President Steinmeier
Federal President
Der Bundespraesident
Spreeweg 1
10557 Berlin
Dear President Steinmeier
As you will be aware the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union on the 29th March 2019. Although many people now question the credibility of the claims put forward in the build-up to the referendum, millions of British people are impelled to accept their loss of EU citizenship and the profound change that will come with that, irrespective of the long-term damage to the UK and Europe itself.
As a significant artist working in Scotland I have been commissioned by the National Theatre of Scotland and the BBC to devise a performance titled ‘Dear Europe,’ which will focus on taking away citizenship and what that means. It will be performed on the 29th March 2019, the night of separation. ‘Dear Europe’ will focus on taking away citizenship and what that means.
I wish to remain a European citizen. Does the UK’s withdrawal from the EU mean that I must lose my EU citizenship? The suggestion that citizens of the UK might be able to remain as an EU citizen post Brexit was first raised by the Belgian MEP and President of the European Parliament, Guy Verhofstadt, shortly after the referendum. His idea intrigues me. How does that idea translate into a performance? How could that performance become a legal reality?
I am approaching this idea of retaining my EU citizenship from the perspective of an artist, but I am deadly serious. ‘Dear Europe’ touches on the nature of citizenship – how and why it is bestowed, as well as withdrawn. It also goes to the heart of what it means to be European.
I therefore make a simple request. It would be an honour if Austria would consider me for citizenship, thus enabling me to remain an EU citizen. I appreciate with this comes responsibilities. I will remain fully engaged with the duties that come with the EU project and I accept that my citizenship is premised upon that. I will contribute to Austria in line with my obligations under EU law and in turn you will not treat me differently from other EU citizens.
In recent years a number of wealthy individuals have able to ‘buy’ passports in EU countries irrespective of their personal backgrounds. I am not rich. I am not in a position to buy citizenship. I do however make a clear contribution to my community. I include the EU as part of that community. For 26 years I ran NVA, one of the most successful independent art charities in the UK (www.nva.org.uk). We worked with artists, musicians and performers from across Europe, making unusual large-scale performances in incredible locations.
This has included choreographing thousands of endurance runners and cyclists in specially designed light-suits for the Olympics and Tour de France. We have performed on hills, docks and the whole Ruhr Emscher park in Germany (https://vimeo.com/79412226) The film is 3 minutes long and gives a good impression of the scale of production.
If you are willing to accept me as a citizen, I will work with your arts community to make new productions and long-term cultural exchanges with the UK, under the aegis of the National Theatre, celebrating the core of what it is to be European. It is time to touch audiences and inspire the public, to consider and affirm the deeper values of mutuality and civic respect that sustain peaceful co-existence.
It is important to bring the issues ‘alive’ in a way that captures the public imagination. If you accept me as citizen, valuing my 25 years of experience of directing inspirational theatre and performance, valuing my ‘cultural capital’, I will deliver a high-profile public Citizenship Ceremony to document and publicise the process.
This initiative represents a serious opportunity to counteract the isolationist thinking at the heart of Brexit and to demonstrate progressive European integration on both a fundamental and symbolic level. Is Europe a union of its citizens or its states? I am acutely conscious that if I am able to retain my EU citizenship, it will have a significant impact on the EU project as a whole, as well as Brexit.
I thank you in advance for your consideration and your willingness to engage in this project.
Let me know if you require further information. I expect that you will have many questions.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Angus Farquhar