Events

Past Events

March 12th Berlin Speech

Berlin | Germany

Opening speech at the Forum for Performing Arts in Berlin.

In a special debate series at Volksbühne, Milo Rau, !Mediengruppe Bitnik, Ece Temelkuran, Anne Roth, Hito Steyerl and Sönke Iwersen, among others, will discuss “Techno-Fascism: From Elon Musk to AfD.”

8.2. Demonstration 'Democracy needs you'

Munich | Germany

At the 'Democracy needs you' demonstration in Munich, Robert Misik shared the central positions of RESISTANCE NOW! with 320,000 people in his speech ' We will not be cozy !'. 'You are standing here today because you want to prevent the kind of conditions that prevail in my country,' he began his rousing speech and ended: 'We fight frenzy with reason, egoism with the spirit of justice and solidarity, or, as our Slovakian friend Matej Drlicka said: We beat the fascists with the power of love!'

November 30th, Maillon Theater

Strasbourg | France

The RESISTANCE NOW! Tour will make a stop in Strasbourg at the Théâtre du Maillon on November 30th. Here, the open letter RESISTANCE NOW: FREE CULTURE will be presented by the initiators in the presence of former French Culture Minister Catherine Trautmann. Matej Drlička, former director of the Slovak National Theater, Emmanuel Droit, university professor, Joris Mathieu, director, director of the Théâtre Nouvelle Génération, CDN, Lyon and Heidi Wiley, director of the European Theater Convention discussed the role of art in shaping democratic future perspectives in Europe.

Sign the petition RESISTANCE NOW: FREE CULTURE here !

November 16th Central European Forum

Bratislava | Slovakia

The next stop on the RESISTANCE NOW! tour, the Central European Forum 2024 in Bratislava, will explore the power of misinformation – from early radio and television to social media today. Discussions will examine the links between deception, fear, and the breakdown of trust, with featured speakers including French journalist Natalie Nougayrède, British historian and author Timothy Garton Ash and Milo Rau, Artistic Director of the Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna.

8.11. Jewish Museum Hohenems

Hohenems | Austria

On November 8, 2024, the Jewish Museum Hohenems was awarded the Rheintaler Kulturpreis Goldiga Törgga for its important work on controversial social issues. Milo Rau, artistic director of the Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna, gave the laudatory speech and took this as an opportunity to bring the RESISTANCE NOW! Tour to Vorarlberg and to honor the museum's commitment to intercultural dialogue and coming to terms with history. The award ceremony took place at the Kinotheater Madlen in Heerbrugg

7.11. Films for Future

Zurich | Switzerland

Milo Rau debates the interferences between art and activism with various guests: on the basis of the film/project White Cube by Renzo Martens and Rau's Jesus film project The New Gospel .

6.11. Prague Crossroads Festival

Prague | Czech Republic

The Prague Crossroads Festival is hosting another RESISTANCE NOW! tour stop. Dóra Büki from the Hungarian Proton Theater, which is facing unprecedented pressure from the Fidesz government, Miriam Kičiňová, artistic director of the Drama Theater of the Slovak National Theater, Jiří Havelka, the incoming artistic director of the Dejvické Theater and Milo Rau, artistic director of the Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna, will discuss their visions of a joint solidarity response to the danger posed by the new nationalism with Nina Jacques, dramaturg of the Prague Crossroads Festival.

For his opening speech, Milo Rau poses under the title Embassy of the Future the central question of his work in times of a global shift to the right and neoliberal budget cuts: Why theater? Why do we need this place – today more than ever?

Read the speech here .

5.11. ORF RadioKulturhaus

Vienna | Austria

Moderated by Milo Rau, artistic director of the Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna, Dóra Büki from the Hungarian Proton Theater, the dismissed director of the Slovak National Theater Matej Drlička and the Croatian philosopher and activist Srećko Horvat will discuss how we can stand up together for democracy, diversity and the freedom of art.

In cooperation with the ORF RadioKulturhaus.

4.11. European Theater Convention

Liège | Belgium

How to act as a public theater when governments follow non-democratic agendas? This edition of the European Theater Talks titled 'European Theater Talks: Free Culture – Resisting Political Interference' will focus on the increasing restrictions of freedom of expression in a European context, with interventions from artists, cultural figures and decision makers that work closely on themes of artistic freedom and democracy.

As a member of the Council of the Free Republic of Vienna Fariba Mosleh, Curator and Cultural Manager, will represent the Vienna Festival | Wiener Festwochen as a speaker.

10/17 Taiwanese National Theater

Taipei | Taiwan

The RESISTANCE NOW! Tour lands at the Taiwanese National Theater: the island Taiwan (Formosa) was colonized by the defeated army of dictator Chiang Kai-shek after the Chinese civil war in 1949, and the indigenous peoples were driven into the mountains. Milo Rau discusses art, resistance, education and the long road to democracy and equality with the indigenous activist, filmmaker and founder of the first indigenous kindergarten in Taiwan, Mayaw Biho.

On Monday night (October 21), Milo Rau joined the protests organized by Mayaw Biho in Taiwan against the construction of a luxury resort. He camped together with 100 activists in the bay under the Amis People's Sacred Mountain in front of the house of the indigenous Shu Lin family. The police and city officials were chased away by the activists in the morning hours and the bulldozer that was supposed to destroy the house disappeared (official press statement).

25.9. BITEF

Belgrade | Serbia

“Can Beauty Save the World?” asks Milo Rau in his opening speech at the 58th BITEF Theater Festival in Belgrade. The festival's main program will also include Carolina Bianchi's The Bride and Goodnight Cinderella and Antigone in the Amazon , a co-production of the Vienna Festival.

Read the speech here .

23.9. Segal Center

New York | USA

'What can and does a theater play leave behind — what impact can it have in the real world?' Starting from the artistic projects New Gospel and Orestes in Mosul Milo Rau and Yvan Sagnet, activist from Cameroon and Jesus actors in New Gospel, discuss with Segal Center Executive Director Frank Hentschker.

This event will also be livestreamed through HowlRound . (10pm European time)

19.9. ITI

Antwerp | Belgium

Together with Luanda Casella, Milo Rau will give the opening speech at the World Congress of the International Theater Institute ITI entitled How to resist .

To rewatch: Opening Speech via Facebook live

15.9. De Balie

Amsterdam | the Netherlands

Who's afraid of art? More and more far right politicians in Europe are trying to silence artists and institutions. The most recent example being Slovakia, where the directors of the Slovak National Theater and the Slovak National Gallery were suddenly dismissed by the minister of culture. The director of SND, Matej Drlička, will talk about this flagrant attack on the freedom of artistic expression and the broader political culture in which this happened. Milo Rau will report on strategies on how institutions can show solidarity in a case like this.

14.9. Dramas

Stockholm | Sweden

In the conversation Art and Resistance, Milo Rau, Mattias Andersson and others discuss how artists and activists should fight against the total capitalization of the theater on the one hand and the reduction of funds on the other. All against the background of an increasing nationalism where theater managers are dismissed on political grounds, as recently happened in, for example, Slovakia.