Canada's Arts World Has a Diversity Problem: Everyone Thinks Alike
Commentary A couple of years ago, Vancouver’s PuSh Festival cancelled its planned production of Christopher Morris’s “The Runner.” The issue was not that the play had suddenly become unwatchable; its repeated performances had earned lavish praise. The issue suddenly was that Morris, a Canadian playwright, had “no religious or cultural ties to the region” he […]
TL;DR
- Vancouver's PuSh Festival canceled Christopher Morris's play 'The Runner'.
- The reason for cancellation was Morris's lack of 'religious or cultural ties' to the depicted region, Israel.
- The festival opted to produce Basel Zaraa's 'Dear Laila' instead, citing the need to 'honour the artist whose work reflects their lived experience'.
- The festival's decision prioritized an artist's background over their work's merit.