30 Aug Statement re. Formation of the Jewish Artists’ Collective

SDUK wholeheartedly welcomes the formation of the Jewish Artists’ Collective and the vital discussions their recent statements have provoked (see HERE for coverage in The Stage).

We acknowledge the statistics quoted in the original open letter stating that Jews form a minority in the UK. We can also see that there is a rich tradition of Jewish people creating and appearing in theatre, and that attempts to reproduce this work can lead to appropriation if Jewish voices are not present.

As directors are often considered gatekeepers – either in their leading of the rehearsal process, and bringing together of casts and creative teams, or as artistic directors programming work, this current discussion directly affects our membership.

We wholly agree with JAC that this is a complex issue and not simply a question of casting. We are absolutely open to any conversation with JAC as to how SDUK can support them.

Thomas Hescott / SDUK Executive Director