ACAR made a successfull presentation about tools and partners for artists rights, presenting the recent Freemuse Report on artistic freedom violations “Art under Threat” and the Artists Rights Justice Toolkit. The congress decided unanimously a resolution to support the initiative of Ole Reitov at the 2017 World Press Freedom Day to call the UNESCO, UN and parties to create an UN Plan of Action for the safety of artists and the safe promotion of art, according to the reaction scheme for journalists. The second resolution which ACAR brought to the congress was also fully adapted. It expresses the support of ITI with the Israeli theatre and performance artists in their protest against the exclusion of PRISONERS OF THE OCCUPATION from this year’s Acco Festival (see letter to ACAR for detailed information). For congress participants ITI Germany and ACAR organized also a seminar on the role of Civil Society Organisations for the implementation of the UNESCO convention on Cultural Diversity. “The Declining of Diversity” was conducted by Cornelia Dümcke, ITI’s representative at UNESCO Cultural Diversity IG Committee.
Thomas Irmer (Germany), journalist and theatre expert, will be the new coordinator for ACAR. Ann Mari Engel (ITI Sweden) remains as spokesperson. Thomas Engel (managing director of ITI Germany), ACAR coordinator from 2011-17, remains in ACAR for backup from the German ITI centre.

Resolution 1 (en, fr), Resolution 2 (en, fr), Presentation sheets Tools and Partners for Artists Rights