A RESPONSE FROM THE UNITY ON THE RECENT CANCELLATION

For many years Unity has been a home for marginalised and unheard voices. Last week we’re very sorry to say that we failed at that.

Earlier last week we received hundreds of emails protesting at the presumed content of a private hire comedy event scheduled to take place this week. The volume was overwhelming and intimidating, including pressure on funders and other stakeholders. Operating with a reduced staff team and with key figures on leave, we took the arguments in these emails at face value and cancelled the event.

This should not have happened. Going forward we will establish processes that enable us, however small the team present, to respond better and consider all voices, including artists, stakeholders and audiences, and the ramifications of these decisions. We are mortified to have let you down in this way. We will promise to do better, continue to learn and listen.

Let us be very clear: the situation in Gaza is an ongoing and man-made humanitarian catastrophe. Reputable organisations—including United Nations Special Rapporteurs, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International—have warned of, or described, the actions of Israeli forces as consistent with the crime of genocide.

Our hearts are with all civilians affected by violence and displacement.

Alongside the ongoing crisis in Gaza, we are also horrified by violence against civilians perpetrated by Hamas on October 7^th, which Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have described as war crimes and crimes against humanity. Civilians have suffered grievously, and we unequivocally condemn all attacks on civilians.

We stand in solidarity with calls by international organisations such as the International Court for Justice and the United Nations, for justice, accountability, and the protection of human rights.

We remain committed to freedom of expression and providing a platform for critical and marginalised voices. We also realise that through making a decision to cancel a performance by one artist, we risk silencing others who put their trust in us to share their stories.

We believe in the power of art to reflect reality, to bring people together, to provide perspective and critique. We hope to continue supporting artists who bring light into dark times and help us all to imagine a more just and peaceful world. In that context we are proud to be a home to many festivals and artists locally and nationally.  We will do more to build on the success of our Gaza fundraiser in 2024. We hope that this can be the beginning of rebuilding relations with all communities and continuing to be a space to gather and debate.

We are very grateful for the comradeship and advice of many artists and organisations, as we’ve wrestled with the impact of the past week. We have been deeply moved by the generosity and sincerity with which so many of you have engaged with us even as we’ve let you down. It is thanks to your help that we are able to move forward.

 

Thank you, Unity.

 

 

 

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