Arts workers stranded in NSW because of the current lockdown and subsequent state border closures are desperately asking the Victorian and South Australian governments to let them return home.

Zoe Gertz in Come From Away. Photo Jeff Busby

The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) has launched a petition calling on the Victorian and South Australian Governments to bring the workers home safely.

The stories shared by the union underscore the enormous impact of lockdowns on the arts and artists, and the harsh, seemingly arbitrary determinations made by state governments regarding border permits.

Zelia Kitoko travelled from Victoria to Sydney in January this year to work on Hamilton.

“I was stood down on June 26,” she said. “My mother in Melbourne has been unwell and I am her only child and carer. I have not been able to return to her after many attempts and six weeks of waiting with minimal communication or clarity. It’s been a very invalidating and incredibly stressful experience.”

Kathleen Moore travelled from Victoria to Sydney to work on Come from Away.

“Due to the lockdown, I was stood down from my employment...