THIS year’s Sydney Festival should have been an inspirational celebration of art and culture. Instead, it was overshadowed by controversy. The cause? A boycott in protest against the $20,000 sponsorship provided by the Israeli Embassy, which was listed as the festival's “star” partner. Despite this being the first time the festival had been staged since the devastation of lockdowns, 30 artists withdrew, sacrificing their chance to perform for an audience. (Some went on with their shows, but not under the Festival umbrella.)
THE sponsorship in question was for performances by Sydney Dance Company of , a work by Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin, the former artistic director of Batsheva, the celebrated dance
