Call from the World Cultural Council: "Today's cultural politicians must be bold"

In many parts of the world, politicians' influence over the content of art - in cultural politics also called the principle of arm's length - has been on the agenda. In Brazil, state aid for LGBT-themed films has recently been withdrawn, and at the Gdynia Film Festival in Poland, the politically charged film Solid Gold was stopped from showing.

Representatives from the network The International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), which brings together cultural councils and ministries from over 70 countries, recently met in Stockholm to discuss issues related to the freedom of the arts.

IFACCA chairman Magdalena Moreno hails from Chile and has worked with international cultural issues for many years.

- When it comes to arm's length, some arms are shorter than others. In countries like Sweden you can express yourself more openly and in other countries you have to be more low-key. But that doesn't mean there isn't a fight. During the dictatorship in Chile, lots of amazing, socially disruptive art was made, she tells Culture News.

Canada is a country that is often compared to Sweden in terms of culture and values. Simon Brault of Montreal is chairman of the Canadian Cultural Council and has written the book No culture no future, which argues that free art must be part of a well-functioning society.

Simon Brault says that in celebrating Canada's 150th anniversary, the Cultural Council was keen not only to support cultural statements that said something positive about Canada, but to ensure that controversial, critical works were also supported as it reflects the discussions that are going on in society.

- Canada's indigenous people, First Nations, Métiser and Inuit, have things to say that white people think are hard to hear. But it is necessary, because how can we talk about truth and reconciliation if one cannot freely express oneself through art?

Patrick Sam comes from Namibia, works with cultural issues and is one of the board members of IFACCA. He thinks that the Swedish discussion about arm's length, which has become relevant with Sölvesborg municipality's decision to stop the purchase of so-called challenging contemporary art and Nacka municipality's code for the works at the street art festival Wall Street Nacka, is an expression of fear.

- I think you may have to make some concessions in Sweden. I know that privileged people never want to get rid of anything. It is not a discussion about artistic freedom you have, but about a fear of loss, says Patrick Sam and continues:

- In Namibia there is a huge inequality, and that inequality affects art and culture. Challenging contemporary art is generally only available to the elite, so you can't really say that there is discussion about it at a national level.

And fear is something the cultural bureaucrats in the world must overcome, says Simon Brault.

- We live in a time when arts councils and cultural ministries must be bold. There is a need to support art that expresses different views, that is the task of art, he says.