Although I didn’t watch the programme I’m very much into freedom of expression in the arts. I think as soon as you try and stifle an artist to say what their creativity can express you are on a slippery slope.
I think people are seeing a creative performance in the wrong light, Creativity is about expressing an artist’s feelings about a point. But art is a two way thing, the viewer or listener to a piece of art is just as entitled as the artist to have their own feelings about a piece of art that reaction is an integral part of the art.
As soon as we try an sensor someone’s reaction to a piece of art we are censoring art itself.
If some people felt “got at” by the piece then surely that is important to understand for anyone hoping the routine was going to educate. If someone feels treated unfairly then you are going to alienate them.
Unfortunately, the way the very important issue of racism has been portrayed by the media has come across as All black people have it really bad, they have no educational chances, all white people hate them, all white people have it so much better.
Every night in Itv there’s been a piece about racism. Where are their pieces on sexism, anti Semitism? All these issues are just as important, but I wonder if a dance troupe who were Jewish did a piece showing a German dragging a child and pretending to gas them live on stage, whether there would be a similar outcry over complaints.
It is important to educate people about racism but very careful consideration needs to be made on how not to alienate the people you are trying to educate. At the moment It seems there’s too much anger flying around to do this.