Arts and Democracy: What’s at stake today?

Online event hosted by the Performing Arts Coalition

Europe’s democracy and shared values are under mounting pressure — from erosion within and disruptive forces from abroad. EU leaders increasingly acknowledge these risks, and culture is being positioned with new urgency as a key pillar of democratic resilience. The EU’s latest cultural strategy, Compass for Culture, places artistic freedom, cultural rights and cultural participation at the core of safeguarding democracy.

Urgent questions remain. What threats do artists and cultural organisations actually face today? How do we meaningfully define and protect artistic freedom? Which cultural rights are being overlooked? What must change for culture to function as a genuine public good accessible to all? And most importantly, how can policymakers translate ambitious declarations into concrete measures for a sector already strained by both long-standing and emerging pressures?

We invited our network to an online event presenting early findings from our new study, Between Rhetoric and Reality: Cultural Rights, Artistic Freedom, and Democratic Resilience, which is available to download here. This research examines the current landscape of freedoms, pressures and aspirations in the performing arts. The event featured insights from sector representatives, reactions from EU policymakers, and space for open exchange.

Participants explored what it will take for culture not only to reflect Europe’s democratic values — but to actively defend and revitalise them.

Speakers:

• Catherine Magnant, Head of Unit Cultural Policy, Belgium
• Ksenija Djurovic, Serbia, BITEF
• Gintarė Masteikaitė, Lithuania
• Haris Pašović, Bosnia
• Azadeh Ganjeh, Iran
• Matias Hilmar Iversen, Norway

About the Performing Arts Coalition (PAC)

The Performing Arts Coalition (PAC) is a platform for European and international performing arts networks to collaborate on advocacy for the performing arts, conducting joint actions and research, exchanging knowledge, and pooling resources. Our mission is to strengthen the role of the performing arts in society by advocating for policies that recognise their unique value. PAC was founded in 2025 by ASSITEJ - International Association of Theatre and Performing Arts for Children and Young Audiences, Circostrada - European Network for contemporary circus and outdoor arts, EDN - European Dance Development Network, EFA - European Festivals Association, and IETM - International network for contemporary performing arts. The joint membership of the networks is based in over 90 countries of the world counting over a thousand of organisations and professionals.