Tamizdat Supports the Salzburg Statement on Supporting Artists on the Front Line
Last year’s prestigious Salzburg Seminar session ‘On the Front Line: Artists at Risk, Artists Who Risk’ saw more than fifty artists, activists and representatives—including Tamizdat’s Matthew Covey and Artistic Freedom Initiative’s Ashley Tucker—from forty countries create the Salzburg Statement on Supporting Artists on the Front Line.
In the face of existential disruptions and risks, artists often find themselves on the front lines of movements for change, using their power and practice to envision better futures, stimulate collective action, and drive change across sectors and scales. Unfortunately, as agents of change, artists can become subject to a myriad of threats, such as harassment, censorship, or physical and psychological harm.
The Salzburg Statement on Supporting Artists on the Front Line:
- Defines “artists at risk” and their critical importance in cultural exchange;
- Encourages institutions to facilitate artists at risk and, in doing so, support basic human rights;
- Urges institutions to address bias that leads to prioritization of the most advantaged or historically dominant populations; and
- Calls for solidarity with artists at risk for the benefit of a diverse global cultural sector.
To read the full Statement, which includes a call to action by the end of 2025 to policymakers, funders, organizations, and networks, please click here.