Derry, Northern Ireland – Equity, the UK’s leading performing arts and entertainment trade union representing over 50,000 individuals, held its annual union conference in Derry from May 10th to 12th. Hundreds of delegates attended the conference, which served as a platform to discuss crucial union policies and pressing issues affecting artists both nationally and internationally.

As part of the trade union movement’s broader emphasis on international solidarity—a key priority for Equity—the union invited MENA Solidarity to contribute to a fringe meeting organised by Equity’s International Solidarity Committee. The session, titled “What is International Solidarity?”, offered a space for critical dialogue and engagement.

The meeting was chaired by Chipo Chung, Chair of Equity’s International Solidarity Committee, and featured contributions from Khalid Sidahmed of MENA Solidarity, who spoke about the crisis in Sudan, and Rafeef Ziadah, Senior Lecturer at King’s College London and organiser with Workers in Palestine, who addressed the struggle in Palestine. Paul W Fleming, Equity’s General Secretary, also joined the panel to highlight the union’s ongoing international solidarity efforts, including its partnership with a sister union in Colombia through the International Federation of Actors.

The well-attended meeting saw the participation of Equity’s President, Lynda Rooke, alongside other union officials.

During his address, Sidahmed characterised the war in Sudan as

a counter-revolutionary war between two militias – factions of the old regime – the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), over wealth and power, fuelled by decades of colonialism, imperialist intervention, military rule, and class struggle

He emphasised the importance of trade union solidarity with the Sudanese revolution, stating

The same system that fuels war in Sudan attacks workers, women, and disabled people in Britain—our fight is one. We must demand an end to British arms sales to Sudan’s neighbouring countries, expose Western corporations’ role, stand by the Sudanese revolutionary forces, and build direct links with Sudanese workers

Sidahmed concluded by delivering a solidarity message to UK unions and civil society, passed on by MENA Solidarity from the Sudanese Dramatists Syndicate.

For the safety and security of its members, the full text of the message cannot be published.

Rafeef Ziadah then addressed the audience, discussing the situation in Palestine

Palestinian trade unions have issued a very clear call. These are educators, medical workers, engineers, artists, workers just like you. And they are asking for action, not simply words and statements. Because our very survival is on the line.

Ziadah urged for greater solidarity, stating

the call from Palestine has been quite direct. Sever all institutional ties with Israeli state and complicit organizations. Push for arms embargoes and ask your government to end the arms trade with Israel. Divest your own pension funds from weapons companies, surveillance companies, banks and insurance companies and corporations profiting from the occupation, apartheid and now ongoing genocide. None of this is symbolic and truly we are beyond symbolism. These are very material actions that need to be taken

Both speeches resonated strongly with the attendees, sparking extensive conversations and discussions following the session. Participants explored concrete ways to strengthen solidarity with unions in both Sudan and Palestine and how to effectively support the struggles of both nations. Concluding the meeting, all attendees and panellists united in a powerful display of solidarity, holding up messages and recording a collective statement of “No to War“.

The final day of the conference, Monday, featured significant motions and numerous speakers. Notably, Chipo Chung (Chair of Equity’s International Solidarity Committee) commenced her speech by quoting the opening paragraph from the Sudanese Dramatists Syndicate: “Artists are the makers of beauty, the builders of consciousness, and the leaders of public opinion, guiding peoples toward progress and upliftment”.

Take action:

• Access our Stop the War in Sudan toolkit and sign the postcard addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urging the British government to support the Sudanese people.
• Share this motion with your union branch and advocate for its adoption: Model Motion – Stand with Sudan: Stop the War, Support the People
• Download / order our newly released “Sudan’s Revolutionary and Popular Movements: a research report”. 

Download resources:

• ‘Sudan’s Militia War on the People’ Sudan Update April 2025 – download the leaflet >>here
• ‘Reject both sides in Sudan’s war’ Sudan Update February 2025 – download the leaflet >>here
• ‘Famine is the new war’ Sudan Update September 2024 – download the leaflet >>here
• ‘Stopping Sudan’s hidden war’ Sudan Update March 2024 – download the leaflet >>here
• ‘Why is there a war in Sudan?’ Sudan Update May 2023 – download the leaflet >>here
• ‘Stop the war in Sudan’ Sudan Update April 2023 – download the leaflet >>here
• Stop the war in Sudan / Refugees welcome A4 poster – download >>here