Over 300 artists sign open letter condemning The Great Escape’s controversial partnership
Over 300 artists have signed an open statement calling upon The Great Escape festival to drop Barclays as a partner. The bank is one of many companies sponsoring the event happening next month in Brighton, but as a major investor company connected to Israel’s weaponry, musicians are calling for a cutting of ties in support of the Palestinian people.
“UN officials and genocide scholars have said that Isreal’s military assault on Gaza is a ‘textbook case of genocide’,” the statement on Instagram put together by How To Catch A Pig on behalf of musicians reads.
“Over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in the last five months,” the message continues, highlighting the staggering death toll of the ongoing conflict that has been going on since last October after Hamas killed over 1,200 civilians in Israel and took over a 100 hostages.
“These bombings are bankrolled by Barclays,” they write, “which invests £1bn in – and provides financial services worth over £3bn to – companies supplying weapons and military technology to Israel, used in its attacks on Palestinians.”
In the call to get the new music festival to drop the partner, they state, “A bank that is involved in Israel’s genocide has no place at The Great Escape, which is a fixture of the independent music scene and has a prized place in the industry. We refuse to let music be used to whitewash human rights violations. We cannot let our creative outputs become smokescreens behind which money is pumped into murdering Palestinians.”
The statement is signed by 86 acts currently booked to play at the festival, including notable names such as Wunderhorse, Mary In The Junkyard, Liz Lawrence and The New Eves. Some artists, such as Tom Rasmussen and The Menstrual Cramps have already pulled out of their slots over the issue, with more names potentially set to follow their lead.
Amongst the signatories, there are several acts who also pulled out of SXSW showcases out of solidarity for the same cause. As the US Army was revealed as a sponsor for the event in Texas, Lambrini Girls, Kneecap and Cardinals all dropped out of the event. Their names also appear on this new petition, proving how passionate many key voices in new music are about taking a stand on this vital issue.
As the petition was shared last night, hundreds more artists, industry leaders, publications and independent labels have signed in solidarity. Now, with an ever growing list of over 300 signatories, including artists like Goat Girl, Witch Fever, Big Joanie and more, they hope the festival will pay attention. “We will not be complicit in The Great Escape being a branding opportunity for Barclays,” they write.
“We insist that The Great Escape drops Barclays as a partner,” their statement concludes. “There is no festival without the musicians – and as musicians, we are taking a stand against genocide. We call on The Great Escape to do the same.”
So far, there is no comment from The Great Escape on the issue. The festival is set to commence on May 15th in Brighton, with key appearances from the likes of Jarvis Cocker, Faye Webster and Lauren Mayberry.
In addition to The Great Escape, the bank is also a major sponsor of Isle of Wight Festival and Latitude, as well as having ties with Download Festival, Camp Bestival, Lytham Festival and shows at The Piece Hall in Halifax.
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