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'I don't feel hope,
but there is hope in solidarity'
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RANIN ODEH
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ACTOR AND EDUCATOR
THE FREEDOM THEATRE
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BEGINNERS
GUIDE TO
TAKING
ACTION
BEGINNERS
GUIDE TO
TAKING
ACTION
INTRODUCTION
KEY THINGS TO REMEMBER
This is a guide to the type of action you can take and worldwide examples, with a specific focus on artists and culture. The examples of actions largely focus on responses in countries that are funding and supporting the oppression of Palestinians. Palestine has a rich history of diverse resistance which often is an inspiration behind these actions. Examples cited are independent of each other and us.
The below includes
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Write a statement
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Organise an event
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Take a public stance
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Speak out
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Join a protest or organise a creative one
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Organise a vigil
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Occupy a space and create an alternative cultural event
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Disrupt the silence
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Join or create a coalition or friendship group
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Strike or withdraw your labour
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Boycott
Key things to remember on anything you do and our collated resources to help you:
GET CREATIVE: Our creative toolbox has resources from artists, activists, human rights groups and cultural organisations to help make your action stand out
DEMANDS: What are you demanding and to who? Our demands are there to inspire you and can be adapted to be specific and tangible to those you are approaching
VALUES: What are the values of your team and how do they refect those of the Palestinian liberation movement and Palestinian artists? Our demands are a pratical guide to help you reflect values that help rather than harm
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PRINCIPLES: What principles is your team working to? We recommend the BEAUTIFUL TROUBLES guide to working principles FIND OUT MORE >>
SAFETY: Consider the different types of digital and practical safety measures you can take to protect those in your group, especially those more vulnerable to police and state violence. Our collected resources are a good place to start
WRITE A STATEMENT OR PUBLIC LETTER
EVERYTHING
YOU NEED
TO WRITE
A STATEMENT
WRITE A PUBLIC
LETTER OR
PUBLISH A STATEMENT
When Mustafa Sheta was arrested ten countries organised public letters or statements inviting artists to sign. It was a great way to inform people in the cultural sector, find other allies and bring media attention to the issue.
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL
HUMAN RIGHTSORGANISATION
Informing or highliting your concerns with your local or national human rights groups helps spread the storry to a larger platform. When Pen International spoke out about attacks on The Freedom Theatre in 2023 it led to national press coverage
URGE ELECTED OFFICIALS TO TAKE ACTION
PALESTINE LEGAL and over 600 legal organizations and professionals, including the Center for Constitutional Rights and the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee, released letter urging elected officials and institutional leaders to take urgent measures to address unlawful retaliation against advocates for Palestinian rights.
WRITE A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR AN ARTIST VISA
Particularly if you have a recognised position in an arts organisation or a prestigious role in the community, your letter of support for an artist's visa could be crucial. Offer to write a letter or contact your local Politician, Artistic Director or unimportant person you might know to help.
ORGANISE AN EVENT
SPREAD THE WORDS
OF ARTISTS
Palestinian artists have made their testimonies, texts and poetry available to read around the world. Share their words at events, meetings, and protests. and use storytelling to mobile globally.
ORANISE A
FUNDRAISING EVENT
When The Freedom Theatre was raided and destroyed in December, groups worldwide organised fundraising events so that the venue could replace its equipment. Both for The Freedom Theatre and other cultural venues this financial support is crucial as there is no way otherwise to build back after attacks, it also helps inform audiences what has happened.
Read, share and perform testimonies from Palestinian artists who have experienced attacks
and censorship.​
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TAKE YOUR AUDIENCES
TO PALESTINE (VIRTUALY)
IN A THOUSAND SILENCES is Palestine's first-ever virtual reality film and combines dance, music, poetry and storytelling with performances.
Using the latest digital technology to defy borders, walls and checkpoints, global audiences are immersed in our cultural spaces - from the desert to the mountains, Jenin Refugee Camp and theatres both ancient and new.
ORGANISE
A BOOK CLUB
Everything you need to set up a Palestine Book Club by LEEDS PALESTINE FILM FESTIVAL
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SHARE
PALESTINIAN WORDS
ON THE TRAIN
Members of LIBRARIANS AND ARCHIVISTS WITH PALESTINE took to the subways in NYC to read Palestinian poetry and testimonies
​BUILD DIGITAL COLLABORATION
THEATRE FOR EVERYBODY in Gaza and THEATRE AZ in London began a long-term collaboration in 2007 to allow artists to travel to both places. At the time, Israel banned their blockade of Gaza, restricting all movement. Instead, they began a digital collaboration between artists and audiences in both places. This continued during Israel's genocide in Gaza in the form of Messages From Gaza.
TAKE A PUBLIC STANCE
EXPRESS SOLIDARITY ONLINE
BOOK WRITERS 4 PALESTINE have been encoring writers to express solidarity online. Join them by sharing their graphics or share another groups
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FLY THE FLAG
First Nations activists in Australia share January 26, this year by flying the Palestinian flag. Survival Day is the biggest protest of the year for Indigenous Australians.
