Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1530230
10 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 6 DECEMBER 2024 CULTURE THE leaders of almost 200 high-profile cultural organisa- tions, representing thousands of artists from theatres, galleries, festivals and operas, have collec- tively raised their voice against an 'acute threat' to artistic free- dom and cultural autonomy. By signing the RESISTANCE NOW: FREE CULTURE open letter, they express concerns about the "attacks, bans, layoffs and cutbacks" to cultural insti- tutions in Hungary and Slovakia that are designed to undermine a "diverse European culture" – and which appear at risk of spreading into other European countries, such as The Netherlands, France and Germany. Earlier in No- vember, ultra-nationalist groups violently obstructed a premiere by US actor and director John Malkovich at the National Thea- tre Ivan Vazov in Bulgaria. Alarmed by this threat to cul- tural diversity in Europe posed by nationalist movements, Milo Rau & Artemis Vakianis (Directors Vienna Festival (Wiener Fest- wochen), Austria), Matej Drlič- ka (Dismissed Director, Slovak National Theatre, Slovakia) and Vasil Vasilev (Director National Theatre, Bulgaria), initiated to- gether with the network of pub- licly-funded theatres European Theatre Convention (ETC), the Prospero – Extended Theatre platform and the network Opera Europa the Open Letter RESIST- ANCE NOW: FREE CULTURE to the European Parliament. The internationally renowned first signatories – which include Davinia Galea (ARC Research & Consultancy); Lukáš Trpišovský and Martin Kukučka (Artis- tic Directors of National The- atre Prague, Czech Republic) Krzysztof Warlikowski (Artistic Director of Nowy Teatr in Po- land), Tiago Rodrigues (Direc- tor of the Festival d'Avignon in France), Iris Laufenberg (Ar- tistic Director of the Deutsches Theater in Germany), Gianina Carbunariu (director and play- wright Romania), Mattias An- derson (Artistic Director Royal Dramaten in Sweden) and Peter de Caluwe (General & Artistic Director of La Monnaie / De Munt in Belgium) – collectively urge the European Parliament to "finally take an explicit stand" on cultural autonomy and imple- ment a 'Freedom of Culture Act' to protect artists through the Rule of Law. "Europe is based on the open- ness of the cultural life of the in- dividual countries and their free cooperation," the letter reads. "If these disappear, the European project loses its soul and mean- ing." The letter is launched with a discussion event on 30 Novem- ber at Maillon Theatre in Stras- bourg, which will be attended by former MEP and former French Minister for Culture, Catherine Trautmann. The letter will also be published in several leading European media. It is an "un- precedented" drive that connects leading institutions from 39 countries, including all EU Mem- ber States, and is a continuation of endeavours by the petition's initiating organisations, such as the 'RESISTANCE NOW' tour and the Vienna Festival (Wie- ner Festwochen) | Free Repub- lic of Vienna initiative by Milo Rau and Artemis Vakianis; the 'European Theatre Talks' events and conferences by the European Theatre Convention (ETC), the largest network of publicly fund- ed theatres in Europe; and events by Opera Europa and Prospero – Extended Theatre. An adjoining petition is avail- able from the 30 November for the general public to sign. ARC Research & Consultan- cy Managing Director Davinia Galea, who was one of the first signatories, added: "The arm's length principle was introduced to culture and the arts in re- sponse to lessons learned fol- lowing World War II. It is im- perative that we ensure artistic freedom is safeguarded across all European member states. Action must be taken now to protect this essential freedom, ensuring it is preserved for both current and future generations." Speaking about the RESIST- ANCE NOW: FREE CULTURE petition, Milo Rau, Artistic Di- rector of Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna, said: "Culture in Europe is facing a crisis. These problems are present across the continent so we need action now, or the European unification and peace project itself will eventually dis- appear as well." Heidi Wiley, Executive Di- rector of ETC, added: "It is un- precedented to unite so many organisations across Europe and beyond with one clear aim: to demand that European insti- tutions protect artistic freedom and autonomyof cultural spaces to operate as open and demo- cratic environments that resist intimidation and political inter- ference." Barbara Engelhardt, Artistic Director of Maillon, added: "Di- versity of thought and freedom of expression are the bedrock of the European project. Our work at Maillon has always echoed this and we fully support the am- bitions of this petition to secure greater artistic freedom across Europe." Maltese organisations join European action against 'acute threat' to artistic freedom