SXSW changes visa / immigration-related language in artist contract!

SXSW got a lot of heat for the language in their artist contracts, with many artists signing an open letter to the festival. SXSW responded to the backlash, but artists/activists like Downtown Boys, Priests & Evan Greer continued the fight, and SXSW has in fact now issued a new statement confirming that the contract will change in 2018, with specifics:

With the announcement of President Trump’s latest Travel Ban, SXSW would like to reaffirm its public opposition to these executive orders and provide ongoing support to the artists traveling from foreign countries to our event.

To reinforce that stance, we would like to address the concerns regarding the language in our artist invitation letter and performance agreement for the SXSW Music Festival.

SXSW will do the following:

• We will change the language in our artist invitation letter and performance agreement for 2018 and beyond.
• We will remove the option of notifying immigration authorities in situations where a foreign artist might “adversely affect the viability of Artist’s official showcase.”
• *Safety is a primary concern for SXSW, and we report any safety issues to local authorities. It is not SXSW’s duty or authority to escalate a matter beyond local authorities.
• In this political climate, especially as it relates to immigration, we recognize the heightened importance of standing together against injustice.

While SXSW works to be in compliance with U.S. immigration law, it is important to know that:

• SXSW has not, does not, and will not, disclose an artist’s immigration status, except when required by law.
• SXSW does not have the power to deport anyone.
• There are no “deportation clauses” in our current performance agreements. There will be no “deportation clauses” in our future participant agreements.
• SXSW does not “collude with” any immigration agencies including ICE, CBP or USCIS to deport anyone.
• Each year SXSW coordinates with hundreds of international acts coming to SXSW to try and mitigate issues at U.S. ports of entry. This year we are working to build a coalition of attorneys to assist any who face problems upon arrival in the States.
• In the 31 years of SXSW’s existence, we have never reported any artist or participant to any immigration agency.
• We would like to again apologize for the language in our agreements. We care deeply about the community we serve, and our event is a welcome and safe space for all people.

UPDATE: The artists and activists who protested against the artist contract language have released a new statement of their own following the above from SXSW:

After mounting pressure from artists and the public, SXSW has chosen to do the right thing and has apologize for their contract language, pledged to remove deportation language from future contract, and promised not to work with ICE at this year’s festival. They also strongly condemned Trump’s immigration policies and his Muslim band. We applaud SXSW’s decision to stand with immigrants and against ICE, and are thrilled that collective action from musicians has worked to push a massive institution into taking a principled stand on an issue with ramifications far beyond next week’s festival in Austin.

SXSW’s decision was made following our collective effort from over 80+ artists – most of whom are scheduled to perform at the festival – to pressure the festival to make the changes. We sent out a public letter, a public petition was passed around, and masses of people called, tweeted, and emailed SXSW demanding that they make the changes. After some negotiating, the festival finally agreed to our demands. The effort shows that artists can and must take collective action to fight unjust policies within the cultural sphere. At this critical time we need to bring the struggle to every institution, and with this victory we’ve shown how it can be done. We’ve not only sent a message to large music festivals everywhere, but also to ICE and the Trump administration. We will fight them at every turn.

There’s so much more work to do, but we also want to celebrate this victory. Let’s keep pushing, and using our music as a tool and a weapon to change the world.

The music portion of SXSW runs March 13 – 19 (3 days of BrooklynVegan/Sound On Sound parties included).

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