Artists at Risk (AR) is very pleased to be affiliated with the formation of the new Swiss association for artists at risk, Refuge Network for Artists (RENA).
RENA was formed in a series of meetings with residences, funders and interested parties, which included presentations by the directors of AR and ICORN, whose long-standing experience and models will inform the associations activities. RENA was founded through the dedicated work of Teresa Chen, our dedicated representative of Artists at Risk (AR), Adi Blum, who is affiliated with ICORN, Alexandra Stähli, director of Atelier Mondial and Nicole Henning, former director of Gleis70 Artist Residency.
The Refuge Network for Artists (RENA) is dedicated to safeguarding freedom of expression and protecting artists and cultural workers at risk, ensuring their safety and providing them with safe stays in Switzerland. We hope our Swiss partners join!
RENA’s first public event will take place at Theater Spektakel in the format of a “Stammtisch” discussion.
Join RENA and like-minded individuals on 28 August for a discussion on persecution that artists and other cultural workers face. The discussion will take place at the prestigious Zürcher Theater Spektakel, one of Europe’s top contemporary performing arts festivals!
📢 What: Safe stays in Switzerland for artists at risk (Schutzresidenzen in der Schweiz für gefährdete Künstlerinnen)
📅 When: Wednesday, 28 August at 9.00 pm
📍 Where: Theater Spektakel, Zurich
🎟️ Free entry
Teresa Chen and Adi Blum from RENA will lead this discussion on the censorship, persecution, and expulsion faced by artists, authors, and journalists in crisis regions. Learn how RENA, and the wider network of Swiss safe havens (“Schutzresidenzen Schweiz”) intends to provide protection and support for these individuals in Switzerland.
Please join if you are in Switzerland! Let Teresa Chen know you are coming! Since 1980, the festival at Theater Spektakel has been a hub for innovative and independent theatre and dance companies worldwide. For more information, visit www.theaterspektakel.ch/en/program24/production/stammtisch-let-us-talk
Pictured: Walid Raad, Cotton Under My Feet
Credit: Zürcher Theater Spektakel, Moritz Bernoully
