500 leading artists sign letter in solidarity with our founder Ahmed Masoud

We, the undersigned cultural workers, wish to express our deepest condolences to the Palestinian-British playwright and novelist, Ahmed Masoud.

On 15 May 2025, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) killed Ibtisam, the wife of Ahmed’s brother, and Mahmoud, Ahmed’s 17-year-old nephew. This tragedy follows the killing of Ahmed’s brother, Khalid—Ibtisam’s husband and Mahmoud’s father—on 22 January 2024. Prior to that in 2023, Ahmed lost 13 of his cousins in a strike on the neighbourhood where he grew up in Gaza, including his family home.

We are outraged by the continued murder of Ahmed’s family members and stand in unwavering solidarity with him during this time of immense grief and loss.

The ongoing assault on Gaza has claimed over 53,000 Palestinian lives—though a study published in The Lancet suggests the true toll may be 40% higher—including more than 15,600 children, and has left over 120,000 people injured. Gaza now has more child amputees per capita than anywhere else in the world as a result of Israeli attacks, a number that continues to rise. Alongside the relentless bombardment, Israel has systematically blocked access to food, water, and medical supplies, weaponising deprivation and creating conditions of mass starvation.

What is happening in Gaza amounts to genocide, as recognised by human rights organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as by UN Special Rapporteurs and the governments of South Africa, Spain, Brazil, and Colombia.

We urge the British Government to immediately end all arms sales and intelligence cooperation with Israel, and to use all diplomatic means to secure a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire.

Those of us who are leaders of arts organisations commit to supporting Palestinian artists. This includes showcasing their work on our stages, commissioning new work, organising Palestine-related events, and ensuring Palestinian voices are centred in the public conversations and panel discussions we host.

Signatories [as of 22 May 2025 - 06:43]

