Freemuse Defending Artistic Freedom
Iranian Education Minister has deemed videos of schoolchildren dancing as “disturbing” and part of the greater plot to undermine the Islamic Republic.
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Freemue and Roskilde Festival announce new partnership to protect the human right to artistic expression
Roskilde Festival Gives 1,5 m DKK Grant Over Three Years. Freemuse Calls For Artistic Freedom Defenders.
Music
Freemuse calls on Iranian authorities to repeal metal band’s extreme sentence
Freemuse calls on the General Judiciary of the Province of Tehran to repeal harsh sentencing of Confess band members Nikan “Siyanor” Khosravi and Arash “Chemical” Ilkhani and allow the musicians to return to Iran without fear of reprisal for expressi
Music
USA: Teenager killed over listening to rap music
17-year-old Elijah Al-Amin was stabbed and killed for listening to rap music on 4 July 2019. The attacker felt "unsafe" because of rap music.
Music
“We now fear for our lives” – Thai musicians plead for safety
Pleas for help have escalated from the Thai protest band Faiyen who remains exiled in Laos after fleeing Thailand in 2014.
Visual Arts
Maldives: Ongoing struggle for artistic expression
30 sea sculptures were demolished for being “anti-Islamic” and a threat to the “Islamic unity and peace within the Maldivian state”.
Music
Freemuse concerned over increasing imprisonments of Egyptian women artists
The Musicians Syndicate cancelled its decision to ban Egyptian artist Sherine (real name Sherine Abdel-Wahab) from singing on 4 June 2019.
Music
Iran: Female musicians targeted for their artistic expression
Targeting and persecuting female artist has become a trend observed in Iran relating to religious regulations.
Freemuse calls for the release of Myanmar’s Peacock Generation thangyat troupe from Insein Prison
Freemuse Executive Director Dr Srirak Plipat said, “The imprisoned members of Peacock Generation are entitled to the right to exercise their art as a vehicle for expression – including criticise authorial powers and to hold them to account."
All Arts
USA: Could cancel culture threaten artistic freedom on university campuses?
University campuses in the USA have been host to the emerging trend of censoring artworks–historical or otherwise–in an extension of what is known as the ‘cancel culture’ movement.
Visual Arts
Poland: Protesters go bananas over the removal of ‘scandalous’ artwork
The removal of two video installations on 27 April at the National Museum in Warsaw has led to a series of banana-eating protests across Poland.
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Iran: Children dancing deemed to ‘weaken the morale of the Iranian people’
16 May 2019 -
Russia: Teen theatre artists questioned under ‘gay propaganda’ law
25 March 2019 -
Singapore: ‘Satanic’ Swedish metal band’s gig cancelled ‘for reasons of public order’
15 March 2019 -
China: Push to make disrespecting Chinese national anthem a crime in Hong Kong
25 January 2019 -
Pakistan: Satanic-looking statue removed from museum after complaints it is too scary
21 January 2019
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April 2019: Spotlight – artists released from prison
3 May 2019Egyptian poet Galal El-Behairy has been conditionally released from a Civilian Court-imposed sentence that he received for his art. However, he will stay in prison after being sentenced to three years and receiving a 480 euro fine for his unreleased poetry book.
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March 2019: The State of Artistic Freedom 2019
28 March 2019 -
February 2019: New regulations in Uganda restricting artistic freedom, and artists released from jail
28 February 2019 -
January 2019: China’s internment camps and the forced shut down of Moroccan cultural organisation Racines
1 February 2019 -
December 2018: Cuba’s Decree 349, Russian rappers and LGBT police
20 December 2018
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Freemue and Roskilde Festival announce new partnership to protect the human right to artistic expression
15 July 2019Roskilde Festival Gives 1,5 m DKK Grant Over Three Years. Freemuse Calls For Artistic Freedom Defenders.
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Freemuse and ARC call for Singapore government to drop charges against artist Seelan Palay
24 September 2018 -
Take action: PEN International and Freemuse protest the continued detention of Shahidul Alam
29 August 2018 -
Freemuse and CADAL joint letter to the European Union’s EEAS
4 June 2018 -
New regulations in Cuba to comprehensively control artists and their expression
8 August 2018
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Drop charges against musician Ferhat Tunç in Turkey
27 September 2018Ferhat Tunç is being prosecuted for his peaceful expression … again. Your actions are important and can make a difference in Ferhat’s life and the lives of others like him in Turkey. Stand in solidarity with these artists and demand that Turkey drop all the charges against Ferhat Tunç. Ferhat is now having to defend himself in an appeal of the recent ruling and two other pending cases against him. Together, the charges of all three amount to more than 13 years imprisonment.
