IRMO researchers Jaka Primorac, Aleksandra Uzelac and Ana Žuvela participated in the ninth World Summit on Arts and Culture organised by the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) and the Swedish Arts Council, which was held in Stockholm from 2-5 May, 2023. The theme of this year’s gathering was the safeguarding of artistic freedom. The summit was attended by over 400 participants from more than 80 countries from all continents, including leading cultural policymakers, researchers, managers and cultural workers and artists who discussed the importance of safeguarding artistic freedom as one of the fundamental pillars of cultural policy.
Artistic and cultural expressions create space for us to reflect on ourselves and our societies; connect with different perspectives; understand and learn from each other; test and contest ideas; and, ultimately, inspire us to imagine new paths to individual, collective, and social development. Artistic freedom ensures that these expressions represent the full diversity and dynamism of our cultural ecosystems and societies through both creation and participation. Such possibility demands that we safeguard the existence of artistic freedom. However, we can only do this if we first recognise the rights and responsibilities it entails; understand the political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and cultural conditions that enable it; and identify and address threats to its practice and fulfilment.
IRMO researchers actively participated in the conference program, which was an opportunity for meetings and networking with researchers, policy-makers and cultural workers from all over the world.
