The deal that has been agreed between the Tricycle Theatre and the UK Jewish Film Festival has been greeted with some dismay. The theatre may have dropped its demand that the festival sever its links with the Israeli Embassy but it has made no apology for its behaviour and this has not felt like a victory for the festival. There has even been some dissatisfaction with the festival organisers for naïvety in accepting the agreement and allowing the theatre to wriggle off the hook.
But, as we report today, it is clear that the festival has not been in any way naïve and is in no doubt that the Tricycle has not yet come close to proving that it is fit to host any future festival. The director and board remain in post — the same people who decided that they could only host a Jewish festival that dissociated itself from Israel. Meanwhile the festival’s finances are severely out of kilter as a result of the last minute changes of venue. We should all make a special effort this November to support this wonderful Jewish cultural adornment.