Khalid Abdalla, Actor

Amy Abdelnoor , Writer & teacher

Hassan Abdulrazzak, Playwright

Maria Aberg, Artistic director

Sami Abu Wardeh, Comedian and writer

Dani Abulhawa, Choreographer/Director/Performer/Academic

Afia Abusham, Actor

Heather Ackroyd, Artist Director

Mojisola Adebayo, Playwright, Performer, Director, Professor

Dami Adeyeye, Film Producer

Casey Adler, Theater Artist

Zeynep Agcabay, Sound artist

Sarah Agha, Writer and actor

Zena Agha, Writer

Fateme Ahmadi, Filmmaker

Riffy Ahmed, Writer/director in Film & TV

Kath Akers, Dramatherapist and Arts Wellbeing

Waleed Akhtar, Writer/Actor

Salman Akhtar, Actor

bissane al charif , Set designer

Issam Al Ghussain, Actor

Luna Al-kaisy, Writer

Haider Al-Shybani, Assistant producer TV

Memet Ali Alabora , Actor - Director

Gary Alake Riley, Art Director

Nezar Alderazi, Actor

Kae Alexander, Actor

Naomi Alexander, Theatre Maker

Laila Alj, Actor & Producer

Simon Allen, Actor's agent / Producer

Alia Alzougbi, Artistic Director & CEO, Shubbak Festival

Eleonora Andronaco, Actor

Philip Arditti, Actor and writer

Sahar Assaf, Theatre maker

Sophie Austin , Director

David Aylward, Artist / musician

Sally AZ, Artist

P Babakhani, Producer

Pierre Babbage, Choreographer

Sam Bailey, Theatre Director

Fiona Bailey, Senior Lecturer, Primary Art Education

Maggie Bain, Actor

Jenny Bakst, Producer

K Balfour, Producer

Atri Banerjee, Director

Bill Bankes-Jones, Theatere Director

Frank Barat, Producer

Nick Barber, Actor

Luke Barnes, Writer

Racha Baroud , Performer / Director

Pelin Basaran, Curator

Melisa Basol, Psychologist

Sam Beale, Director

Sarah Bedi, Theatre director / writer

Charity Bedu-Addo, Actor writer

Heather Bell, Actor

Ant Belle, Camera Assistant

Ned Bennett , Theatre director

Marcus Berdaut , Creative Producer

Tere Bertucci, Musician

Milli Bhatia, director

Sonali Bhattacharyya, Playwright and Screenwriter

Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, playwright/screenwriter

Smita Bhide, Screenwriter

Sudha Bhuchar, Actor/Playwright

Brad Birch, Screenwriter and playwright

Matt Black, Producer

Doreene Blackstock, Actor

Agnieszka Blonska, Theatre director and performer

Jamie Bolland , Artist / teacher

Derek Bond, Director

Jamila Boughelaf, Visual and performance artist

Iman Boujelouah , Actor

Frances Bowman, Teacher of Art and Design

Madeleine Bowyer, Actor

Carole Boyd, Actress

Gabriella Braun, Writer

Elizabeth Briggs, Book Publisher

Laura Brown, PR and Producer

Cressida Brown , Theatre Director

Sam Browne, Writer

Moira Buffini, Dramatist

Fran Bushe, Writer

John Butler, Director

Nafeesah Butt, Cultural worker

Lily Caccia, Production Designer

Sarah Calver, Director

Naomi Campbell , Actor

Clio Capeille, Designer

Joanna Carolan, Comedian

Anne Caron-Delion, Artist and Design Historian, retired arts university lecturer

Michelle Carrier, Flamenco Dancer and teacher

Carmen Caruso, Librarian&Researcher

Rosie Cavaliero, Actress

Jonathan Chadwick, Theatre Director and Writer

Rema Chandran, Marketing

Insook Chappell, playwright & screenwriter

Sharmila Chauhan, Writer

Satinder Kaur Chohan, Writer

Taghrid Choucair-Vizoso, Cultural worker

Jude Christian, Director and writer

Chipo Chung, Actor

Caryl Churchill, Playwright

Julia Churchill, Literary Agent

Sharon Clark , Playwright

Anthea Clarke , Musician

Jess Clough-MacRae, Actor

Karen Cogan, writer

Lisa Spirling Coleman, Artistic Director

