Debates, open letters, radical performative interventions: In response to the politically motivated dismissal of Matej Drlička as Director General of the Slovak National Theatre in mid-August 2024, Milo Rau and the Vienna Festival launched the RESISTANCE NOW! TOUR throughout Europe, America and Asia in so far more than 20 cities from Stockholm to Belgrade, from Antwerp to Prague, from New York to Mosul to Taipei, from from Kyiv to Bucharest. Whether it's an online reading connecting Iraq with the USA (“The Second Coming”), an entire guerrilla festival in cooperation with the censored Serbian theater festival Bitef, a debate in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, or an alternative Nobel Prize banquet: the Vienna Festival and its partners around the world are committed to a more just, democratic, fair, and humane cultural policy!
However, it is not only debate and radical art that are the goals of this global year-round campaign by the Free Republic of Vienna, but also concrete structural change: RESISTANCE NOW! has already connected 200 organizations from 50 countries, reached 100 million readers, and is currently working with the EU on a new legal basis for the protection of culture and freedom of expression through the creation of a new law, the European Artistic Freedom Act.
Creatives around the world are invited to join the global and diverse campaign! At www.resistance-now-together.eu, our partner, the European Theatre Convention, brings together artistic positions, debates and events. The aim is to establish a new law at European level to protect and promote culture, amounting to 2% of the EU budget.
Together with key European initiatives, we are working on a proposal for the European Artistic Freedom Act (EAFA) to establish a coherent legal framework, guranteeing artistic freedom throughout the Union. Art and culture for all—democratic, humane, free! Why Europe Needs a European Artistic Freedom Act.
“One of the major European platforms attempting to combat political intervention in the face of the rise of the far right in Europe."
El Diario
Upcoming dates
13.-15.2. "TRIAL AGAINST GERMANY"
Hamburg | Germany
Is it possible, or even legally necessary, to ban the AfD because it “aggressively and militantly” threatens democracy? Does it continue to violate the Basic Law by fighting the freedom of expression of its critics with all means at its disposal? Milo Rau's three-day TRIAL AGAINST GERMANY will address right-wing populist movements, the responsibility of large tech companies, and a ban on the AfD party as part of the Lessingtage festival. The platform nachtkritk.de will stream the RESISTANCE NOW event live!
Because the answer to nationalism has to be diverse and global
Past dates
3.2.2026 Round Table with EU Commissioner Glenn Micallef
Brussels | Belgium
At the Round Table with the European Commissioner for intergenerational fairness, youth, culture and sport Glenn Micallef in Brussels, Milo Rau, as a representative of the RESISTANCE NOW TOGETHER coalition, encouraged the European Commission to strongly consider a European Artistic Freedom Act (EAFA) to safeguard artistic freedom and institutional autonomy in the cultural sector. The Round Table was organized by the European Festivals Association.
RESISTANCE NOW TOGETHER – a coalition of cultural institutions, legal experts, networks, and activists – works to bring to life a proposal for the EAFA which is to be presented in spring 2026. This is a direct outcome of the open letter, that was published in November 2024 calling on the EU to take concrete measures to protect artistic freedom, which immediately rallied 200 cultural institutions from 40 countries and reached 100 million people.
RESISTANCE NOW TOGETHER stakeholders joined the event The Cultural Deal for Europe Annual Policy Conversation, organised by Culture Action Europe (CAE), European Cultural Foundation (ECF), Europa Nostra (EN), in collaboration with Bozar, to further present the European Artistic Freedom Act.
In connection with the premiere of Rage by Milo Rau at the Dramaten in Stockholm, discussions took place on the role of culture in a time of authoritarian tendencies. Under the title "What is the purpose of culture?" a discussion on how political control of art and culture affects free art was held on 22 January with Mattias Andersson, theater director and artistic director at Dramaten; Milo Rau, director and artistic director at Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen); Karin Pettersson, culture editor at Aftonbladet; Ivar Arpi, journalist; and others. Moderator: Anna Kölén.
