#BDS: Appeal to #Riverdance Company not to Tour #Israel

"Since management of the Irish troupe Riverdance is determined to tour Israel in September 2011, the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign and others encourage individual members of the company to refuse to participate in this tour.

On 6^th April last, the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign appealed to Riverdance to cancel its tour of Israel scheduled for 1-13 September next.

In response, Riverdance posted the following on its website: “Riverdance supports the policy of the Irish Government and indeed the policy of every other EU state that cultural interaction is preferable to isolation.” Significantly, all feedback comments were disabled for this posting."

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#BDS: #Dublin – #Riverdance: Don’t Dance for Apartheid #Israel demo

"Riverdance is scheduled to perform a series of shows in Israel in September (see here). To protest this the IPSC are organising another demo outside Riverdance’s ongoing run at the Gaiety Theatre (South King St, off Grafton St – map here) at 6.30pm on Thursday 18th August. This will be the final action in our series of ongoing protests before Riverdance heads to perform for Israeli Apartheid – so please make the effort to come along!

The protest forms part of the international Cultural Boycott of Israel campaign which has seen many stars such as Roger Waters, Elvis Costello, Carlos Santana, Christy Moore and Damien Dempsey refuse to perform in Israel.  The Palestinian call for a cultural boycott of Israel – until it ends the occupation of Palestine and abides fully by its obligations under international law – has also been endorsed by over 200 Irish performing and creative artists as well as countless others internationally."

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#BDS: Two Open Letters: #Riverdance should not go to #Israel

"See below for two Open Letters concerning Riverdance’s planned tour of Israel in September 2011. The first is from Irish artist Robert Ballagh who was the set designer for Riverdance, and the second is from Raymond Deane, Cultural Boycott Officer of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

Riverdance in Irsael: Robert Ballagh’s Open Letter

26th April 2011

As the designer of Riverdance I am personally disappointed to learn of the decision to perform the show in Israel at this time.

Many years ago I was honoured to meet Nelson Mandela when he was in Ireland. I took the opportunity to ask his opinion on the cultural and sporting boycott of South Africa. He replied by saying that the boycott was an essential weapon in the struggle against apartheid. His forceful words came back to me last year when I, along with many other Irish creative and performing artists, signed a cultural boycott pledge not to visit Israel (www.ipsc.ie/pledge). This was a positive response to the call by Palestinian film-makers, artists and cultural organisations for a cultural boycott of Israel. I believe that this non-violent cultural boycott will contribute to the struggle for justice for the Palestinian people."

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