Freemuse report in Kraków 09.12.2020
An international report on the freedom of artistic expression of the LGBTI community compiled by the Freemuse organisation will be presented in Kraków on 10 December, International Human Rights Day.
Freemuse is an independent, international non-governmental organisation working as an advocate for human rights, freedom of speech, freedom of artistic expression and cultural diversity. The organisation enjoys United Nations Special Consultative Status to the Economic and Social Council (UN-ECOSOC) and Consultative Status with UNESCO.
Freemuse operates internationally, documenting violations of artistic freedom worldwide. The organisation cooperates with artists, artistic and cultural organisations, as well as activists. It supports artists persecuted in their countries because of their gender, race or sexual orientation. It defends artistic freedom by analysing, among other things, legal and political practices of censorship and other unlawful restrictions on artistic freedom in over 90 countries. It runs campaigns to promote diversity, and initiates, develops and supports local networks of artists and cultural workers, ensuring that their voice is heard and freedom of artistic expression is not restricted.
Freemuse is known for its annual report, The State of Artistic Freedom, which analyses cases of violations of artistic freedom faced by various groups of artists and people of culture. The report is widely referenced by governments, UN officials, as well as academic, cultural and artistic circles. This year’s report focuses on violations of artistic freedom experienced by LGBTI artists (LGBTI - lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people). The report presents over 100 violations of artistic freedom that took place in 40 countries.
Some of the key issues to be revealed in the report include 45 per cent of violations documented in countries where there is no law criminalising homosexuality or its promotion, and 55 per cent of violations documented in countries where homosexuality and its promotion are considered a crime. The report reveals that, in most cases, individual national governments are responsible for 53 per cent of documented violations. Most affected by censorship and freedom violation is the free expression of film artists, accounting for 50 per cent of all cases, followed by transgressions suffered by visual artists and musicians.
It is worth recalling that International Human Rights Day was established in 1950 on the anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Dedicated to human rights advocates and activists, it is an opportunity to honour the courage and achievements of those who strive to safeguard human rights and ensure that they are invariably respected.
This year’s report will be presented in Kraków. Our city was invited to cooperate on the project due to its many activities promoting respect for various social groups that create the city’s rich and heterogenous character and contribute to its diversity and cosmopolitan openness. Formerly, the Freemuse reports were launched in Western European cities. The invitation to announce the report together in Kraków has an important symbolic dimension. Freemuse seeked a reliable partner to co-host a series of events announcing the report on the freedom of LGBTI artists and their right to artistic expression. Additionally, having envisaged a worldwide network of LGBTI artists and artistic and cultural organisations dealing with art and artistic expression, the organisation wished to formally communicate its launch and, likewise, chose Kraków to do so.
The report will be announced on 10 December at the ICE Kraków Congress Centre and will be broadcast online. Special guests of the event will include Victor Madrigal-Borloz, UN Independent Expert on Protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and Dr Srirak Plipat, Executive Director of the Freemuse Network.
Report presentation will be combined with a panel discussion attended by Freemuse representative Dr Srirak Plipat, Chair of the Council for Equal Treatment Nina Gabryś, Mayor of Kraków’s Advisor for Culture Robert Piaskowski, as well as representatives of the creative community: Anna Maria Potocka - director of Museum of Contemporary Art in Kraków (MOCAK), Adelina Kiame, Angolan visual artist and writer, writer Jacek Dehnel and visual artist Daniel Rycharski. The discussion will be accompanied by a cultural programme available through PlayKraków.
Organizers: Freemuse and Krakow
Cooperation: Villa Decius Institut for Culture
Partner: Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow MOCAK
Production: KBF / PLAY KRAKOW
Freemuse operates internationally, documenting violations of artistic freedom worldwide. The organisation cooperates with artists, artistic and cultural organisations, as well as activists. It supports artists persecuted in their countries because of their gender, race or sexual orientation. It defends artistic freedom by analysing, among other things, legal and political practices of censorship and other unlawful restrictions on artistic freedom in over 90 countries. It runs campaigns to promote diversity, and initiates, develops and supports local networks of artists and cultural workers, ensuring that their voice is heard and freedom of artistic expression is not restricted.
Freemuse is known for its annual report, The State of Artistic Freedom, which analyses cases of violations of artistic freedom faced by various groups of artists and people of culture. The report is widely referenced by governments, UN officials, as well as academic, cultural and artistic circles. This year’s report focuses on violations of artistic freedom experienced by LGBTI artists (LGBTI - lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people). The report presents over 100 violations of artistic freedom that took place in 40 countries.
Some of the key issues to be revealed in the report include 45 per cent of violations documented in countries where there is no law criminalising homosexuality or its promotion, and 55 per cent of violations documented in countries where homosexuality and its promotion are considered a crime. The report reveals that, in most cases, individual national governments are responsible for 53 per cent of documented violations. Most affected by censorship and freedom violation is the free expression of film artists, accounting for 50 per cent of all cases, followed by transgressions suffered by visual artists and musicians.
It is worth recalling that International Human Rights Day was established in 1950 on the anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Dedicated to human rights advocates and activists, it is an opportunity to honour the courage and achievements of those who strive to safeguard human rights and ensure that they are invariably respected.
This year’s report will be presented in Kraków. Our city was invited to cooperate on the project due to its many activities promoting respect for various social groups that create the city’s rich and heterogenous character and contribute to its diversity and cosmopolitan openness. Formerly, the Freemuse reports were launched in Western European cities. The invitation to announce the report together in Kraków has an important symbolic dimension. Freemuse seeked a reliable partner to co-host a series of events announcing the report on the freedom of LGBTI artists and their right to artistic expression. Additionally, having envisaged a worldwide network of LGBTI artists and artistic and cultural organisations dealing with art and artistic expression, the organisation wished to formally communicate its launch and, likewise, chose Kraków to do so.
The report will be announced on 10 December at the ICE Kraków Congress Centre and will be broadcast online. Special guests of the event will include Victor Madrigal-Borloz, UN Independent Expert on Protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and Dr Srirak Plipat, Executive Director of the Freemuse Network.
Report presentation will be combined with a panel discussion attended by Freemuse representative Dr Srirak Plipat, Chair of the Council for Equal Treatment Nina Gabryś, Mayor of Kraków’s Advisor for Culture Robert Piaskowski, as well as representatives of the creative community: Anna Maria Potocka - director of Museum of Contemporary Art in Kraków (MOCAK), Adelina Kiame, Angolan visual artist and writer, writer Jacek Dehnel and visual artist Daniel Rycharski. The discussion will be accompanied by a cultural programme available through PlayKraków.
Organizers: Freemuse and Krakow
Cooperation: Villa Decius Institut for Culture
Partner: Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow MOCAK
Production: KBF / PLAY KRAKOW