Renowned playwright Caryl Churchill has withdrawn from a project at the Donmar Warehouse, citing the London theatre's sponsorship by Barclays. Churchill, a long-time supporter of Palestinian rights, criticized Barclays for providing financial services to defense companies supplying Israel. Her decision is supported by over 300 arts workers and creatives, intensifying pressure on the theatre to cut ties with the bank.
Caryl Churchill pulls out of Donmar Warehouse project due to Barclays’ Israel links
Caryl ChurchillDonmar WarehouseBarclaysStageCulture
AI Summary
TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️
Renowned playwright Caryl Churchill has withdrawn from a project at the Donmar Warehouse, citing the London theatre's sponsorship by Barclays. Churchill, a long-time supporter of Palestinian rights, criticized Barclays for providing financial services to defense companies supplying Israel. Her decision is supported by over 300 arts workers and creatives, intensifying pressure on the theatre to cut ties with the bank.
Trending- 1 2020: Caryl Churchill last worked with the Donmar Warehouse (Far Away).
- 2 2022: Donmar Warehouse lost its £500,000 annual grant from Arts Council England.
- 3 2022: Caryl Churchill was deprived of the lifetime European Drama award.
- 4 June last year: CS Venkatakrishnan, Barclays group chief executive, wrote in The Guardian defending the bank's financing of defense companies.
- 5 September 2024: Culture Workers Against Genocide released an open letter pressuring Sadler’s Wells to cut ties with Barclays.
- 6 Last year: The activist group Bands Boycott Barclays ran a successful campaign to get several music festivals to drop Barclays as a sponsor.
- 7 Recently: Caryl Churchill pulled out of a project at the Donmar Warehouse.
- 8 Recently: More than 300 arts workers and creatives signed an open letter supporting Churchill’s decision.
- Caryl Churchill's withdrawal from a Donmar Warehouse project.
- Increased pressure on the Donmar Warehouse to sever ties with Barclays.
- Further public debate and activism regarding corporate sponsorship in the arts and links to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
What: Playwright Caryl Churchill pulled out of an unannounced project at the Donmar Warehouse due to the theatre's sponsorship by Barclays, citing the bank's financial links to defense companies supplying Israel. Her decision is supported by over 300 arts workers and creatives.
When: 2020 (Churchill's last work with Donmar), September 2024 (Culture Workers Against Genocide letter to Sadler's Wells), June last year (CS Venkatakrishnan's Guardian article), 2022 (Donmar lost Arts Council England funding, Churchill deprived of award).
Where: London (Donmar Warehouse).
Why: Caryl Churchill, a long-time supporter of Palestinian rights, believes that arts institutions should not be associated with banks that support actions against Palestinians. Barclays provides financial services to defense firms that supply Israel.
How: Churchill issued a statement explaining her decision. An open letter supporting her stance was signed by over 300 arts workers. This follows previous campaigns by groups like Culture Workers Against Genocide and Bands Boycott Barclays against Barclays' sponsorships in the arts.