Tag Archives: News

Safety Guide for Artists

February 2, 2021NewsNews, worldwideACAR

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed some of the greatest threats to artistic freedom and cultural rights in recent memory. On February 3rd, Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) at PEN America, together with UNs Special Rapporteur in the Field of Cultural Rights Karima Bennoune, are launching the Safety Guide for Artists. The guide aimes to help artists navigate and overcome risks and better understand their work within the framework of human rights defense.
The launch features also a panel discussion with photojournalist, teacher and activist Shahidul Alam, director of Belarus Free Theatre Natalia Koliada, and director of Al Mawred Al Thaqafy (Culture Resource) Helena Nassif. The conversation will draw upon the 2020 report of the Special Rapporteur and explore how art can be levied in the fight for human rights and how artists can be better protected against human rights violations.

Download the guide – PDF, 155 pages (en, fr, es)

Germany: Public Statement of Culture Institutions on Freedom of Art

December 13, 2020NewsEastern and Western European States, USA, Canada, NewsACAR

Representatives of major cultural and research institutions in Germany, among them ITI Germany, the Goethe Institute, and the House of World Cultures, published a jouint statement related to the German constitution, article 5.3 – where freedom of art and science is granted. The group criticises culture boycott demands like those coming from the BDS movement against Israel as well as the anti BDS resolution of the German parliament to exclude critical voices from the public discourse.
The group states: “We share a mandate from the state to promote arts and culture, historical research and democratic education and to make these accessible to the general public. Toward this end, we rely on a public sphere that welcomes controversial debates in accordance with the norms of the German constitution. At the center of our initiative lies a common struggle against antisemitism, racism, right-wing extremism and any form of violent religious fundamentalism.”

More than 1.400 artists, academics and cultural workers from Germany, or working with German partners in arts and science, have signed an open letter to support the initiative.

The Statement & list of subscribers (German and English)

Insulted. Belarus(sia) – A Play on the Belarusian Revolution

November 13, 2020NewsBelarus, Eastern and Western European States, USA, Canada, NewsACAR

Andrei Kureichik, the well-known Belarusian playwright, tells the story of the first month of the Belarusian revolution and seeks to understand how the Belarusian revolution differs from Prague in 1968, Russia in 1991 and Ukraine in 2014. International theaters, groups, schools, and individuals came together in September and October to present readings, videos, films, and discussions of Kureichik’s play.

The Forum Collective, an initiative to produce and present multidisciplinary political art works and journalism, has a recording of a live streamed performance, directed by Kieran Beccia and translated by John Freedman: Insulted. Belarus(sia)

Between November 17 and 19 Howlround presents a series of livestreaming performances and conversations at theatres in the U.S.

Digital Toolkit for Artists

November 11, 2020NewsNews, worldwideACAR

Freemuse has developed with artists an online toolkit which provides information, best practice and advice for artists rights, especially in the digital sphere.

It gives also a good overview on additional resources, organizations and platforms.

Culture NGOs targeted in Slovenia

November 2, 2020NewsEastern and Western European States, USA, Canada, NewsACAR

Non-governmental organizations in Slovenia are increasingly targeted by the radical right Slovenian Democratic Party government’s restrictive measures. 18 NGOs (among them associations for film, literature, dance, fine art, the MASKA Institute and the Legal Informaton Centre for NGos) were requested by the Ministry of Culture to vacate their premises in the building at No. 6 Metelkova Street in Ljubljana, a place with a hertitage of civil society movements. In 1993 cultural workers, artists and activists occupied the former command headquarters of the Yugoslav National Army barracks in Slovenia and made it a home to non-governmental organizations, collectives and individuals engaged in independent cultural and artistic production and research.

On October 20 the NGOs stated: “The reason given is that the Ministry supposedly needs the premises for its own use and intends to renovate them, although the budget is not slated to provide funds for such renovation until 2023, and the Ministry has not offered tenants replacement premises, nor has it entered into any sort of dialogue with us. The termination of the leases came to our addresses unannounced and on the very day when the SARS-CoV-2 virus epidemic and curfew were declared.”

“We hereby inform the Ministry of Culture and the government of the Republic of Slovenia that we have no intention of leaving No. 6 Metelkova and that we will resist with all possible means these attacks on civil society, independent culture, and democracy.”

ACAR calls to sign the petition of the Slovenian Culture NGOs.

Create or Decrease?

October 23, 2020NewsEastern and Western European States, USA, Canada, NewsACAR

ITI Sweden, ASSITEJ Sweden and the Swedish Performing Arts Coalition are presenting a panel conversation about freedom of speech and democracy. The event is on November 9, 2 pm CET in the framework of Swedstage Online , this years corona version of the Swedish performing arts festival. The panel: Nedjma Chaouche, Freelance journalist and facilitator, Nasim Aghili, Director and playwright , Louise Frisk, Secretary General Clowns without Borders Sweden, Astrid Menasanch Tobieson, Actor and director. The questions: Can art be used as resistance? Can art break down walls? Can art pave the way forward? Swedstage has also asked several of their peers around the world for short video statements which will be presented online.

After the panel discussion there will be a live chat with Srirak Plipat, the Executive Director of Freemuse.