Artistic Freedom and Autonomy

01-01-2025

Artistic freedom, autonomy, and the freedom of creation are fundamental to a thriving cultural landscape and democratic society. In 2024, several events across Europe signalled a worrying trend of increasing restrictions on these essential values. In response, Pearle* took steps to document, address, and advocate against these infringements.

Since 2024, Pearle* has engaged in a range of actions to uphold artistic freedom:

Events and conferences

At the 68th Pearle* Conference in Prague, we heard a keynote by Michael Žantovský reflecting on Václav Havel’s legacy and the role of theatre in defending democratic values. A dedicated working group also explored solutions for the sector to respond to these breaches of artistic freedom and artistic autonomy
At the 69th Pearle* Conference in Athens, we organised a panel with experts from the academidc, legal and cultural sector to address the topic of freedom of artistic creation in times of polarisation. A follow-up workshop provided Pearle* members with strategies to safeguard artistic freedom. This workshop took place in the framework of the EFA/Pearle* collaboration as part of the Care For and Share the Alliance.

Joint Advocacy

In cooperation with the European Theatre Convention (ETC), Opera Europa, and Culture Action Europe (CAE), Pearle* initiated a Joint Call for Artistic Freedom and Autonomy, launched during the CAE event with Members of the European Parliament in Brussels.
Pearle* also supports the “Resistance Now” call for artistic freedom, led by artistic leaders of ETC, the Wiener Festwochen, and Opera Europa.
On 9 April 2025, Pearle* joined 12 other organisations representing creators, cultural institutions and human rights defenders in a joint call addressed to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and national human rights institutions across Europe.

Policy and research

Preliminary survey on Artistic Freedom: In 2024, Pearle* launched a survey to collect input from the members on artistic freedom and autonomy breaches across Europe and how they experience these values in their respective countries.
EU Consultation on the Rule of Law: Pearle* gathered input from its members to contribute to the EU consultation, highlighting the impact of polarisation on the cultural sector.