Paule Constable, Lighting designer

Paul Copley, Actor/writer

Catherine Coray, Arts Professor, NYU/Assoc. Producer, Noor Theatre

Phoebe Cottam, Filmmaker

Rebecca Crookshank, Playwright Screenwriter

Janet Currier, Visual artist

Nathan Curry, Director

Selma Dabbagh, Writer and lawyer

David Dark, Professor of Religion and the Arts

Aniruddha Das, Musician, teacher

Kerri Davenport-Burton, Film director

Justin David, Publisher / Author

Omri Dayan, Film Director

April De Angelis , Playwright

Zoë Dennington , Arts worker

Emma Dennis-Edwards, Writer

Charlotte Deny, Finance

Alexander Devrient , Actor

Gustavo Dias-Vallejo, artist

Toral Dixit, Filmmaker

Giorgia Dona, Academic

Nicholas Donovan, Artist

Emilio Doorgasingh , Actor

Annabelle Dowler, Actor

JESSICA DROMGOOLE, Radio director

Maud Dromgoole, Writer

Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Actor

Matthew Dunster, Theatre Director

Sarah Dutton, Costume Supervisor

Phoebe Eclair-Powell , Writer

Ed Edwards, Writer

Yussef El Guindi, Playwright

Aser El SAQQA , Founder & Director Arts Canteen, London

Sara El Sheekh, Theatre Maker, Voice Actor

Chantal El-Bikai, Art Director

Suhayla El-Bushra, Playwright and screenwriter

Sami El-Enany, Composer

Bushra El-Turk, Composer

omar elerian, theatre director

Waleed Elgadi, Actor & Writer

Jordan Elgrably, Writer

Mark Ellingham, Publisher

Lucy Ellinson , Actor

Nabil Elouahabi , Actor

Laith Elzubaidi, Writer

Charlotte Emmerson, actress

Brian Eno, Musician

Alfred Enoch, Actor

catrin evans, theatre maker

Nathan Evans, Publisher

catrin evans , theatre maker

Ruth Everett , Actor

Sophie Everett-Knight, Project manager

Leslie Ewing-Burgesse, Comedian

Gemma Fairlie, Theatre director

Souad Faress, Actor

Saed Taji Farouky, Filmmaker & educator

Gareth Farr, Writer

Clare Farrell, cultural strategist and activist

John Fass, Designer/Artist

Vicky Featherstone , Theatre Director

Saima Ferdows, TV Producer

Regina Fernandez, Actor

Vasilisa Forbes, Director

Lucy Foster, Venue Director

Michelle Fox, Filmmaker

Melanie Frances , Artist & Writer

Cecilia Frugiuele, Film Producer

Pia Furtado, Story Producer/ Dramaturg/ Director

Federico Gaggio, Independent Strategist and designer

Patricia Gallimore , Actor

Ayesha Garrett, Designer

Lindsey Garwood , Theatre maker

Lynn Gaspard, Publisher

Mhairi Gayer, Actor / director / producer

Pooja Ghai, Artistic Director and Joint CEO Tamasha

Tina Gharavi, Director/Professor

Amira Ghazalla, Actor

Michael Gilhooly, Actor/Director

Sam Gilroy, Theatre project manager

Ned Glasier, Director

Gemm Goggin, Actor

Lisa Goldman, Writer, dramaturg, director

Abigail Graham, Theatre director

Sharon Graham , Artist

Afsaneh Gray, Playwright

Lucy Greenwell, Radio Producer

Neil Griffiths, Organiser

Jay Griffiths, Writer

Neil Grutchfield, Dramaturg

Latefa Guemar, Research associate

Seemab Gul , filmmaker

Tanika Gupta, Playwright

Farah Haddad, Grants Officer and dancer

Joe Haddad, Actor and Comedian

Trina Haldar, Theatre Director

Charlotte Hamblin, Screenwriter

Ruhi Hamid, Documentary filmmaker

Omar Robert Hamilton, Writer

Samar Hammam, Literary Agent

Annie Hanauer, Choreographer

James Harker, Playwright

Misan Harriman, Photographer

Aiysha Hart, Actor / Writer

Roger Hartley , Founder/Director Bureau Of Silly Ideas

Zainab Hasan , Actress

Bilal Hasna, Actor & Playwright

Roann Hassani Mccloskey , Writer and maker.

