Oxford Twinning Society was plunged into controversy over the weekend when Oxford City Council banned an artist they had invited from Holland to perform.

Artist Sonja Kerkhoff -- banned from performing by the council

Sonja Kerkhoff was among six artists from Leiden in the Netherlands who were invited on an exchange visit to Oxford.

But relations with the Dutch city were tested when a closer look at her work raised concern among city council officers who banned her performing at Carfax over the weekend.

Ms Kerkhoff said she felt the ban had infringed her civil liberties and right to express herself.

The city council said her work, which focuses on England's history as a colonial power, could provoke public unrest. But it claimed the main reason for banning the performance planned on October 19 was for Ms Kerkhoff's own safety.

The work, entitled Colonising Oxford -- readings, involved groups of people being stationed around different parts of the Carfax traffic lights junction with Cornmarket Street, High Street and Queen Street. Each person would, when the lights turned red, read a piece of literature in English by an author from a former colony.

Maureen Christian, a city councillor and member of the twinning society, said: "She wants to put people right at the traffic lights. People are already frightfully irate around there. It's a very busy corner.

"We were concerned for her safety and we thought this event might cause a breach of race relations.

"It would be like an Oxford artist going over to Holland and giving talks on how the Dutch were colonial. It has nothing to do with modern-day life.

"She has not been censored. It's just a silly place to do this. We have suggested alternative venues such as Gloucester Green but it was not good enough for her."

Ms Kerkhoff said the speakers would have been positioned so as not to affect traffic in the area.

She had considered going ahead with her performance despite the ban, but changed her mind at the last minute.

She said: "This has been about concerns that my work might damage the name of the council.

"The whole piece was about local individuals looking at the issues of colonisation

" I am not presenting it as something good or bad. It is not enticing antagonism, but brings back the

"I am a responsible person. I think the council was missinformed about the nature of the piece."

Mrs Christian said she did not believe the row would sour relations between the twinned cities because the other artists agreed with the council.

She said: "The artists from Leiden are not upset. In fact, they are on the side of the council. Ms Kerkhoff has gone round to other people giving a one-sided view.

"Unfortunately, she seems to be at odds with the other Leiden artists."

Leiden is one of five cities twinned with Oxford -- the others are Bonn in Germany, Leon in Nicaragua, Grenoble in France, and Perm in Russia -- and the twinning society works to develop relations between the communities.