Art saves lives.

Head of international cooperation Bongi MacDermott from the Swedish Arts Council (SAC) was interviewed by Sveriges Radio about their Artistic Freedom Programme that helps over 100 artists in Africa, Asia, and South America. MacDermott told Sveriges Radio how increasing arts funding helps to promote artistic freedom around the world and protects democracy.

Increasing funding helps both organizations like Artists at Risk (AR) as well as individual artists working under oppressive regimes or in dangerous environments, helping them continue to make a difference through their work. A big thanks to the Swedish Arts Council and The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) for their commitment to helping artists at risk! While authoritarian governments and many world leaders are backtracking on human rights obligations, we feel at Artists at Risk (AR) that art, its actors and its institutions can actively engage in countering inegalitarian, anti-democratic, and eco-destructive forces.

Listen to the clip here: https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/mer-pengar-till-konstnarlig-frihet-raddar-liv