Unlocking the transformative potential of culture for sustainable development is our common ambition and this process is already underway. Culture is firmly anchored in the 2030 Agenda for SustainableDevelopment, and Member States themselves are giving it an increasingly important place in the international development programmes, in the fields of education, economic development, development and social inclusion.
The Freemuse State of Artistic Freedom Report 2022 shows the extent of attacks on artists and creative freedom in 2021 in numbers and infographics that illustrate the stark reality of the struggle for this right. They show the numbers of artists reported killed, imprisoned, brought to trial, attacked, and subjected to other forms of persecution. There is also a breakdown by region and by sector – music, film, and other art forms.
This report, after clearly defining what is “freedom of expression” and the crucial social and political roles of artists, proposes an overview of existing international texts protecting and supporting freedom of (artistic) expression, which many countries have ratified and committed to respect. Then, the report delves into the monitoring of the commitment made by national governments when ratifying an international text defending freedom of expression for artists.
This report focuses on the needs of civil society, the main challenges facing the cultural sectors in the region such as artistic freedom, dialogue with governments, gender equality, cultural policies and the treatment of culture in trade agreements. Due to the vastness of the Asia-Pacific region and the time allotted for the study, not all countries and regions in AsiaPacific are represented in this report. While some challenges and needs may be recurrent in a majority of countries, most are specific to local contexts and particular histories.
This ‘Culture and the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Challenges and Opportunities’ report results from brainstorming sessions organised as a Voices of Culture Structured Dialogue. The Structured Dialogue framework enables communication between the European Commission and the cultural sector. Its main objective is to provide a channel for the voice of the cultural sector to be heard by EU policymakers, a voice represented by a group of expert practitioners in Europe selected through an open call.
The British Council together with the Jogja Festivals Study Centre joined forces to study the landscape and key players of festivals in Yogyakarta, Indonesia and South East Asia. Particularly for the South East Asian Region, this has become one scope to study due to the key role that the Indonesian government played in initiating the ASEAN Working Group of Creative Economy, the World Conference on Creative Economy and the fact that there are many international festivals.
In response to a brief from UKRI India, the task we set ourselves with this research was to capture and present a comprehensive overview of the creative industries sector in India, the industry ecosystem which supports it, and the policy frameworks within which it operates. In seeking to distill a significant amount of data and information, our aim was to provide a clear understanding of where the opportunities and possible barriers lie for future India-UK creative industries research and innovation collaboration.
Recalibrating the Compass: New Approaches to Asia-Europe Cultural Relations summarises the insights, ideas and recommendations highlighted throughout the series and presents guidance for future work in the field of Asia-Europe cultural relations. Apart from passing on knowledge on how to navigate the current challenges of international cultural relations, this publication will provide some starting points when thinking about the roles stakeholders can play in the field of Asia-Europe cultural collaboration and possible strategies for a post-pandemic recovery.
The Taskforce identified a real risk that Ireland will emerge from COVID-19 to find its arts, culture and events sectors decimated, with some venues closed for good, many businesses folded, large numbers of skilled and talented performers and workers gone to other careers, and much of the experience and creativity of the sectors gone. It could take years to rebuild these essential sectors.
The COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged discussion of the broader culture as representing, in some instances, a “global public good”, through its capacity to promote social cohesion, increase people’s resilience and connect communities to different forms of cultural expression, in addition to its commercial value.
