European Association of Independent Performing Arts, 12 June 2025
The European Association of Independent Performing Arts‘ two-day conference EUROPE ON FIRE, organised in cooperation with IG Freie Theaterarbeit, addressed the burning issue of how recent political actions and disruptions have affected the freedom of arts and culture in Europe.
Throughout Europe, the independent performing arts have not only become a target of far-right political parties, but also other political and societal fractions are starting to question the role of arts and culture based on national identity, devaluing and discrediting critical social engagement. For this reason, EAIPA invited policymakers, diplomats, researchers and analysts to examine how current political developments affect the freedom of arts in culture in Europe, and how the independent performing arts sector can become more resilient in the face of current and future threats.
Reports presented by guest speakers on the first conference day revealed multiple avenues of attack:
- sudden changes in funding guidelines and cuts to cultural budgets,
- politically motivated dismissals of directors of cultural institutions,
- non-transparent jury selections,
- (social) media uproar targeting artists and cultural workers,
- physical attacks before, during, and after performances,
- and an increasing number of parliamentary enquiries into the value of individual cultural activities.
As the number of reports detailing attacks against the independent performing arts scene has dramatically increased, it has become evident that these are not merely isolated incidents. The two expert workshops on the second day of the conference, therefore, emphasised the urgent need to develop monitoring tools to analyse the strategies and tactics behind these politically motivated transgressions.
Through its 23 member associations in 18 European countries representing the independent arts sector in their respective countries, EAIPA has direct access to artists, cultural workers, and organisations as well as to politicians and funding bodies on the regional and national level. This vertical structure allows EAIPA to gather information, process and analyse data, and publish and announce reports about threats levelled against the independent performing arts sector.
EAIPA, therefore, acknowledges its role in building strong alliances across Europe and developing effective communication strategies in cooperation with other liberal and democratic forces. Through the two-day conference EUROPE ON FIRE, EAIPA has initiated a process to create suitable monitoring tools to counter the current political aggression and foster a sustainable and resilient European performing arts scene. In a joint statement, Kryštof Koláček (EAIPA president) and Ulrike Kuner (EAIPA general manager) stress the importance of a united and strong response from the European independent performing arts scene:
‚Reports about threats against the independent performing arts scene throughout Europe have become more common. The structures, funding, and organisation of artists – everything that has developed over the past decades – are under threat and lack long-term stability. We therefore urgently need to learn more about the strategies behind the current politically motivated attacks in order to respond accordingly. We must find support within the political sphere and the media landscape. Moreover, we must believe in our strengths, such as being a safe and brave space for critical reflection, artistic freedom, and diverse audiences.‘