WEAR A SYMBOL FOR PALESTINE AT A CULTURAL EVENT
Whether a poppy, a kuffiyeh or embroidery, wear a symbol of Palestine at a cultural event and show your solidarity with Palestinian artists.
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Contact THEATRE WORKERS FOR A CEASEFIRE for a pin to wear at a red carpet event and to help guide you on how to answer difficult questions.
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RECLAIM
PALESTINIAN SYMBOLS
From the Kuffiyeh to the watermelon learn about Palestinian symbols, and help reclaim there origins and meanings.
MAKE A STATEMENT
ON THE RED CARPET
(EVEN IF YOUR NOT INVITED)
SPEAK OUT
SPEAK OUT AT
A PERFORMANCE
In Barcelona, a director speaks on the stage after a performance at the Sala Beckett Theatre.
SPEAK OUT AT
A PROTEST
Speak out at a protest like Nat in Leeds.
CREATE A
SOLIDARITY VIDEO
JOIN A PROTEST OR ORGANISE YOUR OWN
QUEERS FOR
PALESTINE
QUEERS FOR PALESTINE have done everything from creating a queer bloc for the march, highlighting pinkwashing at the National Student Pride and protest Jamie the musical for their unethical funding.
1 MILLION MARCH
The capital of the United Kingdom witnessed its largest demonstration in UK history, as over one million protesters flooded the streets of London on Saturday, Nov. 11.
The protest brought together people from all backgrounds, races and religions and those of all ages.
PROTEST THOSE WHO CANCEL
Over 100 students at Wexner Centre for the Arts protested outside the building after it cancelled its annual Directors Dialog with Palestinian artist Jumana Manna.
ORGANISE A
CULTURAL RESISTANCE MARCH
In New York City artists and cultural workers organised a Cultural Resistance March, in the heart of the downtown theatre scene >>
ORGANISE A VIGIL
HOLD A VIGIL IN A CULTURAL SPACE
Art workers for Palestine held a vigil at the London Tate Modern art gallery calling for arts and cultural institutions to break their silence
DEMAND A MEMORIAL
UCL ACTION FOR PALESTINE took direct action to demand that the Student Center by renamed “The Refaat Alareer Student Centre”. The University College London has still not issued a statement or acknowledged their former student Dr Refaat Alareer, the poet and writer who was murdered in November 2023.
HOLD A VIGIAL HIGHLIGHTIG AN INTERSECTION OF ISSUES
Young and veteran HIV/AIDS activists, healthcare advocates, and Palestine solidarity activists gathered on the eve of the 35th annual #WorldAIDSDay at the steps of Lincoln Center to tell the US government: FUND HEALTHCARE, NOT WARFARE!
OCCUPY A SPACE & CREATE AN ALTERNATIVE EVENT
OCCUPY A
CULTURAL SPACE
WRITERS AGAINST THE WAR ON GAZA occupied MOMA in New York to challenge the museums silence on genocide
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ORGANISE A GUERRILLA
PERFORMANCE
Arts and Cultural Works occupied the Barbican in London creating a Guerilla Festival demanding an end to their censorship of Palestinian artists
CREATE AN ALTERNATIVE TOUR AT YOUR LOCAL MUSEUM
Activist group BP OR NOT BP created an alternative tour of the British Museum, educating people on the origins of many of the exhibits and how the were stolen including from Palestine
OCCUPY THE SPACE
& DEMAND CHANGE
ENERGY EMBARGO FOR PALESTINE staged a sit-in demonstration at the British Museum to object to the London institution accepting funding from oil giant BP.
DISRUPT THE SILENCE
TAKE OVER A SPACE WITH THE KIDS
PARENTS FOR PALESTINE staged a creative protest at the Science Museum over its association with the Adani Group. They dropped thousands of leaflets with the names and ages of children killed in Gaza from the second-floor balcony.
PROJECT ONTO A CULTURAL SPACE
ARTISTS AGAINST GENOCIDE project 'Silence is Complity' on the National Theatre in the UK.
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INVADE THE STAGE
ARTISTS AGAINST GENOCIDE attempted to invade the stage at Sadler Wells in opposition to their funding froms Barclays Bank.
WRITE A GIANT LETTER TO A SILENT CULTURAL ORGANISATION
QUEERS 4 PALESTINE and STOP ART WASHING write a giant letter to the CEO of the Art Gallery Ontario with one protestor placing it in the gallery.
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THE PLAYWRIGHT
VS THE THEATRE
Victor I. Cazares has stopped taking their HIV meds — until the NY Theatre Workshop calls for a cease-fire in Gaza.
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DEMAND THE RETURN
OF STOLEN ARTIFACTS
Join local activists or group demanding the return of stolen artefacts and culture.
