NEWS RELEASE: Sir Nicholas Serota: No ‘easy path’ to free expression in the arts

29Jan13

The Director of the TATE Sir Nicolas Serota, said today that there is no ‘easy path’ to free expression in the arts. Speaking at Taking the Offensive, a ground-breaking conference hosted by leading free expression organisation Index on Censorship, Serota spoke out strongly for artistic free expression in British culture saying: ‘In pushing against boundaries, artists help us to question the values of our society…art is a vital space where those values can be discussed’. He emphasised that we need both trust and confidence in our artistic institutions so that they can make ‘judgements with conviction, weighing up the consequences’ adding, ‘as with many issues based on trust, many institutions only begin to think about freedom of expression when things go wrong’.

Using examples of works by artist William Hogarth and sculptor Jacob Epstein – both of whose work was criticised by contemporaries – Serota said, ‘things that shock and offend change with the mores of the time’.

Serota’s keynote speech was followed by a panel debate between Channel 4 Chief Executive David Abraham, lawyer and author Anthony Julius, Professor Mona Siddiqui of Edinburgh University, ACPO President Sir Hugh Orde and Director of the Liverpool Biennial Sally Tallant, chaired by broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby. There was discussion of whether artists and arts organisations in the UK today face a culture of fear, and if the combination of increased sensitivity to offence and the role of the police in maintaining public order as well as defending free expression, risks closing down artistic space – and in the worst cases causes the actual closure of productions and exhibitions.

Artistic director of the Southbank Centre Jude Kelly said that both the arts sector and the police were not always sure about the legal frameworks in place around free expression, noting that ‘there are examples of when police intervened because they anticipated a public order issue.’ Kelly called on the sector to develop clear policies around free expression as they have around other human rights issues such as equality and disability.

Index CEO Kirsty Hughes said: ‘Taking the Offensive has brought together artists, arts professionals, lawyers and the police for a full and frank exchange about the state of artistic freedom in the UK. We hope that the outcome will be greater confidence in, and awareness of, our crucial right to freedom of artistic expression. We look forward to future debate and to the arts and culture sector having greater strength, more commitment and clear practical guidance on how we can protect artists’ right to free expression.’

Taking the Offensive was a ground-breaking conference to examine artistic freedom of expression and growth of self-censorship in contemporary culture.