Iraqi actors denied entry to Canada to perform at Impact 15 International Theatre Festival
KITCHENER, ON, Sept. 18, 2015 /CNW/ - The National Theatre Company of Iraq has been denied permission to come to Canada to perform a play about refugees.
The actors were denied visas early Friday morning. Camp was scheduled to play at the IMPACT 15 International Theatre Festival in Kitchener, Ontario, next week. Camp tells the stories of two refugees trying to escape Iraq.
Festival artistic director Majdi bou-Matar said officials are worried the actors might apply for refugee status themselves.
"It's a unique look at the lives of refugees and we're disappointed to cancel it," bou-Matar said. "When you stop these stories from entering the country, you're in trouble. We're exploring other ways to tell this story through video-conferencing."
IMPACT 15 is produced by MT Space theatre and runs Sept. 22-27, 2015, in Waterloo Region, bringing culturally diverse theatre to the stage.
SOURCE MT Space
Majdi bou-Matar, MT Space and IMPACT 15 artistic director, [email protected], 226-972-3416
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