Pearle* Promotes the Safeguarding of Artistic Freedom and Autonomy at Prague conference

The 68th Pearle* conference, held on 21-22 November 2024 at The New Stage of the National Theatre, placed a strong focus on the defence of artistic freedom in Europe’s current shifting social and political landscapes.

A keynote address by Michael Žantovský, diplomat, politician, writer, and translator, examined the challenges faced by democracy today, looking back at the legacy of his close friend Václav Havel. Artistic freedom and autonomy are essential values for inclusive and democratic societies, where artists and cultural institutions can operate without interference.

The importance of this issue aligns with the Culture Action Europe (CAE) statement published in September 2024, which called on European institutions and member states to uphold freedom of artistic expression.

Pearle* members echoed concerns of rising political and social pressure on cultural organisations and Pearle* president, Sébastien Justine added "With this conference, we showed our solidarity with our Slovak colleagues, who were initially set to host us in Bratislava. Now is a crucial moment to highlight the importance of defending artistic freedom and autonomy across Europe."

The Pearle* conference is also an opportunity to discuss other European issues, including the green transition, the digital environment and employment and social affairs.

Sessions on streaming and copyrights in the digital environment took place in the framework of the EFA/Pearle* “Revealing the Alliance” partnership. While on sustainability, attendees got a special session on skills dedicated to the INSPIRE Alliance for a Net Positive Performing Arts Sector project.