Cultural Rights, Artistic Freedom, and Democratic Resilience
European democracy and the values that tie us together are under threat, being simultaneously challenged by internal and external forces. With the rise of these pressures, culture is beginning to move from the sidelines to the centre of the conversation on democratic resilience. The new publication from the Performing Arts Coalition entitled “Between Rhetoric and Reality: Cultural Rights, Artistic Freedom, and Democratic Resilience?,” authored by Elena Polivtseva, explores the importance of cultural rights, artistic freedom, and democratic resilience today and how performing arts, framed as a public good and a vehicle for cultural rights, serves an essential role for cultural rights, artistic freedom, and democratic resilience.
Recommendations are made in the report concerning cultural funding, resilience, and policy reforms, including:
- Safeguarding artistic freedom and artists’ rights;
- Guaranteeing sustainable funding for culture with equitable access;
- Reforming funding structures and protecting them from political interference;
- Supporting unions, associations, and sectoral organisations; and
- Investing in resource- and information-sharing.
Image source: Performing Arts Coalition, 2026