A collection of short political plays in response to warnings that artists shouldn’t be political.
We are living through a moment of horror. Brutality abroad is justified or ignored by our own government, while new police powers suppress protest at home. Globally far-right movements are growing and so too are Defence budgets. There is much to talk about.
But, readings, exhibitions, and shows are being cancelled. Some are silenced and some are unwilling to speak. And the Arts Council have started warning that ‘political statements’ made by individuals linked to an organisation can cause ‘reputational risk’, breaching funding agreements.
Writing in response to this creeping threat to freedom of expression in the arts, this collection of short plays includes playwrights Hassan Abdulrazzak, Mojisola Adebayo, Phil Arditti, Sonali Bhattacharyya, Nina Bowers, Roxy Cook, Ed Edwards, Afsaneh Gray, Dawn King, Ahmed Masoud, Nina Segal and Sami Abu Wardeh.
There will be post-show panel discussions with guest speakers from activism, journalism, politics and the arts who will dissect a different, related topic after each performance including “Censorship around the world: lessons we can learn in the UK” & “Palestine: how Middle East politics plays out/or not on our stages.”
Created by the team behind WALKING THE TIGHTROPE: the tension between Art and Politics (2015)
Reviews for Walking the Tightrope:
★★★★★ – British Theatre Guide on Walking the Tightrope
★★★★ “Playful, complex and downright disturbing” – TimeOut
“What serious theatre is for” – The Independent