Sulin Hasso, Actor

Gearóid Hayes, Photographer & Picture Editor

Sarah Hehir, Writer

Jusztina Hermann, Performance artist

Julie Hesmondhalgh, Actor

Katie Hims, Writer

Annie Hodson, Writer

Kirsty Housley, Director

Billy Howle, Actor

Steve Huison , Artist

Emteaz Hussain, Writer

Rabiah Hussain , Writer

Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini, Writer and filmmaker

Rizwan Iqbal, Creative Producer

Shahid Iqbal Khan, Playwright

Riham Isaac , Performance Artist

Tarek Iskander, Artistic Director

Elayce Ismail, Stage Director

Julia Jackman, Writer/Director

Judith Jacob , Actress

Charlene James , Writer

Rob Jarcisy, Actor

Kelly Jones, Playwright

Anna Jordan, Playwright / screenwriter

Yasmin Joseph, Writer

Colleen Joseph, Arts professional and teacher

Mariayah Kaderbhai, Head of Programmes

Hayat Kamille, Actor

Abla Kandalaft, Curator/Programmer

Alex Kanefsky, Writer and theatre maker

AM Kanngieser, Artist/Geographer

Asif Kapadia, Film Director

Talal Karkouti, Actor

John Keane, Artist

Sarah Keeling, Film editor

Lois Keidan, Cultural worker

Hannah Kelso, Writer Director

Fin Kennedy , Playwright and producer

Nicolas Kent, Theatre Director

Mel Kenyon, Literary Agent

Roberta Kerr, Actor

Rob Kershaw, Theatre maker

zaydun khalaf, Actor

Hannah Khalil, Playwright and Screenwriter

Asif Khan, Actor & Playwright

Sarah Khan, Filmmaker

Dawn King, Playwright and screenwriter

Marietta Kirkbride, Writer

Laurie Kirwan-Ashman, Writer-director

Dodo Kitching, Homeopath

Christina Kono, Carers

Ash Kotak , Cultural Producer

Syreeta Kumar, Actor

Rania Kurdi, Actress

Zoe Lafferty, Culture

Emma Laird Craig, Actress/Writer

Tabby Lamb, Playwright

David Lan, Writer

Howard Lane, musician

Anne Langford, Theatre maker

Natasha Langridge, Theatre Practitioner

Juliette Larthe, Film & poetry

Ruth Lass, Actor

Lottie Latham , Actor

James Leadbitter (the vacuum cleaner), Artist activist

Leonor Lemée, Actor

Matt Lewis, Artist

Karl Lewkowicz, Composer and lyric writer

Nell Leyshon, Writer

Michael Lindall, Actor

Emily Ling Williams, Director

Phyllida Lloyd, Director

Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, Playwright and Screenwriter

