Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI) published the second report of the Artistic Freedom Monitor series*“Cultural Control: Censorship and Suppression of the Arts in Poland.”
AFI has established the Artistic Freedom Monitor to achieve the goal of revealing the root causes of artistic suppression and advocating for a future in which all artists can create freely and safely in their home countries. To fulfill this mission every report from the series will:
1. Document the unique challenges facing artistic communities in the focus country;
2. Call out rights violations committed by the focus country’s government;
3. Advocate for the strengthening of existing rights protection mechanisms;
4. Provide actionable recommendations to global policymakers for the benefit of all artistic communities.
Sticking to these concrete purposes of the Artistic Freedom Monitor, the “Cultural Control: Censorship and Suppression of the Arts in Poland” report displays the current socio-political context of the rapid enclosure of the arts and cultural space, shaped over the last decade by the Polish right-wing party prevail in administrative power. It also analyses legal and bureaucratic mechanisms of systematic suppression and interference into Arts and Culture and includes actionable recommendations to Polish and EU legislators to strengthen existing protection frameworks, support sustainable livelihoods, and ensure meaningful equity for all Polish arts professionals.
*created in partnership with UC Berkeley School of Law and Columbia University’s Harriman Institute and funded by the SDK Foundation for Human Dignity.”
