Our Partners
This initiative is the result of a global collaboration between organizations dedicated to ending the censorship of artistic expression.
NCAC’s mission is to promote freedom of thought, inquiry and expression and oppose censorship in all its forms. For over 45 years, as an alliance of more than 50 national non-profits, including literary, artistic, religious, educational, professional, labor, and civil liberties groups, NCAC has engaged in direct advocacy and education to support First Amendment principles. NCAC’s Arts Advocacy Program is the only US national program dedicated to working directly with artists, curators and arts institutions facing censorship threats.
Freemuse is an independent international organisation advocating for and defending freedom of artistic expression.
We believe that at the heart of violations of artistic freedom is the effort to silence opposing or less preferred views and values by those in power – politically, religiously or societally – mostly due to fear of their transformative effect. With this assumption, we can address root causes rather than just symptoms – if we hold violators accountable.
Our approach to artistic freedom is human rights-based as it provides an international legal framework and lays out the principles of accountability, equality and non-discrimination, and participation.
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.
The Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) expands on PEN America’s work by defending artists and safeguarding the right to artistic freedom of expression. Launched in 2017, ARC works at the intersection of art and society to address the needs of artists at risk and facilitate collaboration between the organizations that serve them, creating networks of advocacy and empowerment. ARC aims to safeguard the right to artistic freedom of expression around the world and works to ensure that artists of all disciplines everywhere can live and work without fear. With a global network of 800 organizations providing crucial resources for artists and cultural practitioners at risk, ARC plays the critical role of liaising between threatened artists and the organizations that support them. We raise awareness around threats to artistic freedom and the work of persecuted artists and mobilize arts and cultural institutions to play a more prominent role in assisting their field’s most vulnerable members. Since its inception, ARC has supported more than 600 artists from over 63 countries in receiving direct support, including fellowships and residencies, emergency funding, legal assistance, and advocacy, among other forms of assistance, from partner organizations.
If you or someone you know is an artist at risk, contact ARC at arc@pen.org and read the Safety Guide for Artists, available in Spanish, English, and French, to understand, navigate and prepare for risk.