At Dancemakers, one of our values is to demonstrate leadership in the field of dance by engaging in critical conversations around what “learning” and “un-learning” looks like to reflect a more decolonial reality for equity-seeking artists.
On October 7 2024, Dancemakers and The Toronto Community Love In shared a joint statement of solidarity for Palestine which you can read here.
For 2025, we have joined other arts organizations in endorsing the Palestinian Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI).
This means that Dancemakers specifically commits to:
boycott any cultural product or event funded, commissioned, &/or sponsored by an official Israeli body
not collaborate with or take money from Israeli institutions
refuse "normalization" efforts seeking to justify Israel's violence or present a false symmetry between oppressed & oppressor
advocate for others to similarly divest from Israel, end support for the oppression of Palestinians, & pressure Israel to comply with international law
As PACBI rejects on principle boycotts of individuals based on their identity or opinion, the boycott only applies to Israeli individuals if they are representing the state of Israel or a complicit Israel institution, or are recruited to participate in Israel’s re-branding efforts.
We have a responsibility to denounce anti-Palestinian racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and the dangerous conflation of anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism.
We see endorsing PACBI as a crucial way we uphold our values and remain accountable to our communities.
If your organization is considering endorsing PACBI, you can find more information at https://bdsmovement.net/pacbi
If you have any have questions about this decision, please reach out to our staff.
In solidarity,
The staff & board of directors at Dancemakers