-------- Forwarded Message -------- From: Marina Vishmidt <[email protected]>
Dear friends and colleagues, I'm writing to draw your attention to a petition that has been formed against the new Home Office restructions to non-EU artists and academics. In January Russian artist Dmitry Vilensky was twice refused a Visa to enter the UK on account of the fact that he was to earn a small fee for a seminar that was co-organised by The Showroom and Afterall. Since then we have become more aware of the recent changes in restrictions that make it difficult and expensive for arts organsations to bring artists and academics from outside of the EU. The civil liberties group, The Manifesto Club along with Manick Govinda of Arts Admin, The Showroom, Afterall and other arts groups are working hard to get the message across that these parochial and suspicious regulations need to be reconsidered, and re-affirm the vital contribution made by global artists and scholars to UK cultural and intellectual life. A campaign website and a petition have been set up: http://www.manifestoclub.com/visitingartists> The petition can be accessed via the Manifesto Club webpage through the above link. Following the campaign, there has also been a report on this matter in The Observer: <http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/feb/22/immigration-arts-gormley> <http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2009/feb/22/9> A public meeting will be held in late spring/early summer to consolidate, discuss and co-ordinate further action on this issue. We are looking for a space to host this meeting, so any offers would be greatly appreciated. We will hope that you will support this initiative and continue to spread the word. Yours sincerely, Emily Pethick The Showroom 44 Bonner Road London E2 9JS tel. +44 (0)20 8983 4115 fax. +44 (0)020 8981 4115 www.theshowroom.org _____________________________________________________________ More contemporary art at http://www.art-online.org _______________________________________________ news-l mailing list [email protected] http://one.server1.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/news-l _______________________________________________ NetBehaviour mailing list [email protected] http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour
