Andrea
IFACCA – ‘Charting the future: culture as our compass’
“…respect for diversity and freedom of artistic and cultural expressions means sometimes withstanding discomfort and understanding that our perspectives can be challenged; that we have the agency to consider and measure our response; and it is part of the role of the arts to provoke and challenge.”
In its dossier published to coincide with Mondiacult 2025 [hyperlink], International Federation of Arts Councils and Cultural Associations (IFACCA) argues that artistic freedom is both underpinning and under pressure in current cultural policies. It highlights the multiple threats to this freedom, including censorship, lack of legal protection, economic precarity for artists, digital monopolies that squeeze out diverse voices, and insufficient recognition of Indigenous knowledge and living cultures. It emphasises that policy must not only protect the rights of creators, but also secure the ecosystem that makes creative freedom sustainable (fair working conditions, resilient public support, regulatory frameworks for AI and digital media). For IFACCA, ensuring that artistic freedom is central, legally, economically, culturally, is essential for pluralism, innovation, and participatory cultural life.
UNESCO 2025 Global Report on Cultural Policies launched
>> quote from when published
On 29 September 2025, UNESCO’s 2025 Global Report on Cultural Policies was launched at MONDIACULT 2025 [hyperlink] in Barcelona. Among its themes, the report dedicates a chapter to artistic freedom, under “Guaranteeing Cultural Rights,” examining both individual and collective rights to participate in cultural life, to express oneself, and to access cultural heritage and creative expression. The report also highlights freedom of expression in the digital environment (e.g. under “Leveraging Digital Technologies in the Culture Sector”) and identifies protection for artists and culture professionals at risk as a key concern. To read more visit: <<< Link