Finding Your Voice

More artists, festivals, venues, and other music organizations feel compelled to take a stand on social and political issues — yet speaking up comes with both opportunities and real risks. This increasingly includes navigating the challenges of cancel culture as well as facing forms of political oppression that threaten artistic freedom and institutional integrity. How do you decide when to raise your voice and ensure it stems from genuine values rather than pressure or trends? What consequences might follow — from backlash, audience loss, and reputational damage to financial impact or targeted attempts at silencing — and how can you prepare for them?

This session brings together festivals, artists, NGO partners, and political science experts to discuss how to communicate responsibly, remain authentic, and build support structures that help navigate the storms of today’s social and political landscape. We will explore how cancel culture and political oppression manifest across the cultural sector, how to identify and articulate core values, and how to manage potential consequences while creating sustainable impact that resonates with audiences and communities.