[Nettime-ro] Fwd: Manifesto Club: Petition against Home Office's restrictions on non-EU artists and academics

[Valentina <mvalentinaiancu@gmail.com>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Manick Govinda <govinda@manick.f2s.com>
Date: 2010/1/15
Subject: Manifesto Club: Petition against Home Office's restrictions on
non-EU artists and academics
To:




Thanks to you and thousands of other supporters the campaign is making
really good progress.  Below is the latest news.

Best wishes and a Happy New Year

Manick Govinda

Campaign Co-ordinator: Visiting artists/academics petition

Campaign site: http://www.manifestoclub.com/visitingartists



*Breakthrough Imminent Thanks To Your Support – Case Studies Needed
*
Manifesto Club’s campaign and petition against the Home Office's
restrictions which affect non EU artists and academics has gained new
supporters and momentum from many influential people including Lord Tim
Clement-Jones, Liberal Democrat Spokesman on Culture, Media and Sport in the
House of Lords, who I advised in relation to a question he raised in the
House of Lords about these ludicrous rules.  Click on the following link to
view the the debate
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2009-12-15a.1387.7  The debate is
difficult to follow as it is couched in the language of formal exchange,
importantly however, it concludes that the Government Whip Lord Brett sees
no reason why “for example, academic visas do not allow working beyond
honorarium – they do not allow people to become salaried.  In that sense,
therefore, there is no reason why entry may be denied....I will investigate
to produce an answer.”

This new development could be the significant breakthrough we have been
seeking in order to cut through the rigid bureaucracy, however, we need to
keep up the pressure.

In my experience visiting artists and academics are not salaried or on a
payroll but instead are given an honorarium or modest fee, however,
documentary evidence would be helpful to support this viewpoint.

Please submit any case studies or testimonials you have that might
strengthen the argument.

Lord Clement-Jones also wrote a more direct and passionate case for
Manifesto Club’s  campaign, in a feature article  on the website
epolitix.com, in which  he  acknowledges your support: “it is vital that all
those affected by the new visa restrictions continue to campaign vigorously
until we change the system to one that no longer damages UK arts and
cultural exchange”
http://www.epolitix.com/latestnews/article-detail/newsarticle/visa-restrictions-damaging-to-arts/


*Manifesto Club Delegation to meet Clement-Jones
*
The Manifesto Club has put together a delegation of representatives from the
campaign including not-for-profit arts professionals from Raven Row Gallery
and Artsadmin, the literary membership group English PEN, UCU (University  &
College Union) and Goldsmiths College to meet with Lord Clement-Jones next
week.


*Ten thousand signatures almost reached
*
Amazingly over nine thousand  seven hundred and ninety-one people (9791)
have already signed the petition in a very short space of time.  Our aim is
to reach our target of 10,000 signatories before we meet Clement-Jones next
week.  We only need about 200 signatures to reach our goal, so please sign
the petition if you haven’t done so yet, and if you have please make that
final encouragement to anyone you know who might want to sign it.  The
petition site is:  http://www.PetitionOnline.com/MCvisit/petition.html


*Keep Up the Pressure
*
Finally, please continue to send us news of any incidents of artists and
academics being refused visas, denied entry or being deported. We are
compiling further evidence which will soon be launched as a report update to
our June 2009 report entitled *UK Arts and Culture: Cancelled, By Order of
the Home Office* http://www.manifestoclub.com/files/UKArtsCancelled.pdf

Let’s make sure that the Home Office listens to our call in 2010 for a
thorough review and reconsideration of the points-based-system and the
damage it is causing to our cultural relationships with non-EU artists and
academics.


Thank you again and best wishes

Manick Govinda

Campaign Co-ordinator: Visiting artists/academics petition

Campaign site: http://www.manifestoclub.com/visitingartists



-- 
Maria-Valentina Iancu
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