Visiting Artists Campaign Update

Manick Govinda, Visiting Artists Campaign Co-ordinator at Artsadmin writes seeking assitance in the petition against the UK's ridiculous laws hindering overseas artists from visiting the UK, making it difficult for some and impossible for others. Please sign the petition if you agree that these draconian measures do nothing but hinder the vital growth and development of global arts and culture.

"The petition against the home office's ludicrous restrictions preventing non-EU artists and academics from participating [in] the UKs cultural life is getting closer to our target of 10,000 signatories. When we reach our target we will send a delegation to 10 Downing Street with the petition. We're nearly there, but I'm writing to you for your help.

The points based system which replaced the far more flexible work permits will be a year old on 27 November. We want to hand the petition in by that date to mark that moment when our freedom to invite artists, writers, poets, dancers, musicians, academics and intellectuals - professionals and amateurs - were [sic] taken away from us.

Very recent examples of barred entry included:
* US artist Cristina Winsor detained and deported for allegedly intending to sell 2 small paintings at a local arts event in east London
* US artist MP Landis, his wife and 4 month baby detained and deported for not having the correct paperwork; Glenfiddich Distilleries invited him for a summer residency
* Indian artist Anirban Mitra refused a visa for the same residency opportunity after waiting for 4 months for a decision at great expense
* Russian author Sergei Mironenko of Memorial and Evgeni Tsymbal, Russian film director, were were refused visas despite being invited by reputable organizations (the London Book Fair and Queen Mary University of London respectively)
* The Lahore Pipe Band from Pakistan were refused visas to participate in Scotland’s World Pipe Band Championships

The home office and the UKBA needs to get a sense of proportion. Hundreds of community, amateur and cultural groups are being affected as well as big national arts institutions.

We need to send a loud message to the Home Office that these ludicrous regulations need to be seriously reviewed and reconsidered. This petition has collected a huge breadth of voices from all walks of life, nationalities, political and religious persuasions.

If you haven't signed it, PLEASE do so. If each of you can persuade a friend, colleague or family member to sign the petition then we've more than reached our target."

Access the petition here

"This threatens the exchange of ideas in the arts and sciences which means so much to our culture and also helps promote the cause of international good will. These new regulations will have the very opposite effect of that intended. It will also tend to make UK security authorities something of a laughing stock, since it so obviously exemplifies the narrow bureaucratic mind at its most foolish."
Petition signatory, Michael Moorcock - editor/journalist/novelist

"A few months ago I attended Marina Abramovic presents during the Manchester International Festival. This was undoubtedly one of the most important performance art events to occur in Britain for many years, and there was an empty space where there should have been an artist from Indonesia. The organisers had to explain that the artist had run into visa trouble. Thousands of people attended this event. This means that another several thousand people now see the Border Agency, and the whole policing and population control infrastructure of the United Kingdom, as mean and ridiculous. Why bother having the British Council to promote British culture abroad when you have this stupid agency and these stupid laws undermining all the work that it does to earn respect for the United Kingdom?"
Petition signatory, Robert Persson, artist.

Further info on the visiting artists campaign here