In April 2025, Studio 303 joined the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), which is part of the Palestinian BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement. This decision is made in the context of the ongoing genocide in Palestine, and is informed by the conversations in our community around artistic practices that benefit the Israeli state.
For Studio 303 — both its team and board of directors — joining PACBI is a simple yet meaningful first step. It is a concrete way to support an initiative led by Palestinian civil society, which now has international resonance. Several cultural organizations in Montreal have already taken this step this year. We are now joining this movement of solidarity.
We have been questioning internally for the past year and a half what actions to take and how. To date we have taken some actions to provide support such as hosting fundraisers and solidarity events. We understand that remaining silent is a form of complacency and complicity—and we want to change that.
Arts and culture play a key role in the normalization and artistic whitewashing (“artwashing”) of the ongoing Israeli genocide in Palestine. We believe that arts and culture can also be tools to support resistance to colonial oppression and the liberation of Palestine. By refusing to collaborate with the Israeli government or its funding bodies, and by boycotting all cultural and academic products that normalize the State of Israel, we affirm our commitment to Palestinian self-determination. We seek to promote artistic practices and cultural collaborations that resist colonial oppression and amplify voices of liberation.
This is why we no longer program practices that contribute to the “Brand Israel” strategy, such as Gaga. At the same time, we will continue to question and educate ourselves about other practices that contribute to artwashing.
That said, we are aware that some of PACBI’s proposed guidelines are difficult to apply. The argument that financial ties between an artist and the State of Israel determine complicity does not take into account our long-term relationships with artists we host, nor the complexities of artists’ funding. This argument also reveals inconsistencies when considering that, as a Canadian cultural organization, we primarily rely on Canadian government funding—a government that remains complicit and still does not recognize the State of Palestine. That being said, PACBI’s perspective and tools have already helped us move forward in our thinking and actions, and we will continue along this path.
Thus, we commit here to opening a space where discussions are not driven by fear of wrongdoing, but by a desire to understand, to support, and to act differently. A space to think together, without comparison or condemnation.
Our next concrete action will be to hold a public discussion on the subject during the opening of SPARK (during FTA). We welcome you to join us.
In solidarity,
The co-directors, team, and board of directors of Studio 303
Ressources:
https://bdsmovement.net/cultural-boycott
https://bdsmovement.net/pacbi/cultural-boycott-guidelines
https://www.tadamon.ca/archive/post/5824/#
https://dancersgroup.org/2025/02/dancing-with-solidarity-the-case-for-boycotting-batsheva-and-gaga/
https://dancersforpalestine.wordpress.com/2024/12/24/mark-morris-and-gaga-movement/