Despite censorship, The Pelicot Trial came to Belgrade! From 15 to 18 December, the guerrilla programme ne:Bitef featured international and local artists. It opened with Milo Rau and Servane Dècle as part of RESISTANCE NOW!.
Milo Rau spoke with representatives of the Serbian cultural scene, like Miloš Vojnović, Nenad Lajbenšperger and Milica Pekić, moderated by Tatjana Nikolić, during a panel at ne:Bitef about the repression faced by the cultural sector for resisting autocracy and participating in the struggle for social change.
On 10 December the ‘An Other Nobel Prize’ dinner at Konträr Theatre reversed the roles: on stage were the women who uncovered the abuse and rape scandal surrounding the Nobel Prize Academy and whose statements led to the suspension of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2018. An evening by Milo Rau, Servane Dècle, Anna Kölén and Jamie Man, exclusively for Konträr at the invitation of artistic director Freja Hallberg as part of RESISTANCE NOW!.
Milo Rau discussed the role of art in times of war together with Olena Apchel (former member of the Berlin Theatertreffen management collective, now a servicewomen in the Ukrainian army) Tamara Trunova, director at the Kyiv Left Bank Theater, and composer Illia Razumeiko.
Debate “Political Interference in Art: For Artistic Freedom, Against Censorship” with Milo Rau (online), Aida Tavares, Paula Mota Garcia, and Sara Barros Leitão, moderated by Anabela Mota Ribeiro.
16.11.2025 CENTRAL EUROPEAN FORUM
Bratislava | Slovakia
On the eve of Slovakia’s Velvet Revolution anniversary, the panel “On the New Fascism and the New Freedom” featured Milo Rau, Hana Kubátová, Peter Bebjak, and Michal Hvorecký, moderated by Chris Keulemans.
The panel explored how theatre navigates the notion of truth in times of political tension and cultural complexity, and the role of artistic freedom in this process.
18.10.2025 A Talk with Milo Rau
Ljubljana | Slovenia
At the tour stop in Ljubljana, Milo Rau discussed this fundamental social change with Slovenian philosopher Mladen Dolar, following an introduction by Minister of Culture Asta Vrečko.
24.9.2025 Countering Democratic Backsliding in Cultural Policy
Barcelona | Spain (online)
As a virtual side event to MONDIACULT 2025, the world’s biggest cultural policy conference, the debate "Countering Democratic Backsliding in Cultural Policy: Safeguarding Artistic Freedom and the Independence of Cultural Institutions" took place. Cultural institutions constitute key spaces where the right to artistic freedom and freedom of expression is exercised. The session was meant to be a collaborative dialogue — not only to exchange experiences and surface practical solutions, but also to connect people who are committed to strengthening cultural governance as part of democratic resilience.
19.9.2025 Press conference
Berlin | Germany
Right-wing politician H.C. Strache took legal action against Milo Rau's latest book. The book has been withdrawn by the publisher. On 19 September the director and author announced the verdict at a press conference in Berlin. Also on the podium were lawyer Michael Mai (Artistic Freedom Initiative), Bettina Hesse (media policy advisor, ver.di), Alexander Karschnia (DIE VIELEN), and Jörg Sundermeier (publisher, Verbrecher Verlag).
13.9.2025 ON THE ART OF RESISTANCE
Oslo | Norwegen
The RESISTANCE NOW! tour stop at De Norske Teatret in Oslo featured two events focusing on ways to use art for activism. Together with interested parties from various cultural fields, Festwochen artistic director Milo Rau developed artistic strategies for international cooperation, drawing on his experience of the intertwining of history and politics in a workshop. In a public discussion, the director explored the question of the current social significance of theatre institutions and festivals.