COMBINE ART WITH PROTEST
Created by Ahmed Masoud, Obliterated was a theatrical experiment and an artistic protest where there as never a play or a production. Ahmed wanted to highlight what it felt like to have art and theatre taken away from the audience in protest of the bombing of the El Mishal Cultural Centre in Gaza.
JOIN OR CREATE A GROUP
JOIN A DIRECT ACTION GROUP
OR FORM YOUR OWN
Drawing together writers, editors, and other culture workers, WAWOG continues to do direct action and disruption in the USA cultural sector. Find a collective in your field or create your own.
JOIN A FRIENDSHIP GROUP
OR FORM YOUR OWN
The Freedom Theatre has friendship groups in France, USA and Sweden who are crucial to supporting the theatre from fundraising to advocacy to tours. Join a friendship group or create your own
JOIN A COLLECTIVE
OR FORM YOUR OWN
ARTISTS AGAINST APARTHEID is a collective of artists worldwide who have come together to provide resources, guides and take action together. Many of their visuals can be seen across this website. Find a collective in your field or create your own.
JOIN A PERFORMANCE GROUP
OR FORM YOUR OWN
The White Kite Collective is a group of Cultural Workers united in support of the Palestinian people.
JOIN A COALITION
OR FORM YOUR OWN
SCHOLOARS AGAINST THE WAR IN PALESTINE is a coalition of academics, researchers, scholars and students working to stop the destruction of schools, universities and places of learning and the killing of those who live there. Find a coalition in your field or create your own.
ORGANISE THROUGH YOUR UNION
GET YOUR UNION TO DEMAND THE RELEASE OF
IMPRISONED ARTISTS
In Norway the actors and dancers write a statement demanding the release of imprisoned artists including from Mustafa Sheta
GET YOUR UNION
TO JOIN THE CALL
TO STOP ARMING ISRAEL
WORKERS IN PALESTINE is a coalition of over 30 Palestinian trade unions and professional associations, issuing a united call to stop arming Israel. Follow the Workers Art Collective and get your collective of actists or union to join the call.
CLOSE DOWN
A WEAPONS FACTORY
Around the globe groups are closing down weapons factories, including WORKERS FOR PALESTINE a coalition of workers and unions. At this picket they read testimonies of Paslestine artists during their picket
STRIKE & WITHDRAW YOUR LABOUR
GO ON STRIKE WITH
YOUR COLLUGES
100 culture workers gathered outside the National Theatre in a strike protesting arts organisations’ “deep silence” on Israeli attacks on Palestine and Palestinian artists.
ORGANISE A
STRIKE FUND
Ravers For Palestine have set up a strike fund for DJ's to be able to join the boycott in Germany as not all musicians are able to turn down a paid gig. Solidarity should never be a privilege, so they are proposing a crowdfunded strike fund to ensure all our peers are able to boycott.
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SIGN UP TO
STRIKE GERMANY
Sign up to STRIKE GERMANY a call to refuse German cultural institutions' use of McCarthyist policies that suppress freedom of expression, specifically expressions of solidarity with Palestine.
PULL OUT
IN SOLIDAITY
DJs are boycotting Berlin-based DJ streaming platform HÖR and demanding they remove their sets, after they asked two artists to cancel their set or remove clothing that showed solidarity with Palestine.
The numbers below give an example of action for each of the six key areas of cultural boycott.
1.
Lauryn Hill, the American singer famous for her cover of Killing Me Softly, cancelled a concert in Israel at three days notice after pressure from groups calling for a cultural boycott of Israel.
2.
Queer|Art publically declared its refusal to collaborate with or receive funding from any institutions that continue to contribute to this cruel system of apartheid that steals both life and land from Palestinian families.
3.
The composer and producer Brian Eno has denied permission for one of Israel’s most critically acclaimed dance companies to continue using his music for a series of performances in Italy after he discovered that the Israeli embassy was sponsoring the event.
4.
More than 20 acts have pulled out of the 2022 Sydney festival, just 48 hours before opening night, boycotting the festival over a sponsorship deal with the Israeli embassy.
5.
Fellows end their association with TED after no longer wanting to be associated with an organisation that platforms and honours vocal supporters of Israel’s genocide of Palestinians.
6.
Israel offered all-expenses-paid trips to 2016 Oscars host Chris Rock and 25 top nominees. The Israeli tourism ministry organized the trip with hopes that the superstars would use their platforms to show Israel in a positive light, countering worldwide outrage over Israel’s oppression of Palestinians. Not one celeb took up the offer.
CREATE AN APARTHEID FREE
CULTURAL SPACE
The Apartheid Free Zones campaign promotes the creation of spaces of proactive solidarity with the Palestinian people. Inspired by the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, the Apartheid Free Zones (AFZ) campaign seeks to cut links of complicity in Israeli violations of Palestinian human rights, especially those related to the UN-defined crime of apartheid.