Over the past two years, the Manifesto Club's Visiting Artists Campaign has taken on the government's points-based visa system - a draconian new visa system that has led to the exclusion and surveillance of hundreds of visiting artists and academics.
Our petition received nearly 11,000 signatures, including artists Anthony Gormley and Jeremy Deller, and the writers Anne Fine and Maureen Duffy. Together petition signatories spoke out against the culture of suspicion represented by these regulations, and affirmed the importance of international exchange for the arts and academia.
Our campaign so far has been largely maintained by volunteers, which has become very difficult to sustain indefinitely. We are asking all supporters of this campaign to donate £20, to enable us to continue - and raise - this work over the next year.
This is a crucial time, with the coalition government further tightening Labour's draconian immigration regulations. At this moment:
Universities are facing caps on international students and academics;
Artists are deported for the crime of carrying a cello;
Academics are passport checked when they act as external examiners;
Professors and arts galleries alike are being asked to spy on their international students and artists
Over the next few months, we are seeking to raise £7000. Over the next year this will go towards:
- A report about immigration controls and the university - showing how academic freedom is being eroded, and surveillance extended over university life;
- A report about the effect of visa restrictions on the grassroots arts;
- A roundtable discussion on visa regulations and the grassroots arts;
- A public meeting against the immigration cap;
- Strengthening our lobbying and getting questions raised in the House of Commons, Lords and City Hall;
- The printing of campaign materials; editing, promotion and design of reports.
We need 350 people to donate £20, to support this campaign over the next year. Will you be one of them?
If you have any questions at all about this campaign, or would like to get involved in this work, please do
get in touch.
Signed,
Manick Govinda, Valerie Hartwich, Josie Appleton (Manifesto Club Visiting Artists Campaign)
DONATE TO THE VISITING ARTISTS CAMPAIGN!
If you would like to donate by cheque:
Make the cheque out to 'Manifesto Club', and post it to Manifesto Club, Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3GA., including your name and email.
