The First Artistic Protest Over S. Carolina’s Confederate Flag

Nigel Redden, general director of the Spoleto Festival USA, understands the dilemma faced by artists scheduled to perform at his event in May and June. The famed Charleston, S.C., music, dance and theater gathering is a natural target in the state’s Confederate flag controversy, he concedes.

Which is why he wasn’t surprised when choreographer-dancer Bill T. Jones announced Monday that he and his company will not appear as scheduled at Spoleto unless the state removes the flag, which flies over its Capitol in Columbia.

“Every artist is engaged in his time, but Jones more so than most,” Redden said. “And this is a complicated issue. I believe that we’re doing the right thing in holding the festival and that he’s doing the right thing in following his beliefs. We don’t regard his move as a ‘cancellation,’ however, because I keep telling myself the issue will be resolved by May 25, when the festival begins.

The “complicated issue” came to the forefront during the Republican primary campaign and triggered a Jan. 1 call from the NAACP for a boycott of South Carolina’s $14.5-billion tourist industry. It pits those who regard the Confederate flag as a symbol of racism and slavery against those who regard it as a symbol of Southern heritage. South Carolina is the only state to fly the flag over its statehouse.

Jones, whose Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company is one of America’s foremost modern troupes, has a history of tackling issues related to race, religion and sexuality. His Spoleto action, honoring the NAACP boycott, marks the first time the flag debate has crossed over to the cultural front.

Dwight James, executive director of the NAACP’s South Carolina branches, regards Jones’ participation in the boycott as a turning point for the cause.

“Mr. Jones contacted us a few weeks ago because he was concerned about the climate in this state,” he says. “The flag controversy, he felt, isn’t just an African American issue--it has a clear right and wrong when it comes to this country’s history and slave past. The festival is a natural target since it’s a focal point for tourism.”

“We’re very appreciative that he took this stand,” James continues. “It speaks of character and courage on his part. Though no other artists have contacted us yet, we hope others will follow his lead.”

Redden has so far talked to a handful of the dozens of artists scheduled for this year’s festival. Though no one is comfortable with the situation, he says, as of now, Jones is the only artist to reconsider his plans to appear at Spoleto.

“What’s important to one artist is less important to another,” he says. “The arts are about individual expression. Besides, artists don’t vote with their feet, but with their art. And they need a forum to communicate.”

Analogies have been drawn with Austria, says Redden, which has come under fire for including Jorg Haider’s far-right, purportedly Nazi-sympathetic Freedom Party in the government. Gerard Mortier, artistic director of the celebrated Salzburg Festival, recently announced that he will be resigning his post early in protest.

“It’s a ludicrous comparison,” said Redden. “In Austria, they’re grappling with the fear of a right-wing future while South Carolina is dealing with a dying past. Though racism is far from resolved, I don’t know anyone personally who favors keeping the flag up. Why muzzle Spoleto, which, by presenting provocative work, has an opportunity to make things better?”