UK arts institute dismissed pro-Palestine activists, claim former employees

Former employees of the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London claim that their dismissals were linked to their pro-Palestine activism. The Cultural Workers Against Genocide (CWAG) alleged last Friday that fourteen ICA staff members were informed of their impending redundancies in March and the group included all employees who had received informal warnings in October for their involvement in drafting and publishing a letter urging the ICA to boycott Israel amidst its war against the Palestinians in Gaza.

According to the Art Newspaper, the letter was published on the ICA website without the management’s authorisation. The CWAG statement also noted that despite the workers’ union pushing for pay cuts at the senior level to mitigate redundancies, only three positions were saved.

Moreover, the statement outlined several demands for the ICA, including severing ties with the law firm Mishcon de Reya, which has close connections to the Israeli state; fully committing to the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel; and divesting from companies that “contribute to or profit from the Israeli occupation and the genocide of Palestinians.”

In response, ICA director Bengi Ünsal told the newspaper: “We have not been immune to the immense pressures that have affected many other arts charities and organisations in recent times. The pandemic, inflation and changing patterns in donations and grants have resulted in us running an operating deficit for the last few years.”

He added that while reserves helped the institute through the initial period of turbulence, this was never going to be a realistic answer to the problem over the longer term. “The board and senior leadership considered the matter carefully; however, we were left with no option other than to restructure the organisation, which sadly involved redundancies. Our priority throughout has been our colleagues and their wellbeing, and we have been doing everything we can to support them.”

However, former ICA staff members contest the claim that financial issues were the primary reason for the layoffs. One former employee, speaking anonymously, told the newspaper that, “The ICA has been financially struggling for years. I believe they are using it as a smokescreen.”

Following the publication of the October letter, the ICA underwent a review by Arts Council England (ACE), the national cultural funding body, which concluded that there was no basis to withdraw funding because of the letter.

The ICA has been one of London’s most openly pro-Palestinian art institutions. In October, it allowed its venue to be used by protesters marching in solidarity with Palestine and advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza. The institution also hosts an annual Palestinian film festival and has featured Palestinian artists in its exhibition programme. Despite these actions, the ICA has not publicly declared its stance on the BDS movement, said the CWAG.

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