Artistic Freedom Now!
A panel discussion on the European Artistic Freedom Act
Artistic Freedom Initiative, European Alliance of Academies/Akademie der Künste and Resistance Now! Together coalition have joined forces for the first time and kindly invite you to join the public panel discussion “Artistic Freedom Now! A panel discussion on the European Artistic Freedom Act.”
📅 Wednesday, 23 September 2026
🕑 2:00 – 4:00 pm (CET)
At Europäisches Haus, Unter den Linden 78, 10117 Berlin
🔗 Register here until 22 September: Registration link
How can legal and institutional frameworks be established to better protect artistic freedom and the independence of cultural institutions against the backdrop of democratic setbacks, political polarisation, and growing pressure on the cultural sector? This panel discussion explores the dangers of political interference in the cultural sector. The panelists will place current cultural political developments within a European context, identify possible legal and political courses of action, and present and jointly discuss the European Artistic Freedom Act as a potential European solution.
Welcome Address by Barbara Gessler, Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Germany, and Manos Tsangaris, President of the Akademie der Künste, Berlin and of the European Alliance of Academies
Keynote by Sanjay Sethi – Co-Executive Director of Artistic Freedom Initiative
Panel with
Katalin Krasznahorkai – Lead Expert for the Council of Europe’s “Free to Create, Create to be Free” initiative
Milo Rau – Theatre maker, Artistic Director of the Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen)
Claudia Roth – Member of the German Bundestag, former Minister of State for Culture and the Media
Heidi Wiley – Executive Director of the European Theatre Convention
Moderation by Christian Johann – Director of Europäische Akademie Berlin
The discussion will be held in English.
A joint event organised by the Artistic Freedom Initiative / Initiative pour la Liberté Artistique, European Alliance of Academies / Akademie der Künste and the Resistance Now Together coalition, in cooperation with the Representation of the European Commission in Germany.
