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Comment by Rebecca Gould on July 29, 2011 at 7:10

Great, I'll spread the word to peeps not on here, should we keep it to a letter from Welsh artists or let others sign?

Comment by Terry Victor on July 29, 2011 at 7:06

Thank you, John. I'll get nagging.

Comment by National Theatre Wales on July 29, 2011 at 7:02

Okay all, so I will tweak everyone's tweaks into a letter and send it out to:

Western Mail, Guardian, Israeli Embassy, and Minister for Heritage?  I think this will be a tiny drop in a very big ocean, but we all know the ocean's made of drops, and at the very least it shows Jacob and his colleagues that we are supporting and thinking of them.

Names I have so far:

Terry Victor

Peter Cox (MBE - always useful in these circumstances Peter!)

Greg Cullen

Carmen Medway-Stevens

Me

Abdul Shayek

 

I will get the text posted onto the website this weekend, so any of you can point anyone towards that text if you are asking them to sign up.  They can register their names on the site, or you can let me know directly. I will then send off all the letter with all the names at the end of next week.

 

Let's aim for 50 names by then.  J

Comment by Terry Victor on July 29, 2011 at 4:30

Yep, Peter's right. Meredydd's right. Greg too. We all agree. An open letter. Everyone's busy, of course, but, if NTW is at the heart of this initiative, I think that a slightly revised version of what we already have from John is fine and as John is artisitc director of NTW that is where the letter should originate.

Urgency however is more important than a tidy process at this stage. Given that the Assembly and Parliament are on their hols an urgent open letter to the Guardian or some such seems prime.

Speaking to a news producer at the beeb earlier - and having noted that the Jenin Refugee Camp/Theatre Freedom news has barely ruffled auntie's feathers - I got the impression that if an initiative comes from the Wales theatre community then that action itself would become newsworthy and and in turn add to any pressure we can bring to bear.

Comment by Greg Cullen on July 29, 2011 at 3:58

Pete's on it regarding petitions. We need a letter now. I'm manic getting "Muscle" to Edinburgh(we opened at Chapter last night to great response....phew!) but will do anything I can. Welsh politicians should be lobbied immediatley. Lord Ellis Thomas' office were very helpful when I got arrested in Tunisia. He's the best starting point. A great friend of the Arts.

Comment by meredydd barker on July 29, 2011 at 1:30

Well looka here-

http://www.facebook.com/groups/125480130877762/?id=125486140877161

Comment by meredydd barker on July 29, 2011 at 0:45

Both. Open letter to begin - five day deadline for signatures? -  then a petition with perhaps a month. Just an idea.

Comment by Peter Cox MBE on July 28, 2011 at 23:07

Petition or Open Letter? Or both?

 

Normally a petition needs a couple of months to generate a large enough number of signatories to give it some weight and impact. 

 

A petition is often submitted into an established democratic process asking for the concerns of the petitioners to be heard fairly in an established system - such as by the Welsh Assembly petitions committee.  The petitioners use this route because they believe the 'committee' will have the power to influence a review of a previously made decison.

 

We are in a slightly different position here where urgency is paramount and raising the public profile of condemnation is the most important thing in the short term.  The widespread condemnation then draws attention to the act which has been committed causing the perpertrators of the act to (hopefully) back off in some way.

 

In turn, that would then create the breathing space for further pressure to be applied by international bodies such as Equity etc.

 

The open letter could be written quickly (based on John's text) and signed by a representative group of theatre makers from Wales who we could gather support and permission from very quickly - even if they're in Edinburgh like Terry and Greg will be.  A minimum of twenty names would be helpful but fifty would be ideal. A few 'big hitter' names would draw media attention to it.  (eg a Michael Sheen)

 

This can then be submitted to the various appropriate targets.  eg... The Guardian and other newspaper including The Western Mail,  The Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and the Culture Secretary, The Israeli Ambassador, our respective MP's etc.

 

I would be happy to be the first signatory on such a letter, or the tenth or the fiftieth!

 

 

 

Comment by Terry Victor on July 28, 2011 at 21:44

I agree wholeheartedly that a Freedom Theatre petition should come from the Wales theatre community. I have no idea how you go about setting it up but I do know that this is urgent. Can this site facillitate the petition perhaps? Could a message be sent to the whole NTW online community - not just those signed up to receive notice of this thread? 

Meanwhile, I have tinkered with John's text; I couldn't help myself.

We, the theatre makers of Wales, deplore the recent attacks in Jenin on Freedom Theatre, its people and property.  Freedom Theatre is a beacon for artistic expression and cultural co-operation.  Unless initiatives such as Freedom Theatre are nourished and supported, there can be little prospect for wider understanding and peace.  We call on the Israeli government to investigate and effect an immediate end to these attacks.  We call on our fellow artists in Israel to support Freedom Theatre as an important symbol of cultural understanding and artistic hope.

Comment by Amy Hodge on July 28, 2011 at 20:44

Great to read Carys blog, thanks Carys, and indeed in response to Mat Bulgo's question: having these meetings every season is a really good idea and is a definite plan for the Sherman. We'll get in touch with those who seemed particularly keen to run certain events/happenings once I'm back from hols in a couple of weeks. Cheers, Amy

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