Online seminar on artistic freedom in Southeast Asia

UNESCO Bangkok is organising a two-day, online seminar to facilitate a better understanding of artistic freedom in the Southeast Asian context under the framework of the ‘2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions’. 

Held on 2 and 3 August 2022, the seminar targets government entities and civil society organisations (CSOs) in the creative sector; cultural and creative professionals; and regional artists. The seminar explores the topic of artistic freedom and considers measures to protect and promote artistic freedom throughout Southeast Asia.

The Artistic Freedom seminar will especially explore two fundamental issues that are being monitored within the Convention’s framework, namely the protection and promotion of:

1. freedoms of creation and expression and participation in cultural life; and 
2. the social and economic rights of artists and cultural professionals. 

The latter issue especially has been receiving increased attention over the last few years, as the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a number of shortcomings in this area due to the informal nature of much cultural employment in the region. 

Through exchanges among government officials, cultural experts, and leaders of CSOs in the region, the seminar will highlight successful measures that have been implemented to promote artistic freedom and discuss how artists and civil society can participate in designing related cultural policies. The seminar will also identify priority issues that can be collectively addressed in the upcoming, post-pandemic period by concerned stakeholders in government and civil society.

Join the seminar here