KVS has started a trajectory to evolve 'Towards an Apartheid Free Zone'. This involves a commitment to say NO as a house to any form of discrimination, racism, violence and violation of human rights and international law. This step follows previous actions supported by KVS, such as Poets for Palestine, in which the house invited a series of artists to voice their opinion against the atrocities in Israel and Palestine, and the space for the launch of the initiative Artists4Palestine/Belgium in November 2023.
The commitment that KVS is now making with the collective 'Towards Apartheid Free Zone' is not just a one-off event, but a transitional process towards a sustainable work infrastructure in our sector. As an intercultural, intergenerational and gender-diverse city theatre, KVS wants to help with this. After all, it is something that lives within the artists of KVS and a large part of the staff. For artistic director Michael De Cock, this step is therefore an obvious one.
'Towards Apartheid Free Zones' is an initiative of artists and organisations in Belgium. It has been built up with a focus on the sector, tailored to our institutions, decrees and implementing decisions. It is applicable to current affairs, but at the same time it transcends them, and it opposes any form of discrimination. Ultimately, this trajectory ties in with work that has already begun: Palestina Solidariteit vzw, together with the Association Belgo Palestinienne, has stood for active solidarity with oppressed peoples worldwide who are fighting for justice for more than a decade. Shops, bars, restaurants, companies, trade unions, cultural, sports or youth associations, neighbourhood centres, community centres, political parties, places of worship, individuals etc. can become Apartheid Free Zones, places where oppression is not supported in any way and in particular colonial apartheid regimes are supported.
In concrete terms, the T-AFZ trajectory means that an organisation carries out a scan on all levels - not only within the programming. This also means a scan of all suppliers and external partners with which it collaborates. This involves looking at cultural partnerships and sponsorships, suppliers, financial flows and intersectionality. If these organisations use their resources to support apartheid regimes or other violations of human rights in any way, it is good to review the partnerships and look for alternatives. The focus is currently on what is happening in Gaza, but it can also expand to a more general trend.
Within this initiative, KVS will now take further steps, including an internal working group that will follow up on this initiative. The emphasis is on ‘evolving towards’. After all, it is logical that an organization cannot switch from one day to the next. But it is important to take initiative and take steps.