3.9.2025 The Second Coming:' Milo Rau in conversation with Elisabeth Bronfen
The Department of German at NYU and Deutsches Haus at NYU presented The Second Coming - Milo Rau in conversation with Elisabeth Bronfen. In this conversation, the director and author, Milo Rau, and the author and cultural critic, Elisabeth Bronfen discussed the reasons for and impact of the recent revival of global fascism in Europe and the U.S.; the role of resistance with a particular focus placed on the arts, and on some recent stagings by Rau such as Elfriede Jelinek's Endsieg: The Second Coming.
At a day-long RESISTANCE NOW! symposium as part of the DOWN TO EARTH festival in New York, Milo Rau took part in a panel discussion with Tania Bruguera and Richard Schechner. Together with New York theatre artists, producers, students and festival organisers, they discussed the state of theatre and the performing arts under the new US administration and the role of political theatre. It was followed by a reading of Elfriede Jelinek's ‘Endsieg: The Second Coming’ with actress Nicole Ansari.
ETC rose its voice for Resistance and Artistic Freedom during its annual event for policymakers and theatre practitioners in the heart of the largest theatre festival in Europe.
14.6.2025 ART IS INDESTRUCTIBLE
Venice | Italy
Swiss actress Ursina Lardi delivered a rousing speech about culture as an act of resistance as she received the Silver Lion at the Biennale Teatro 2025 in Venice, on June 14, 2025.
8.5.2025 First public reading Burgtheater
Vienna | Austria
Reading of the complete text Burgtheater with the ensemble of Burgtheater.
In a special debate series at Volksbühne, Milo Rau, !Mediengruppe Bitnik, Ece Temelkuran, Anne Roth, Hito Steyerl and Sönke Iwersen, among others, discussed “Techno-Fascism: From Elon Musk to AfD.”
With a fire ritual, the shaman Nika Korenjak cleansed the Vienna Funkhaus of old and new fascism to make way for a republic of love.
8.2.2025 Demonstration ‘Democracy needs you’
Munich | Germany
At the ‘Democracy needs you’ demonstration in Munich, Robert Misik shared the central positions of RESISTANCE NOW! with 320,000 people in his speech ‘We will not be cosy!’. ‘You are standing here today because you want to prevent the kind of conditions that prevail in my country,’ he began his rousing speech and ended: ’We fight frenzy with reason, egoism with the spirit of justice and solidarity, or, as our Slovakian friend Matej Drlicka said: We beat the fascists with the power of love!’
The RESISTANCE NOW! Tour made a stop in Strasbourg at the Théâtre du Maillon on 30 November. Here, the open letter RESISTANCE NOW: FREE CULTURE was presented by the initiators in the presence of former French Culture Minister Catherine Trautmann. Matej Drlička, former director of the Slovak National Theater, Emmanuel Droit, university professor, Joris Mathieu, director, director of the Théâtre Nouvelle Génération, CDN, Lyon and Heidi Wiley, director of the European Theater Convention discussed the role of art in shaping democratic future perspectives in Europe. Sign the petition RESISTANCE NOW: FREE CULTURE here!
The next stop on the RESISTANCE NOW! tour, the Central European Forum 2024 in Bratislava, explored the power of misinformation – from early radio and television to social media today. Discussions examined the links between deception, fear, and the breakdown of trust, with featured speakers including french journalist Natalie Nougayrède, british historian an author Timothy Garton Ash and Milo Rau, Artistic Director of the Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna.
On 8 November 2024, the Jewish Museum Hohenems was awarded the Rheintaler Kulturpreis Goldiga Törgga for its important work on controversial social issues. Milo Rau, artistic director of the Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna, gave the laudatory speech and took this as an opportunity to bring the RESISTANCE NOW! Tour to Vorarlberg and to honor the museum’s commitment to intercultural dialog and coming to terms with history. The award ceremony took place at the Kinotheater Madlen in Heerbrugg
Milo Rau debated the interferences between art and activism with various guests: on the basis of the film/project White Cube by Renzo Martens and Rau's Jesus film project The New Gospel.
