Thread by @iMusing

segue to interview with Sydney Festival chair is clip of Sara Saleh asking that the Festival not accept funding from Israel to artwash its atrocities.
The chair opens with a tory trope: taking the Israeli cash is “typical” and the festival has “always done it”.

Sydney Festival chair is very sorry that artists have been “pressured” into withdrawing and this is something they “never want to see again”. He is talking about the success of the boycott campaign.

the line cuts out. Hamish puts the Q as to whether the Festival enjoys the support of artists. The chair - whose line is breaking up - says the artists have been put in a “compromised” position. Not says: the Festival accepting $20K from Israel caused this “compromise”.

there will be a comprehensive review of “everything that was done”, says Sydney Festival chair. The Q was trying to get to who exactly brokered the $20K deal. He says he guesses the Board “just missed it” re potential controversy over the Israeli $20K.

the Board found out about the Israeli money when they saw its “logo” on Festival promo materials? Is that what he said? Wow.

the Sydney Festival chair is not considering his position. He says the Board is not divided on merit the Israeli $20K and “people” [board members] have different positions which have been debated and discussed. The Board reached a decision they could all sign off.

asked why the Board has not commented, the chair says it has discussed internally. Privately. You’ve seen what the artists have been subjected to, says Hamish. Yes the artists have taken a battering (I think that was the word?) on social media, says the chair.

Hamish also asked if leaders step up in such circumstances. That was the Sydney Festival chair “resolved privately” answer.

interview wraps with more passive voice claims about how hard life has been made for “the artists” without distinguishing which artists - boycott artists, participating artists - or who made their lives hard.