On the Development of Cultural Policy in Europe

This is an article written by Lotta Lekvall, CEO of Folkteatern Göteborg, and previously published in Swedish. 

Can We Talk About Art When Humanism is Falling Apart?

The seminar just started when it’s taken over by three activists running on to the stage demanding the festival management in Avignon stop funders that support Israel. The topic of the seminar was supposed to be about the role of international cultural festivals in a changing world and representatives from Italy, France, United Kingdom, Tunisia, and Palestine was invited. It was arranged by the network ONDA, Office National de Diffusion Artistique, Festival d'Avignon, and the French Institute during the theatre festival in Avignon in July. The activists pushes their question. The Director of Festival d’Avignon, Tiago Rodrigues, walks up on the stage to answer their demands. After this the seminar couldn’t continue. One of the panellists takes the microphone and says that we can’t talk about festivals now, we need to talk about why we humans can’t live together. How are we supposed to live, to see ourselves in the mirror with what we witness is happening in the world and in Gaza right now? The question is hanging in the room, the arena is completely silent. What is possible to talk about when humanism is falling apart in front of our eyes?