No fascism in the arts: protest against the BNP Ballerina at the Dorchester
- When: Monday, February 19th, 2007
- Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London W1
Monday 19 February, Assemble 5.30pm, outside the Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London W1.
LMHR are keeping up the pressure for ‘BNP ballerina’ Simone Clarke to be sacked as a principal dancer at the English National Ballet. The ENB are holding their annual Gala fundraising dinner at the Dorchester. We have called a protest with Unite Against Fascism on Monday 19 February, 6pm outside the Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London W1.
The ENB cannot be allowed to get away with arguing that Clarke’s BNP membership is a private matter and doesn’t contradict their duty as a publicly-funded body to promote diversity and equality. The ENB have confirmed they are unwilling to take action against Clarke, who was exposed by the Guardian newspaper as a member of the fascist British National Party (BNP). The ENB is arguing that the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 does not apply to them. UAF and LMHR are arguing that given that Clarke has used her position in the publicly funded English National Ballet to justify her beliefs and promote her membership of the BNP in the Mail on Sunday, that the ENB has duty to investigate this. We believes that the Race Relations Amendment Act applies to the English National Ballet (ENB) as a publicly funded organisation. Simone Clarke’s membership of the BNP and her comments to the Mail on Sunday contravene this. Earlier in January around 60 people protested outside the Coliseum where Clarke was performing Giselle. The protest included trade unionists, students, anti-fascists and anti-racists and people who came out during there lunch hour to support the demonstration. One patron 62 year old Judy Chan gave in her ticket and joined the protest saying “I couldn’t go in there and clap and enjoy the performance, knowing that she is a member of a fascist organisation”.
We urge everyone to write to the ENB to insist that because of her publicly-stated and defended support for a racist party, the BNP, Simone Clarke must be removed from her position. Write to Craig Hassall, Managing Director, English National Ballet, Markova House, 39 Jay Mews, London
SW7 2ES.
You also might want to consider writing to the ENB’s major funder, the Arts Council to protest about a publicly-funded performer using her position to promote racism and fascism: London Regional Arts Council, 2 Pear Tree Court, London, EC1R 0DS.
