Is there a disconnect between professional systems of the arts and the international artistic rights sector?

Opening remarks by Cato Litangen, Director of Mimeta, at World Freedom of Expression Forum (Wexfo), Workshop 23rd May

Half a year ago, I had a meeting with Morten Gjelten, Director of the Association of Norwegian Theatres and Orchestras, to discuss the report by the Norwegian Freedom of Expression Commission. The report included a chapter on artistic freedom, which stated that Norway provides a favourable environment for artistic freedom and expression. The report also called upon Norwegian authorities and artist organizations to promote and advocate for artistic freedom worldwide, given the responsibility that comes with such favourable conditions.

For the past 20 years, I have been working with Mimeta on advocating for artistic rights internationally. Our work involves:

Collaborating with arts organizations within civil society - that serve independent arts communities. Participating in policy dialogues with Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the EU, and the UN. Partnering with organizations like ICORN, present in the panel, in the artist protection sector, and other organisations as Mimeta, occupied in culture sector development, as well as the span of culture institutes and international funders of this sector.

Somehow this sector works in a political landscape of human rights and social change. Our partners, local arts organisations, have these political ambitions, even if the motivation for their efforts is tied to the arts. In a recent survey, we asked them to agree or disagree on the following statement:
My organisation is concerned with artistic quality and have main focus on the arts rather than rights and policy.  

None of them agreed. Culture policy is about creating space for artistic quality – it is about artistic freedom – and participation in the arts. These rights, however, are unevenly distributed in the world, a fact that call for global solidarity, political involvement, and engagement, - internationally.

In our meeting half a year ago, Morten and I were both wondering why we hadn’t met before, not a single time, during our 20 professional years. It is evident that there exists this disconnect between the international professional systems of the arts and the international artistic rights sector, with little to no interaction between the two.

This void needs to be addressed!