- event type:WOMEX 26 Conference Session
- date:21 Oct 2026 - 25 Oct 2026
- time:12:00 - 12:00
- city/area:Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
- venue:tba
- country:Spain
- event posted by:Piranha Arts
Links
Chaired by
Katharin Ahrend (Germany), Clubcommission Berlin e.V;
with
Sanni Kahilainen (Finland) , Music Industry Communications and Advocacy Specialist;
Mirkka Kivilehto (Finland), The Finnish Music Foundation;
Mwamba Nyanda (Tanzania), Tanzania Trans Initiative
Following the Sound Barriers panel and advocacy exchange on the protection of artists at risk at WOMEX 25, this session deepens the work by focusing on resilience and continuity. Artistic freedom is increasingly shaped by funding insecurity, political pressure and self-censorship — but also by exhaustion and isolation within the music sector. This interactive session and networking space invites honest reflection on how authoritarian shifts are experienced across regions. Alongside legal and advocacy perspectives, we centre dignity, cultural rights and collective care. How can we create infrastructures of support that protect artists while sustaining long-term capacity? By sharing lived experiences, subtle resistance strategies and practical resources, we aim to build an ongoing transnational network grounded in trust, solidarity and the transformative power of music and art.