In 1972, Michael Scammell, first editor of Index on Censorship magazine wrote in the first edition – “Freedom of expression is not self-perpetuating, but needs to be maintained by the constant vigilance of those who care about it.” We obviously haven’t been very vigilant here in the UK
Police involvement in the cancellation this week of a National Youth Theatre production highlights again the difficult legal challenges for arts organisations putting on contentious work. Can a new set of guidelines help?
Spiritual America 2014 Xenofon Kavvadias As part of Index on Censorship’s programme looking into art, law and offence in the UK, this case study looks at Xenofon Kavvadias’s mission to exhibit Spiritual America by Richard Prince in public,...
Throughout Index on Censorship’s Art and the Law information packs, the lawyers who wrote them stress that the packs offer guidance only and are not a substitute for legal advice. Knowing about the law helps an artist or an organisation identify...
"The law is no less conceptual than fine art" Exhibition of Illegal Books by Xenofon Kavvadias 10 Vyner Street London E8 5th May - 17th June 2011 Description of the work In this show books that are or can be considered illegal under contemporary UK...
This is an account of the policing of the demonstration organised by Boycott the Human Zoo Campaign on the opening night of Brett Bailey’s theatrical installation Exhibit B presented by the Barbican at the Vaults Waterloo.
As part of our work on art, offence and the law, Julia Farrington, associate arts producer, Index on Censorship, interviewed Eva Pepper, DV8’s executive producer about how she prepared for potential hostility that the show Can We Talk About This?...
By Julia Farrington July 2015 In the early stages of Index on Censorship’s programme looking into art, law and offence, we wrote a case study about Coventry's Belgrade Theatre, which premiered the production of Behud – Beyond Belief, 2010. The play...
Index on Censorship has been exploring artistic freedom of expression and contemporary forms of censorship in the UK. Who or what controls what is sayable in the arts? Who has a voice in the arts? Do the answers vary as we move around the different member nations of the UK?
Index on Censorship’s associate arts producer explores the issues around the Barbican’s presentation of Exhibit B, a work by Brett Bailey.
ArtFreedomWales launched on Friday with the first online conversation about artistic freedom of expression in Wales.
Julia Farrington travelled to Northern Ireland to participate in the 2014 Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival in Belfast. While there she saw four plays that deal with the Troubles as Gerry Adams, head of Sinn Féin, was questioned by police