Stewart Lodge, Cabaret performer

Michael Lumsden, Actor

Jen Lunn, Playwright

Jackie Lye, Actor

Elizabeth Lynch MBE, Arts Advisor

Nina Lyndon , Theatre maker

Lux Lynes, Writer

Katie Lyons, Writer

Joe Mackintosh, International Festival Director

Cloudberry MacLean, Community Arts Manager & practising artist

Rebecca MacMillan, Improvisation performer and teacher

Jessica MacMoire, Filmmaker/Writer

Lee Maeda, Actor

Rime Mahdi, Documentary Filmmaker

Nikki Mailer , Theatre maker, writer, facilitator

Amal Malik, Cultural/Community Events Assistant

Lucy Mangan, Actor

Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan, Writer

Tanushka Marah, Theatre Director

Olivia Marcus, Actor

Rafaella Marcus, Writer and director

Maria Marrone, Editor

Sofie Mason, Director of Off West End Plays & Playwrights

Rama Masri, Film

Sara Masry, Actor/writer

Chloe Massey, Actor

Amber Massie-Blomfield, Arts consultant and writer

Claudia Mateus Soler, Creative

Lise Mayer, Writer

Nathaniel McBride, Translator & writer

Simon McBurney, Actor Writer Theatre maker

Cassie McCallin, Health, Safety and Compliance Manager

Gregory Mccarron-Shipman, Creative Director

Callan McCarthy, Dramaturg, Writer & Proofreader

Michael John McCarthy , Composer

Alistair McDowall, Writer

Caitlin McEwan, Actor

Anthony McGarry, Editor

Keith McKenna , Theatre writer

siobhan mcsweeney, Actor and presenter

Nancy Medina, Theatre Director

Kaula Meikle, Actor

dima mekdad, Executive Director, Shubbak Festival

Rob Mellor, Actor

Corinne Micallef, Theatre Director

Kerry Kyriacos Michael, Theatre Director

James Miller , Writer/ academic

Nina Millns, Writer

Jo Mohammed, Artist

Raman Mohial , Camera Operator

Rudzani Moleya, Artist

Lisa Moorish , Artist/producer

Hattie Morahan, Actor

John More, Actor

Anna Morrissey, Movement Director

Vicki Mortimer, Freelance designer

Riham Moussa , Audio producer

George Muhammad , Actor

Hannah Mulder, Playwright and director

Jess Murrain , Actor and writer

Francesca Murray-Fuentes, Theatre Director

Guen Murroni, Writer director

Precious Mustapha, Actor

Shunaji N/A, Musician

Nadia Nadif , Actor

Christopher Nairne, Theatre lighting designer

Chloe Naldrett, Theatre Producer, Activist and Mother

Lareb Naseem, Producer

Tasmin Nash, Curator

Carmen Nasr , Playwright

Rebecca Natalini , Stage manager

Sasha Nathwani, Filmmaker

Leyla Nazli, Theatre producer

Courttia Newland, writer

Sabrina NiChelirigh , Theatre worker

Lorraine Nolan, Writer director

Jessica Norman, Writer

Cyril Nri, Actor

Donnacadh O Briain, Creative Director

Fionn Ó Loingsigh, Actor

Emerald O’Hanrahan, Actor

Liam O’Hare, Documentary filmmaker

Róisín O’Loughlin, Actress

Anna Oggero, Executive Producer

Tamsin Oglesby, Writer

Lami Okrekson, Cinematographer

Marianne Oldham, Actor

Jenna Omeltschenko, Producer

Mark Oosterveen, Actor/writer/director

Sunny Ormonde, Actor

Ben Osborne, Rigger

Rebecca Osias, Actor & writer

Ciarán Owens, Actor

Ra Page, Publisher

Radha Patel , Artist

Clare Patey, Artist/Curator

Christian Patterson, Actor

Laline Paull, Novelist & playwright

Maxine Peake, Actor/Writer

Neena Percy, Curator

Clare Perkins, Actor

Seth Pimlott, Curator

Winsome Pinnock, Playwright

Lucy Pitman-Wallace, Theatre Directir

Natasha Pyne, Actor

Nathan Queeley-Dennis, Writer

Pennie Quinton, Researcher, artist, journalist

Lynda Radley , Writer

Aysha Rafaele , Director /Producer

Narayan Randev, Partnerships Manager

Alo Raptopoulos , Writer, singer-songwriter, therapist

Dee Rawlins, Production assistant/runner

Khadija Raza, Theatre designer

Katie Redford , Writer

Amadeus Redha, Screenwriter

Mahwash Rehman, Photographer, Podcaster, Writer

SUSIE RIDDELL, Actor

Iante Roach, Actress & Producer

Bea Roberts, Writer

Michael Robinson, Retired Professor of Drama

Vinette Robinson, Actor

Lynda Rooke, Actor

Irene Ros, Theatre practitioner, filmmaker

lucy Roslyn, Writer

Howard Saddler, Actor

Arinder Sadhra, Actor

Simone Salandini , Jewellery Designer

Ella Saltmarshe, Writer

Joel Samuels, Playwright and Actor

Benjy Sandler, Musician

Lara Sawalha , Actor

Jil Schaffner, Actor and director

Matthew Schmolle, Producer

Wilf Scolding, Actor

