Carriageworks Accused Of Intimidating Staff Over Sydney Festival Boycott
Carriageworks has been accused of intimidation after allegedly telling staff who are boycotting the controversial Sydney Festival not to come to work.
The arts and culture venue is currently hosting eight performances during the month-long event, which is under fire for accepting a $20,000 donation from the Israeli Embassy.
An estimated 20 staff members have shown solidarity with the pro-Palestine movement so far, with approximately half of the group having opted out of shifts that run with the festival’s programme days. Employees not in a position to forfeit work have been wearing handmade ‘Free Palestine Movement’ badges on site instead.
Senior management reportedly gave them two options last week: stop wearing the badge or be paid to stay offsite. However, those who had previously dropped their shifts were not offered financial compensation. While there have thankfully been no punishment or repercussions so far, staff have said their leaders are taking advantage of their precarious position as a predominantly casual workforce.
Charlie*, who spoke to Junkee on the condition of anonymity, said they’ve been feeling disillusioned at Carriageworks’ inaction, given how front of house staff had been collectively expressing their outrage since the start of January.
“While upper management expressed concern about how to handle potential protests during the festival, they remained silent on the issue of the Israeli funding, and did not address the reality that staff would be put in a compromising position as they would be expected to be the face of the Sydney Festival shows at Carriageworks,” they said.
When the first week of the festival rolled around, Charlie said higher-ups started cracking down harder. “As our CEO and other senior staff began to intimidate us out of proceeding with our action, the numbers of those participating dropped, and fewer numbers continued to wear them to the end of the festival.”
Protest activist Jennine Khalik called out Carriageworks’ latest move as “an attempt to undermine the staff who gave up their shifts” — a point Charlie agrees with.
“It is an incredibly difficult and compromising decision for casual staff to sacrifice shifts that they will not be compensated for, and our CEO’s disingenuous display of ‘understanding’ around this decision does not acknowledge the reality of the financial position that these workers would find themselves in.”
“If they were going to offer to pay badge-wearing staff to not turn up to shifts, why didn’t they offer compensation for those who had sacrificed theirs? It was a blatant attempt to silence protest, and hope that staff would stay quiet about the offer of payment given their vulnerable financial position as casuals,” they said.
Dance Company Withdraws From Festival
The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance said in a recent statement that they had been contacted by a number of live performance venue staff who had declined shifts, or worn paraphernalia in support of the boycott movement. “It is frequently the case that arts workers express their support for, and solidarity with causes that align with their values,” said the union.
“MEAA supports the right of our members to express their personal views in this way in the course of their employment. This is part of the rich mix of expression and exchange in a vibrant creative community.”
A corresponding protest also took place outside the venue on Sunday in support of the boycott movement, including members of the Marrugeku dance company, who withdrew their Sydney Festival performance at Carriageworks in solidarity.
Marrugeku dancers, who withdrew from Sydney Festival in protest of Israeli apartheid, joined protesters outside Carriageworks company yesterday.
Carriageworks is forbidding staff from wearing homemade Palestine badges. pic.twitter.com/Gx1cDycmvd
— Sarah Hassan (@Sarah_Hassan94) January 23, 2022
“Most of us are art students, emerging artists, art workers, and writers who come to and rely on institutions like Carriageworks to find our footing in the art industry,” said Charlie. “A lot of us feel betrayed by senior management. This campaign has shed light on a lot of pre-existing issues at Carriageworks, and we plan to make a set of demands to hold upper management accountable.”
“I personally believe that Carriageworks does not have the right to claim themselves to be ambitious, radical, and inclusive while intimidating staff who are wearing symbols of solidarity with Indigenous people who are currently being ethnically cleansed and displaced.”
“I hope that Carriageworks as an ‘artist-led’ institution does not continue to work with Sydney Festival in the future, and prioritises the values of artists and workers who make up Carriageworks instead.”
Junkee reached out to Carriageworks for comment.