The European Theatre Convention is thrilled to organise the third edition of the European Theatre Talks, a high-profile event where arts meet policy, on Monday 04 November 2024 in Liège, Belgium.
2024 has been a challenging year for freedom of expression in the arts.
Far-right governments are on the rise around Europe, and increasingly prone to interfering in the running of public institutions – by dismissing directors that they see as too challenging and replacing them with more deferential candidates.
This edition of the European Theatre Talks will focus on the increasing restrictions of freedom of expression in a European context, with interventions from artists, cultural figures and policymakers that work closely on themes of artistic freedom and democracy.
How to act as public theatres when governments have non-democratic agendas? Let's come together to find joint solutions with European colleagues.
This event will feature Free Republic of Vienna’s 'RESISTANCE NOW! Tour'.
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The European Theatre Talks are a high-profile theatre and policy event that emerged following the European Theatre Forum event in 2023, which collected the shared needs and desires of the European Theatre sector in a resulting policy document, called the Opole Recommendations. The goal of these talks is to implement the recommendations in this document through consistent dialogue with policymakers.
Speakers
Moderation by Marina Maleni, Theatre Development Officer at Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOC) and ETC Board Member.
- Georg Häusler, Director for Culture, Creativity and Sport in the European Commission (DG EAC) [online]
- Gabrielle Bernoville, Representative of the Education, Youth, Sport and Culture department at the European Commission (DG EAC)
- Cláudia Belchior, President of European Theatre Convention and Executive General Coordinator at the Centro Cultural de Belém
- Elena Polivtseva, Co-Founder of Culture Policy Room
- Miriam Kičiňová, Artistic Director of Drama at Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava
- Fariba Mosleh, Curator and Cultural Manager / Council Member of the Free Republic of Vienna / Vienna Festival | Wiener Festwochen
- Elfriede Jelinek, Playwright and novelist [video intervention]
- Kay Voges, Artistic Director of Volkstheater Vienna
- Anita Debaere, Director of Pearle* - Live Performance Europe
- Audrey Jungers, Managing Director at Opera Europa
- Jean Peters, Senior Reporter at Correctiv
Practical Information
Monday 04 November 2024, 11:30 - 13:00
La Grand Poste
Quai Sur - Meuse 19
4000 Liège, Belgium
Joint Call for Artistic Freedom and Autonomy of the Arts
The statement, released in the name of the cultural network Culture Action Europe (CAE), was jointly prepared by ETC alongside CAE, Pearle*, and Opera Europa, and urges European politicians to adequately protect freedom of expression for artists.
