To an outsider, the most startling part of artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara’s arrest on 21 July for attempting to protest on the Capitol steps in Havana was the passivity, bordering on fearful ignorance, of his fellow Cubans at the scene.
Expression Uncensored, which was hosted by Sonos, Index on Censorship and Gay Times Magazine, featured a panel of leading musicians from around the world to discuss queer music and censorship.
A group of teens shuffle onto a stage. It could be any summer programme, but when professional opera singer Abigail Kelly leads them in a song on political dissent and dictatorship, it’s clear that they’ve come together to create something novel, provocative and, above all, youth-led.
Their plan was clear: cover yourself with excrement, hold a sign demanding “Free art. No to decree 349” and be visible
Nine banned books. Nine charges of sedition carrying the maximum penalty of 43 years imprisonment. Countless attacks, raids and arrests. These were the consequences of Malaysian cartoonist Zunar’s cartoons and tweets decrying government scandals.
This vital half-day training for CEOs and chairs of trustees supports arts and cultural organisations to handle difficult subjects and sensitive stories to deliver the best work possible
Indians took to Twitter to express their frustration after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) pushed the release of the film Love Simon back indefinitely.
This vital half-day training for CEOs and chairs of trustees supports arts and cultural organisations to handle difficult subjects and sensitive stories to deliver the best work possible
Censorship of a form of music which affords an already marginalised minority a rare opportunity to express themselves publicly is an attack against their fundamental rights as human beings.
Artists make the work. Institutions put the work on. That’s the deal. It’s a simple but weird relationship.