Defending Artistic Expression in Europe

Freedom of artistic expression is continuously challenged around the world, including in Europe. Contrary to conventional belief, the freedom and right to perform, facilitate and enjoy art and culture freely in Europe is rapidly closing as right-wing populism rises and civil society spaces shrink. Freemuse will conduct a research, advocacy and campaigning project with the European 2019 Election as a key opportunity to influence changes in laws, policies and practices, including post-election.

Cases for campaign and advocacy will be monitored and documented in and across nine European countries, namely: Spain, France, UK, Poland, Hungary, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Turkey as well as at the EU level.

In January 2020 Freemuse published its report on the State of Artistic Freedom in Europe – a key deliverable of this project informing on the main challenges to artistic freedom in Europe based on cases of violations that Freemuse has documented during the period 2018-19. Read the full report here: SECURITY, CREATIVITY, TOLERANCE AND THEIR CO-EXISTENCE: THE NEW EUROPEAN AGENDA ON FREEDOM OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION, Freemuse 2020