Research

Driven by our commitment to create meaningful change in the field of artistic freedom and improve conditions for artists in their home countries, AFI’s thematic report series is a first-of-its-kind project focused on research and policy advocacy for free creative expression.

 

AFI has established our report series to more proactively pursue our goal of addressing the root causes of artistic suppression and advocating for a future in which all artists can create freely and safely in their home countries. We are confident that AFI’s ongoing report series will be a vital tool in our collective work to accomplish these goals.

AFI’s in-depth, thematic human rights reports will:

  • Document the unique challenges facing artistic communities in the focus country; 
  • Call out rights violations committed by the focus country’s government;
  • Advocate for the strengthening of existing rights protection mechanisms; and,
  • Provide actionable recommendations to global policymakers for the benefit of all artistic communities.


Through our report series, AFI aims to address global underreporting on artistic freedom, elevate the importance of plurality in the arts, and advocate for more thorough protection of artists’ rights.


"Echoes of Freedom: Art as a voice of resistance in Nicaragua

Recognizing the role that art plays in advancing social change, the Ortega-Murillo administration targeted artists and cultural workers that spoke out against the regime since the outbreak of massive, nationwide protests in April 2018. Featuring interviews with 13 impacted artists and cultural workers, Echoes of Freedom spotlights the tactics employed to silence this group, calls attention to violations of their rights, and provides actionable recommendations for international stakeholders to support Nicaraguan artists at risk. 

Click here to read the report now!

Read our previous reports:

I Create; I Resist: Iranian artists on the frontline of social change
Artistic Exodus: Afghan Artists Fleeing Taliban Rule
Cultural Control: Censorship and Suppression of the Arts in Poland
Systemic Suppression: Hungary’s Arts & Culture in Crisis