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Open letter to the President of Equatorial Guinea: Release artist and writer Ramón Esono Ebalé
16 November 2017 -
Let Women Sing
21 July 2017 -
In prison for a year in Iran; artists call for musician’s and filmmaker’s release
1 June 2017 -
Turkey: Seven members of Grup Yorum arrested
3 December 2016
On 30 June, Oleg Smolin, First Deputy Chairman of the Education Committee of the State Duma in Russia, supported an initiative by the Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk to exclude various books from the school curriculum, including the Gulag Archipelago, in order to incorporate more religious texts.
”There are some works of modern literature that can be removed from the school curriculum without great harm. The Gulag Archipelago, for example, does not give much insight into the real historical process. We need to look at the programs and exclude what is too politicized,” Smolin tells to Govorit Moskva radio. Read more here: lenta.ru/news/2019/06/30/bogpomozhet/
The Gulag Archipelago is a three-volume text written between 1958 and 1968 by Russian historian Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. The text relays Solzhenitsyn’s experience as a gulag prisoner, describing life in the gulag, (a Communist Soviet forced labour system). Solzhenitsyn includes various sources—reports, interviews, statements, diaries and legal documents in his texts.
While the Gulag Archipelago is heralded as the greatest and most disturbing account of human rights violations and political oppression in a Russian Gulag, this text and several other works, will also be excluded from the school curriculum.
📷 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn/ Facebook
Freemuse condemns the 14.5 year total prison sentences and 74 lashes for metal #musicians from the band Confess. We stand by Nikan “Siyanor” Khosravi and Arash “Chemical” Ilkhani and defend their right to artistic expression! 👉https://bit.ly/2LgWlOn
As a part of the Europe Project, Freemuse participated in a conference organised by Stiftung Universität Hildesheim.
It investigated the role of arts and culture in sustainable development.
Svenska Postkodstiftelsen #postkodeffekten #projectforchange
On 23 June, New Brunswick aerial artist Christine Johnson had her scheduled pole dancing performance cancelled only minutes before she was set to go onstage at the Rotary Ribfest Moncton West and Riverview in Canada.
According to Johnson’s Facebook post, the well-practiced routine was considered special because it was dedicated to a close friend who was battling brain cancer.
Read Johnson’s post here: www.facebook.com/christine.johnson.790256/posts/10162507870795455
Despite preparations, the decision to cancel the performance last minute was due to a rotary club committee member deeming the performance not “family-friendly”.
Johnson believes there was a “misunderstanding” of her performance, which she labels as aerial art.
“I am a woman and not ashamed of my body and in no way is the way I was treated ok. Part of my art happens to incorporate my body like any form of dance or gymnastics and it takes so much courage and bravery to put myself out there like I do,” Johnson states in her Facebook post.
Many women artists face censorship for expressing their art through movement and the body, particularly as it pertains to nudity. This was a key topic in Freemuse’s most-recent report ‘Privatising Censorship, Digitising Violence: Shrinking Space of Women’s Rights to Create in the Digital Age’ (Link here: bit.ly/2XEswsE).
Watch Johnson’s performance video here: www.facebook.com/christine.johnson.790256/videos/10162491620890455/?__tn__=%2CdC-R-R&eid=ARBrVFBf...
📷 Christine Johnson/ Facebook
So, they contracted her. Obviously they knew the kind of art it was. They had her set her gear up. And then canceled. I hope they paid her
On 2 July, Russian authorities removed the majority of Nino Katamadze’s songs on popular music streaming platforms such as iTunes, Google Play Music, Yandex. Music, and Vkontakte. See here: www.sobaka.ru/city/music/93088
Previous albums from the Georgian jazz singer could be found on these music-streaming platforms. Now, however, only a few tracks are available.
While the exact reason for the removal of Katamadze’s music is unclear, Katamadze announced on her Facebook page on 30 June that she would not perform in Russia as a form of solidarity with Georgian protestors rallying against Russian involvement with Kremlin politics in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi. Read Katamadze's post here: www.facebook.com/nino.katamadze/posts/10217365506362187
The protests in Georgia stems from a recent conference on 20 June in Tbilisi, where the Russian State Duma MP had sat in the chair of the speaker of the Georgian Parliament. Ever since this incident, tensions between Russia and Georgia have continued.
📷 Nino Katamadze/ Facebook
Freemuse calls on the General Judiciary of the Province of Tehran to repeal the harsh sentencing of #Confess band members allow the #musicians to return to #Iran without fear of reprisal for expressing themselves artistically. #artisticexpression 👉https://t.co/AngxtsDMFR
As a part of the #EuropeProject, #Freemuse participated in a #conference organised by Stiftung Universität Hildesheim.
It investigated the role of #arts and #culture in #sustainable development.
#postkodeffekten #projectforchange
We've extended the deadline for the Finance and Operation Manager position to 26 July 2019!