Art Workers for Palestine Scotland, Group

Amelia Sears, Director

Tracey Seaward, Producer

Leila Seguin, Charity worker

Atiha Sen Gupta, Playwright

Fatima Serghini, Playwright

Lily Seriki, Writer

Andy Sewell, Artist

Sara Shaarawi, Playwright

Davina Shah, Agent

Elhum Shakerifar , Poet translator producer

Kamila Shamsie, Writer

Rukiya Shanthi, Writer

Yael Shavit , Theatre Director

Aydrey Sheffield , Theatre Director

David Shelley, Actor

Gabrielle Sheppard, Actor

Kellie Shirley , Writer

annie siddons, Writer

Sarah Sigal, Writer, dramaturg

Helen Simmons, Producer & Writer

Anthony Simpson-Pike, Director and Dramaturg

Jenny Skivens, Theatre professional

Gillian Slovo, Writer

Thomas Smith, Student

Madeleine Smith , Actor

Paul Sng, Filmmaker

Zelda Solomon , Artist and support worker

Arij Soltan, Film producer

chris sonnex, Director

Lucy Speed , Actor

Rosie Stancliffe, Actor and Voice Coach

Paula Stanic , writer

Susannah Stark, Musician, artist

Eve Steele, Playwright

Juliet Stevenson, Actor

Joseph Stevenson, Composer

Belal Stitan, Producer

Jo Stobbs, Costume Design Assistant

sophie stone, Actor

Euan Sutherland, Visual artist / childminder

Sam Swann, Actor

Valerie Synmoie, Executive Director of a theatre company

Julia Taudevin, Writer director

Lauren Taylor, Stage Manager

Ali Taylor, Playwright

Thomas Tegento, Artist

Matthew Teller, writer

Boz Temple-Morris, Director

Rosa Theodora, Musician

Eckhard Thiemann, Culture Manager

Rajesh Thind, Writer & Filmmaker

Mark Thomas, Writer/Performer

Eleanor Thorn , World music programme curator

David Thorpe, Audiobook narrator/actor

Chris Thorpe, Writer/performer

Jeremy Till, Architect

Dr Chrissie Tiller , Writer and academic

Paul Tinto, Actor/writer

Michelle Tofi, filmmaker and video artist

Hannah Traylen, Actor

Jon Trenchard, Actor

Susannah Tresilian, Theatre Director

Julie Tsang, Writer

Andreea Tudose, Actor & theatremaker

Tony Turner, Actor

Richard Twyman, Artistic Director

Jo Tyabji, Director

Elise Tyson, Film/TV freelancer

Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin , Writer and comedian

Isla van Tricht, Writer

Misha Vertkin, Writer/Director

Laura Wade, Playwright

Che Walker, Playwright

Catherine Walker, Fundraiser

Cathy Walsh, Artist

Harriet Walter, Actor/author

nic wass, dramaturg

Charlie Waterhouse, Cultural Organiser

Hoshang Waziri, Playwright

Stephanie Webber, Artist

Cecilia Wee, Artist, Curator, Tutor Royal College of Art

Tom Wells, playwright

Timberlake wertenbaker, Playwright

Samantha Whates , Musician

Emily White, Writer

Yasmin Wilde, Actor writer

Josh Wilder, Playwright

Jacoba Williams, Actor

Sam Williams, Writer/actor

Roy Williams, Playwright

Joseph Williams , Film set lighting

Edwyn Wilson, Managing Director/Production Manager

Susan Wokoma , Actor, writer, director

Beatie Wolfe, artist

Sophie Woolley, Writer and actor

Tom Worthington, (Arts) Building Supervisor

Pete Wyer, Composer

Kate Wyver, Theatre critic

Robin Yassin-Kassab, writer

James Yeatman, Theatre Director

Pete Yelding, Musician

Daniel York Loh, Writer/actor

Ado Yoshizaki Cassuto, Producer

Madani Younis, Theatre maker

Nariman Youssef, Literary Translator

Tatiana Yusuf, Dj and events

Abi Zakarian, Writer

Aisha Zia, Writer

To Khalid,

Eternal is your name in Arabic

So stay immortal,

beyond the borderlines of this world.

beyond the pain, beyond what you have seen in Gaza,

beyond your child’s screams of hunger and fear.

You will be in a smokeless, bombless place,

so wait for me, brother.

Be patient and don’t leave,

You are only allowed to go once

When I get there, I don’t want to see you sad or old

hungry or tired

scared of bombs or big tanks

frustrated or worried

just stay as we were

two excited lads

who want to play the Oud

and cycle to the beach

I will practice playing new songs

And I will show off

In the meantime, while you wait

You can find someone to teach them how to sand wood

to make beautiful furniture

Or teach the kids how to play marbles brilliantly

You can keep your big smile

as you busy yourself doing things for others

Like you have always done

whatever you do, just stay there

I am coming, I won’t be long.