Lebanese airspace.
The biennial is managed by Glasgow Life, a charity that organises culture and sport in the city on behalf of Glasgow City Council. Glasgow Life’s website states that it was “set up to benefit everyone in the city”.
UKLFI believes that the festival “discriminated against Israeli artists” both by “not providing them with the service of publicising, promoting and ticketing their performances and works” and by “not offering them contracts to work at or for the festival.
UKLFI has written to Glasgow City Council and the British Council to point out the alleged breach of equality law.
Caroline Turner, director of UKLFI, said “The staff of this arts organisation apparently believe themselves to be taking the ‘high moral ground’ when in fact they are engaging in false slurs.
“Far from promoting equality or diversity, they are illegally discriminating against a whole race and nationality. We hope that their funders will take note of their illegal and discriminatory behaviour and will ensure that this does not happen again.”
The BDS movement has become a contentious issue in the art world. This month a gallery in London cancelled an exhibition co-created by an Israeli artist because they had shared public grief over October 7 but had not condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza.
A spokesperson for Glasgow Life, said: “The recent statement published on social media and attributed to members of the Glasgow International team was not endorsed or approved by Glasgow Life. We have since investigated the matter and can confirm appropriate action has been taken. As a charity we are committed to our mission of helping everyone in Glasgow to experience the life-changing benefits of participating in culture and sport.”
The JC contacted Glasgow International for comment.
