ICAF - International Commitee for Artists' Freedom

ICAF International Committee for Artist's Freedom

Campaigns in Europe

• Sending letters of support to a prominent Belarussian playwright, Andrei Kureichyk, blacklisted for attempting to organise playwrights in Belarus.

• Collection and despatch of a consignment of playscripts to help restock the foreign language department of the National Theatre Library in Ingusetia, destroyed by fire.

• Helping to fund the rebuilding and continued existence of the Mostar Youth Theatre.

• Sending aid to Czech performers following the disastrous flooding of their theatres.

• Providing aid to Chechen performers in the devastated city of Grozny and in exile in Georgia.

• Campaigning against the Turkish authorities' suppression of Kurdish language performances

• Mounting an appeal and raising funds to help performers suffering hardship as a result of the war in Kosovo and providing support for Kosovan artists who performed in the refugee camps and on their return to Kosovo; and for "Rise Phoenix" another group involving Kosovan actors in a children's tour on the twin themes of landmine awareness and friendship. Subsequently providing financial assistance toward the re–equipping of the National Theatre in Pristina which was badly damaged during the war.

• Also in the Balkans, giving a grant towards repairing and equipping a Children's Theatre in Podgorica, Montenegro, another area in crisis.

• And providing aid for sick and retired actors and theatre workers in need in Belgrade, Vojvodina, Vrsac and Zrenjanin – also affected by the political situation in the Balkans.

• Financial support for the establishment of the only independent theatre for young people in Tuzla, and helping to re-equip the National Theatre of Tuzla, following the war in Bosnia.

• Donating money to help actors in Sarajevo to keep working during the winter of the civil war to bring essential relief in the form of entertainment to their fellow citizens.

• Helping to fund a UK visit by a company of innovative Romanian actors with their production of "Murder in the Cathedral".