OD Works Statement
on Withdrawing from Associate Artist Position at Sadler’s Wells
OD Works – Oona Doherty – has made the difficult decision to step back from the Associate Artist position at Sadler’s Wells and join Teac Damsa.
This decision comes with deep respect for the artists and communities that make Sadler’s Wells such an important space for dance.
However, in good conscience, we cannot continue in this role while Sadler’s Wells maintains its ties with Barclays Bank, a financial institution that profits from and invests in the ongoing violence against the Palestinian people.
OD Works stands in solidarity with Palestine and against genocide. We believe that the arts must be aligned with justice, care, and ethical responsibility.
We also wish to express our gratitude to the Associate Artists and staff who have been lobbying within Sadler’s Wells, working tirelessly to encourage the institution to divest from Barclays.
We understand that this fight from within is a necessary and important process for change.
It is important to note that Sadler’s Wells’ position does not reflect the views of all the artists and workers within the institution.
It is also crucial to highlight that leaving the Associate Artist position carries different consequences for different artists. Some may be able to thrive without the institution; others like O.D.Works cannot, and losing a partner like this puts the company in an uncertain future.
There are artists on the wall who have chosen silence, and their names carry significant weight within the institution.
The Associate Artist program has been running since 2005, and it is only in recent years 2025 that women of colour have been included in this program.
The evolution of this initiative shows that change is possible, and we remain hopeful that Sadler’s Wells can and will change.
Dance will not let us down.
OD Works’ Method of Navigating Ethical Touring and Creation
OD Works also wants to share our method of navigating ethical touring and creation. While we acknowledge that no approach is perfect, we strive to remain in the game while aligning our work with ethical standards.
As an artist, and as an Irish single mother, I believe it is important to have diverse voices at the dance table. My story is unique, and my experience matters.
Here are the key principles we follow in our co-productions and touring:
Investigate funders: Always research the funders behind a venue or project, especially to identify any direct or indirect connections to arms manufacturing. We recognize that it's impossible to find completely "clean" money, but we draw a firm line when it comes to funding related to weapons of violence.
Transparency: Ask for a clear list of all funders and hold a conversation with the venue to establish ethical boundaries regarding the funding that supports our work.
Share: these findings with your team, your cast, your creatives. Decide together if we feel we can go, perform what we have worked hard on, and ultimately get paid for what we do, with-in a shared understanding.
Each nation, venue, festival has its own nuances to navigate.
Sadler’s Wells, unfortunately, crosses this line by maintaining its ties with Barclays.
OD.Works cannot tour or engage with Russia until the war in Ukraine, driven by Russia’s colonial ambitions, comes to an end.
Germany currently is a nuanced discussion for my company at the moment. The German government, which supports cultural institutions and programs, indirectly promotes the culture of the Israeli state and, by extension, can be seen as supporting a system of violence.
China raises questions of: censorship and expression, fair labour ethics and complicity to a government riddled with human rights issues.
On Touring and Ethics in the Context of Global Politics
At present, Germany and Italy remain a viable option for touring, with the research I have done so far to the venues I am lucky to be invited to, they are not directly linked to arms.
But as rising fascism, racism, and police brutality grow within the country’s, especially towards pro Palestine movements. I will continue to monitor whether it remains ethically possible to perform there.
In the United States, the situation presents different challenges. Many cultural spaces find themselves entangled with funding streams connected to the military or arms industry, making it difficult for me to engage unless there is a clear separation from such affiliations.
At the same time, I hold deep empathy for these institutions, which are often struggling to survive under a government whose priorities do not reflect their values or the communities they serve. I recognize the immense pressures they face in trying to sustain artistic work within a system that offers limited public support, and I do not take lightly the contradictions this creates.
My hope is that, together, we can imagine pathways toward funding structures that align more closely with the ethics and humanity that the arts strive to embody.
Sadler’s Wells is the first major institution where we are taking a stand, but I want to emphasize that this is part of a larger, more complicated journey.
Why create art about humanity if the funding behind it is rooted in violence? It undermines the very essence of what we’re trying to communicate.
And in the current cuts to culture internationally; I understand the need for institutions to broaden their funders to alternative financial streams. And with lots of companies/Artists only means of survival and payment is through extensive touring. I know, I know, I’m biting the hand that feeds me. But if you’re dancing for kinetic empathy on blood money. What’s the point in dancing?
A Call for Change and Accountability
I am deeply disappointed. I was so proud to be on the wall at Sadlers. and proud of the work they do. NYDC, Making Moves to name only two of the multiple streams of engagement to house provides. I’ve learnt so much in the short time I was there. I did not expect to find myself in this position. This is not my job. I am hopeful that there are alternative financial opportunities to keep our arts centres, cultural institutions afloat, while still distancing them from direct affiliation with arms and weapons of violence.We urge Sadler’s Wells to listen to the concerns of both artists and audiences and make the necessary steps to divest from Barclays.
As a cultural institution of such significance, Sadler’s Wells must hold itself to a higher ethical standard—one that reflects the values of the artists it supports and the communities it serves.
To the artists who remain within Sadler’s Wells: keep up the good fight.
The work you do to cleanse the institution and educate and shout from within will pave the way for future generations of associates to share their stories.
Every message and every symbol are important and you can’t be silenced.
OD Works’ Commitment to Artistic Integrity
OD Works will continue to create, share, and organize from a place of solidarity, conviction, and love. We will navigate our career in the international dance scenes where it is ethically possible. It’s about finding a balance that allows us to continue creating without compromising our values.
At present, I have drawn the line at funding connected to arms.
We will shift and adapt and recalibrate to the world we are in, as we grow.
We want culture to thrive.
We want to create and share our work.
We want to pay our creative teams, tech teams, and artists fairly.
We want peace.
As a great woman told me, “Don’t forget your power. Even small steps build up to make change’’ – Seeta Patel.
Take care of each other. It's a challenging time, but we remain committed to the art of dance and its potential to bring about change.
Artistic Director
Oona Doherty
