This reading list collates a number of articles looking at the relationship between comedy and censorship, including a recent piece by Samm Farai Monro aka Comrade Fatso
Student reading lists: comedy and censorship
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Index on Censorship
Open letter to the King of Morocco in support of Ali Lmrabet
Dozens of internationally recognised journalists, free expression activists and writers have signed a letter supporting Ali Lmrabet, a Moroccan journalist who is on hunger strike in Geneva
Khadija Ismayilova tells court she is innocent of politically motivated charges
Index calls on Azerbaijan’s government to drop all charges against investigative journalist who has been in detention since December 2014
New guidance for arts professionals on controversial productions
Index on Censorship and advocacy group Vivarta, supported by law firms Bindmans, Clifford Chance and others, have launched a new set of guidelines to help artists, curators and exhibitors navigate the legal framework underpinning artistic freedom of expression.
They shoot comedians
From Index on Censorship magazine January/February 2000, edited transcripts of satirical works by the late Colombian journalist and humourist Jaime Garzion
Public Order
An artistic performance or exhibition may present material or themes that cause offence to members of the public or members of different social groups.
Counter Terrorism
Counter-terrorism is a complex and controversial area of the law, not least because the offences are often very widely drafted.
Child Protection
Child protection is a sensitive area of law and a deserved focus of public concern. The prospect of a police investigation alone will be a matter of substantial press interest, while an actual prosecution, although unlikely in the professional arts sector, would nevertheless result in grave consequences for the gallery and the artist.
Comfort zones are killing comedy
From the November/December 2000 issue of Index on Censorship magazine, Scott Capurro discusses how political correctness and the dumbing down of the media is killing comedy.
Meeting ethical and reputational challenges
Following a conversation at a What Next? meeting about the difficult situations cultural organisations can find themselves in when an action sparks controversy – for example, the presentation of a divisive piece of work, or a contentious...
How to win friends and influence an election
From the spring 2005 issue of Index on Censorship magazine, one of Britain’s foremost comedians Rowan Atkinson opposes the government’s proposed law of Incitement to Religious Hatred in a speech given to the House of Lords
Statement in support of Association Racines and all Moroccan artists
The public space should be accessible to cultural actors, artists and organisations representing civil society and should be free of constraints