A Cultural Freedom Act for Europe: a new petition is calling for action
Across Europe, cultural organisations and artists are facing growing political pressure: funding can be withdrawn, institutional independence challenged, leadership appointments politicised, and critical or uncomfortable artistic voices pushed towards silence or self-censorship.
A new European petition is calling for a Cultural Freedom Act: an EU-level framework designed to strengthen protection for artistic freedom. The campaign builds on an initiative already supported by more than 200 cultural organisations.
The proposed Act would create a binding, EU-wide framework built around three key measures:
- An independent funding guarantee, aimed at preventing public funding from being used as a political weapon against critical or diverse cultural expression.
- Legal protection and defence, giving artists and independent venues stronger possibilities to challenge politically motivated cancellations or removals.
- A censorship early-warning system, monitoring political interference, pressure and self-censorship across EU Member States before lasting damage is done.
Before a law can be designed, there needs to be political attention to the issue.
The organisers of the campaign are asking artists, cultural professionals, organisations and members of the public to add their signatures and demonstrate support for stronger European protection of artistic freedom.
The petition is open now. Read it, sign if you support its demands, and share it with your networks.
