Freemuse is an independent international organisation advocating for and defending freedom of artistic expression.
Freemuse believes that at the heart of violations of artistic freedom is the effort to silence opposing or less preferred views and values by those in power – politically, religiously or societally – mostly due to fear of their transformative effect. With this assumption, we can address root causes rather than just symptoms – if we hold violators accountable.
Its approach to artistic freedom is human rights-based as it provides an international legal framework and lays out the principles of accountability, equality and non-discrimination, and participation.
To accomplish such fundamental change, Freemuse monitors and documents violations of artistic freedom, exposes laws and policies that enable and sustain these violations and leverages evidence-based advocacy for systemic structural changes at international, regional and national levels. Working with partners, artists and activists in the global south and north, Freemuse campaigns for and support individual artists, focusing on women artists and other vulnerable groups of artists. Freemuse facilitates and grows locally-owned national coalitions in their campaigns and capacity building to monitor and defend artistic freedom.
SafeMUSE – Safe Music Havens Initiative is an independent non-partisan and non-profit membership association with the main purpose of offering persecuted artists and artists at risk a safe place to stay and work with freedom of artistic expression. This includes close cooperation with hosting organizations (cities, regional authorities, organisations and others), with local and regional musicians and bands/groups, and a network of partners and co-workers for mutual learning, exchange and development.
SafeMUSE – Safe Music Havens Initiative, established in December 2013 by musicians’ and composers in Norway, work in close cooperation with Freemuse – the World Forum on Music and Censorship and musicians’, composers’ and artists’ associations. SafeMUSE is based on and supports the universal principles of human rights as they apply to the rights of artists.
SafeMUSE – Safe Music Havens Initiative is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MFO (Norwegian Musicians’ Union), NOPA (Norwegian Society of Composers and Lyricists), the Norwegian Society of Composers and Nordic Culture Point.