On 18 January 2008, Upstart launched our fundraising appeal for the 22nd July Project. Here’s the full appeal:

UPSTART THEATRE NEEDS YOUR HELP!

On 22nd July 2005, Jean Charles de Menezes was shot dead by police officers as he sat on a tube train at Stockwell station. The head of the Metropolitan Police alleged that Jean’s clothing and behaviour marked him as a suicide bomber; the media reported that he had jumped over the ticket barriers and was wearing a thick coat despite the summer weather. These allegations were all false – Jean Charles was entirely innocent. Yet to date, no-one has ever been held accountable for his death.

This summer, Upstart Theatre will be producing two new plays dealing with the shooting and its aftermath: Oh Well Never Mind Bye by Steven Lally and The Kratos Effect by Sarah Beck.

Steven and Sarah have been interviewing senior police officers, members of the ‘Justice 4 Jean’ campaign, witnesses, whistleblowers, reporters and others involved in the events of 22nd July 2005. The Kratos Effect is a verbatim play created from those interviews; Oh Well Never Mind Bye explores how and why the media reported the shooting. At a time when our civil liberties are constantly being eroded in the name of defending us against terrorism, these two humane and utterly compelling plays exemplify Upstart’s goal of creating new theatre which questions conventional ways of looking at the world.

Upstart needs to raise £20,000 to cover the costs of this project – and we’re asking for your help. If you agree with us that the story of Jean Charles de Menezes is one that needs to be told, please:

• Make a one-off donation to support this project.
• Become a Friend of Upstart to support our work regularly.
• Get involved in the fundraising campaign as a volunteer.
• Book one of our Corporate Workshops for your company.
• Come to one of our fundraising events – details soon.

Any support you can give will make a huge difference; give a few hours of your time to stuff envelopes, use your creativity to help us reach out to foundations and corporations, get stuck in and help us organise our events, or reach for your pen and send us a cheque. You can ensure this story is told.