Western Sydney indigenous rapper Barkaa has pulled out of her Sydney Festival commitments due to the event’s partnership with the Israeli Embassy in Canberra, worth $20,000.
The Malyangapa and Barkindji musician announced her decision on Instagram yesterday, citing solidarity with civilians in Palestine affected by the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“I stand with Palestine always and I’m pulling out of all events associated with [Sydney Festival],” Barkaa captioned the post. “We as a nation live in a time where we should know better, so we should do better.”
She also shared messages from the Artists Against Apartheid movement to support the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestments, and Sanctions movement (BDS) to lobby Sydney Festival to terminate the funding partnership.
