Culture is not just an ornament, it is the expression of a nation's character
We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot
escape responsibility for the results (Edward R. Murrow)
How can the arts contribute to freedom of expression?
Published on 18 September 2011
Type: 
Feature Originally published 5 February 2011
Every week, Mike van Graan writes about arts, culture and development in 'The Cultual Weapon'. In this week's edition, van Graan explains why best way to ensure artistic freedom may simply be to practice it.
Mike van Graan is the Secretary General of Arterial Network, a continent-wide network of artists, activists and creative enterprises active in the African creative sector and its contribution to development, human rights and democracy on the continent. He is also the Executive Director of the African Arts Institute (AFAI), a South African NGO based in Cape Town that harnesses local expertise, resources and markets in the service of Africa’s creative sector. He is considered to be one of his country’s leading contemporary playwrights.
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