Artistic freedom is under greater threat in many member states than it has been for a long time. Artists from all over Europe are warning of this in an urgent letter to the European Parliament and with the petition RESISTANCE NOW: FREE CULTURE - initiated by Milo Rau and the Wiener Festwochen, the European Theatre Convention, Prospero - Extended Theatre and the Opera Europa network.
At the beginning of the year, PEARLE*, the European umbrella organisation of performing arts employers' associations, also highlighted the EU member states in which the freedom of the arts is currently being severely restricted. The measures taken by governments are reflected in targeted budget cuts, dismissals of artistic directors and censorship of content.
The freedom of art is the foundation of a free and diverse society, which is why we must stand up for this fundamental right.
Together with the Deutscher Bühnenverein, we are dedicating this year's World Theatre Day on 27 March 2025 to artistic freedom. Since 1961, the ITI and associated cultural institutions around the world have been recognising and celebrating the importance and impact of the performing arts. The message for World Theatre Day 2025 comes from Greek director Theodoros Terzopoulos. He calls for: ‘We need new forms of storytelling aimed at cultivating memory and shaping a new moral and political responsibility in order to emerge from the multifaceted dictatorship of the present Middle Ages.’ You can find Theodoros Terzopoulos' full message here.
You can join the #Kunstistfrei campaign. Material is provided by the Deutscher Bühnenverein on their website.