Don't miss your chance to apply! Find out more and apply here 👉 https://t.co/GktCb3LTPY
We are deeply saddened by the attack on Elijah Al-Amin in Arizona, USA.
All people have the right to enjoy every form of art, including listening to music, without fear of harrasment, discrimination and/or being attacked.
Freemuse offers its condolences to all those affected.
CNN Breaking News on Twitter
“Police say a man accused of fatally stabbing a 17-year-old in the throat at an Arizona convenience store told them he felt threatened because t...
twitter.com
Police say a man accused of fatally stabbing a 17-year-old in the throat at an Arizona convenience store told them he felt threatened because the teen had been listening to rap music https://t.co/CszJqp2ZL3
#Freemuse just launched #ArtisticFreedom Defenders in partnership with #RoskildeFestival.
You can join #ArtisticFreedomDefenders by signing up here https://t.co/KAgCMkN2dt
US #singer @JossStone has been deported from Iran. She is the latest #female #artist to be denied the right to artistic expression in Iran, where authorities believed she would play a solo concert - an illegal act for women in the country. Read more here: https://t.co/eBbjmYC0Qe
Did you know that in 2018 #MadameGandhi held 35 #concerts? In the same year, #Freemuse documented 48 violations of artistic freedom against #women #artists. Join the movement to defend #artisticfreedom and sign up here: https://t.co/xX0c5mGPC4
#RF2019
Missing the @Freemuse98 #2019RoskildeFestival? Don't fret! Find out how to win a free ticket to the #2020RoskildeFestival here: https://t.co/5Gs7OP0Knv #DefendArtisticFreedom
New interview between @Freemuse98 and a Maldivian artist reveals the ongoing struggle for artistic freedom in the Maldives: https://t.co/0vpCHOJEVt #FreedomofExpression #StopCensorship
Did you know that #CardiB has 7 million followers on #Facebook? Did you also know that Facebook's #CommunityGuidelines can completely remove her #online presence without explanation? Join the movement to defend #artisticfreedom and sign up here: https://t.co/xX0c5mGPC4
#RF2019
Three artists, Aziz Sohail, Abdullah Qureshi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Jr, offer poignant perspectives on being LGBTQ, Muslim and Pakistani: https://t.co/Os6yxRIP1L #LGBTQvisibility #freedomofexpression
We're are Roskilde Festival! Missed out on a ticket this year? Find out how you can win a chance to get in on the action at Roskilde in 2020. Details on our Facebook page.
📷 Copyright Simon Frøsig Christensen / Roskilde Festival
Thinking of poet and lyricist Galal El-Behairy as he spends his 29th birthday imprisoned in Egypt today. Read and share his work and join our call to #FreeGalal! https://t.co/J0Z4E4X42X #Egypt
This is the second birthday Galal El-Behairy has spent imprisoned in Egypt for his writing. On his last birthday, he wrote this poem https://t.co/J0Z4E4X42X #FreeGalal #Egypt
Read what people are saying about our latest report: Privatising Censorship, Digitising Violence. The report explores the impact of #DigitalTransformation on #women #artists: #online #censorship & #abuse Read here 👉https://t.co/30K4rUCMW9
Today we launch our latest report – Privatising Censorship, Digitising Violence @rightscon in #Tunis. The report explores the impact of #DigitalTransformation on #women #artists: #online #censorship & #abuse Read here 👉https://t.co/30K4rUCMW9
@Freemuse98 Creativity Wronged report finds indecency and religion as the main rationales for silencing women's artistic voices. Forbidden Fruit is a Copenhagen-based event focusing on the scrutiny women artists and women-centric themed art.
Freemuse on Twitter
“Follow our @WomenDeliver satellite event on Facebook @freemuse98. Join us on 3 June, 6 PM CEST: we discuss #women, #art and #censorship and see...
twitter.com
.@Freemuse98 Creativity Wronged report finds indecency and religion as the main rationales for silencing women's artistic voices. Forbidden Fruit is a Copenhagen-based event focusing on the scrutiny women artists and women-centric themed art.
Freemuse on Twitter
“Follow our @WomenDeliver satellite event on Facebook @freemuse98. Join us on 3 June, 6 PM CEST: we discuss #women, #art and #censorship and see...
twitter.com
Tonight, at 9.45pm Melbourne time, see you , on @ABCTV with my documentary #ChinasArtfulDissident. Directed by @dannyb_m
今晚，澳洲ABC频道见，喵本时间9点45分，北京时间7点45。
中国大陆推友可在945pm于ABC i-view网站 https://t.co/pP7DbvesBs 搜电影名，并使用VPN变成澳洲IP观看哟。
Pictures of an #artwork where ‘#MakeAmericaGreatAgain’ hats were transformed into hats featuring KKK and swastika symbolism were removed from #Facebook for violating community standards.
