Alarmed by the acute threat to cultural diversity in Europe, the leaders of almost 200 cultural organisations have joined forces to call on the European Parliament to take concrete action to defend artistic freedom.
Vienna, 30th of November 2024
Alarmed by this threat to cultural diversity in Europe posed by nationalist movements, the Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna together with european networks initiated the open letter RESISTANCE NOW: FREE CULTURE. It's urging the European Parliament to take concrete action to defend artistic freedom. Besides the co-initiators European Theatre Convention (ETC), Prospero, Opera Europa and Matej Drlička, the dismissed Director of the Slovak National Theatre, almost 200 cultural organisations from all EU member states and beyond have already signed the letter.
The open letter was published by international media, including in Le Soir, The Stage, Nepszava, Divadelní noviny, Nachtkritik und Die Presse.
“Europe is based on the openness of the cultural life of the individual countries and their free cooperation,” the letter reads. “If these disappear, the European project loses its soul and meaning.” Following its presentation at Maillon Theatre in Strasbourg all European citizens are now called upon to join the demands.
The internationally renowned first signatories include Lukáš Trpišovský and Martin Kukučka (Artistic Directors of National Theatre Prague, Czech Republic) Krzysztof Warlikowski (Artistic Director of Nowy Teatr in Poland), Tiago Rodrigues (Director of the Festival d’Avignon in France), Iris Laufenberg (Artistic Director of the Deutsches Theater in Germany), Gianina Carbunariu (director and playwright Romania), Mattias Anderson (Artistic Director Royal Dramaten in Sweden) and Peter de Caluwe (General & Artistic Director of La Monnaie / De Munt in Belgium).