The Prague Crossroads Festival hosted another RESISTANCE NOW! tour stop. Dóra Büki from the Hungarian Proton Theatre, which is facing unprecedented pressure from the Fidesz government, Miriam Kičiňová, artistic director of the Drama Theater of the Slovak National Theater, Jiří Havelka, the incoming artistic director of the Dejvické Theatre and Milo Rau, artistic director of the Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna, discussed their visions of a joint solidarity response to the danger posed by the new nationalism with Nina Jacques, dramaturg of the Prague Crossroads Festival. For his opening speech, Milo Rau posed under the title Embassy of the Future the central question of his work in times of a global shift to the right and neoliberal budget cuts: Why theatre? Why do we need this place – today more than ever?
Moderated by Milo Rau, artistic director of the Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna, Dóra Büki from the Hungarian Proton Theatre, the dismissed director of the Slovak National Theatre Matej Drlička and the Croatian philosopher and activist Srećko Horvat discussed how we can stand up together for democracy, diversity and the freedom of art. In cooperation with the ORF RadioKulturhaus.
How to act as a public theatre when governments follow non-democratic agendas? This edition of the European Theatre Talks titled ‘European Theatre Talks: Free Culture – Resisting Political Interference’ focused on the increasing restrictions of freedom of expression in a European context, with interventions from artists, cultural figures and decision makers that work closely on themes of artistic freedom and democracy. As a member of the Council of the Free Republic of Vienna Fariba Mosleh, Curator and Cultural Manager, represented the Vienna Festival | Wiener Festwochen as a speaker.
The RESISTANCE NOW! Tour landed at the Taiwanese National Theatre: the island Taiwan (Formosa) was colonised by the defeated army of dictator Chiang Kai-shek after the Chinese civil war in 1949, and the indigenous peoples were driven into the mountains. Milo Rau discussed art, resistance, education and the long road to democracy and equality with the indigenous activist, filmmaker and founder of the first indigenous kindergarden in Taiwan, Mayaw Biho. On 21 October, Milo Rau joined the protests organized by Mayaw Biho in Taiwan against the construction of a luxury resort. He camped together with 100 activists in the bay under the Amis People's Sacred Mountain in front of the house of the indigenous Shu Lin family. The police and city officials were chased away by the activists in the morning hours and the bulldozer that was supposed to destroy the house disappeared (official press statement).
“Can Beauty Save the World?” asked Milo Rau in his opening speech at the 58th BITEF Theater Festival in Belgrade. The festival's main program also included Carolina Bianchis The Bride and Goodnight Cinderella and Antigone in the Amazon, a co-production of the Vienna Festival.
‘What can and does a theatre play leave behind — what impact can it have in the real world?’ Starting from the artistic projects New Gospel and Orestes in Mosul Milo Rau and Yvan Sagnet, activist from Cameroon and Jesus actors in New Gospel, discussed with Segal Center Executive Director Frank Hentschker. This event was also livestreamed through HowlRound.
Together with Luanda Casella, Milo Rau gave the opening speech at the World Congress of the International Theatre Institute ITI entitled How to resist. To rewatch: Opening Speech via Facebook live
Who’s afraid of art? More and more far right politicians in Europe are trying to silence artists and institutions. The most recent example being Slovakia, where the directors of the Slovak National Theatre and the Slovak National Gallery suddenly were dismissed by the minister of culture. The director of SND, Matej Drlička, talked about this flagrant attack on the freedom of artistic expression and the broader political culture in which this happened. Milo Rau reported on strategies on how institutions can show solidarity in a case like this.
In the conversation Art and Resistance, Milo Rau, Mattias Andersson and others discussed how artists and activists should fight against the total capitalization of the theater on the one hand and the reduction of funds on the other. All against the background of an increasing nationalism where theater managers are dismissed on political grounds, as recently happened in, for example, Slovakia.
Resistance now, everywhere and together!
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