What we do
ARC – Artists at Risk Connection defends and advances the right to artistic freedom, providing practical resources and support to artists and cultural workers, so they can live and work safely, free from fear.
Protect
ARC provides direct assistance to at-risk artists and connects them with an international network of organizations and resources.
Advocate
ARC monitors, documents, and advocates for artists targeted for their creative expression, social justice efforts, or human rights work. ARC defends and promotes artistic freedom around the world.
Amplify
ARC raises awareness about the challenges facing artists and cultural workers, and leads global calls for safeguarding the right to artistic freedom through storytelling, campaigns, publications, podcasts, and events.
Featured news from ARC
Artist
Stories
Stories of at-risk artists from all over the world who are committed to protecting their right to freedom of expression and using their art to fight for justice.
Senegal
Didier Awadi
Afghanistan
Zahra Abrahimi
Vietnam
Mai Khoi
Chad
Taigué Ahmed
Hong Kong
Franki C.
Nigeria
DJ Switch
Where we work
We support artists wherever they face danger or repression, working with more than 400 local and international partner organizations to ensure that no creative voice is silenced, regardless of geography or circumstances.
Africa
Latin America & The Caribbean
Asia & The Pacific
Middle East & North Africa
Europe
North America
INSTAGRAM FEED
🚨 #VocesPresas: José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez is an independent writer and journalist imprisoned in Cuba for his literary work.
Detained on November 8, 2024, after participating in a peaceful protest against blackouts, he was sentenced to six years in prison for “public disorder.”
Currently, he suffers from malnutrition, infections, anxiety, depression, and emotional deterioration. His family has no access to his medical records.
The author remains in harsh detention conditions and was denied permission to visit his mother, who was suffering from a terminal illness.
This campaign, led by ARC in collaboration with @peninternational and @crdefenders, calls for his immediate release and the protection of freedom of expression in Cuba.
📢 Raise awareness and share this video
Cuban artists need your support!
🔗 Learn more and take action in the link in our bio!
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🚨 #VocesPresas: José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez es un escritor y periodista independiente encarcelado en Cuba por su trabajo literario.
Fue detenido el 8 de noviembre de 2024 tras participar en una protesta pacífica contra los apagones, y condenado a seis años de prisión por “desorden público”.
Actualmente sufre desnutrición, infecciones, ansiedad, depresión y un deterioro emocional significativo. Su familia no tiene acceso a su historial médico.
El autor permanece en condiciones de detención extremas y se le negó el permiso para visitar a su madre, que padecía una enfermedad terminal.
Esta campaña, liderada por ARC en colaboración con @peninternational y @crdefenders, exige su liberación inmediata y la protección de la libertad de expresión en Cuba.
📢 Ayuda a difundir - Comparte este video
¡Los artistas cubanos necesitan tu apoyo!
🔗 Haz clic en el enlace de nuestra biografía para más detalles sobre el caso de José.
#Cuba #SOSCuba #ArtisticFreedom #CubanArtists #LibertadParaTodosLosPresosPoliticos #Libertad #ArtIsNotACrime #patriayvida #Artivismo #LibertadArtística #ArtistasEnRiesgo #SanIsidroMovement
🚨 #VocesPresas: José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez is an independent writer and journalist imprisoned in Cuba for his literary work.
Detained on November 8, 2024, after participating in a peaceful protest against blackouts, he was sentenced to six years in prison for “public disorder.”
Currently, he suffers from malnutrition, infections, anxiety, depression, and emotional deterioration. His family has no access to his medical records.
The author remains in harsh detention conditions and was denied permission to visit his mother, who was suffering from a terminal illness.
This campaign, led by ARC in collaboration with @peninternational and @crdefenders, calls for his immediate release and the protection of freedom of expression in Cuba.
📢 Raise awareness and share this video
Cuban artists need your support!
🔗 Learn more and take action in the link in our bio!
****************************************
🚨 #VocesPresas: José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez es un escritor y periodista independiente encarcelado en Cuba por su trabajo literario.
Fue detenido el 8 de noviembre de 2024 tras participar en una protesta pacífica contra los apagones, y condenado a seis años de prisión por “desorden público”.
Actualmente sufre desnutrición, infecciones, ansiedad, depresión y un deterioro emocional significativo. Su familia no tiene acceso a su historial médico.
El autor permanece en condiciones de detención extremas y se le negó el permiso para visitar a su madre, que padecía una enfermedad terminal.
Esta campaña, liderada por ARC en colaboración con @peninternational y @crdefenders, exige su liberación inmediata y la protección de la libertad de expresión en Cuba.
📢 Ayuda a difundir - Comparte este video
¡Los artistas cubanos necesitan tu apoyo!
🔗 Haz clic en el enlace de nuestra biografía para más detalles sobre el caso de José.
#Cuba #SOSCuba #ArtisticFreedom #CubanArtists #LibertadParaTodosLosPresosPoliticos #Libertad #ArtIsNotACrime #patriayvida #Artivismo #LibertadArtística #ArtistasEnRiesgo #SanIsidroMovement
🚨#VocesPresas returns at a critical moment.
As Cuba announces the release of prisoners amid an escalating humanitarian crisis, independent artists and journalists continue to face repression — including arbitrary detention, censorship, isolation, harassment, and imprisonment.
This campaign, led by ARC in collaboration with @peninternational and @civilrightsdefenders, highlights the sustained criminalization of artistic and cultural expression in Cuba and calls for the immediate release of imprisoned artists.
Over the coming days, we will share the stories of artists who remain behind bars, simply for voicing dissent through their creative expression.
📢 Raise awareness and share this video
Cuban artists need your support!
🔗 Learn more via link in our bio!
************************************************
🚨 #VocesPresas regresa en un momento crítico.
Mientras Cuba anuncia la liberación de personas en medio de una creciente crisis humanitaria, artistas y periodistas independientes siguen enfrentando represión — incluyendo detenciones arbitrarias, censura, aislamiento, hostigamiento y encarcelamiento.
Esta campaña, liderada por ARC en colaboración con @peninternational y @civilrightsdefenders, visibiliza la criminalización sostenida de la expresión artística y cultural en Cuba y exige la liberación inmediata de los artistas encarcelados.
En los próximos días compartiremos las historias de artistas que siguen en prisión, simplemente por expresar su disenso a través de su expresión creativa.
📢 Ayuda a difundir - Comparte este video
¡Los artistas cubanos necesitan tu apoyo!
🔗 Más información en el enlace de nuestra bio.
#Cuba #SOSCuba #ArtisticFreedom #CubanArtists #LibertadParaTodosLosPresosPoliticos #Libertad #ArtIsNotACrime #patriayvida #Artivismo #LibertadArtística #ArtistasEnRiesgo #SanIsidroMovement
🚨#VocesPresas returns at a critical moment.
As Cuba announces the release of prisoners amid an escalating humanitarian crisis, independent artists and journalists continue to face repression — including arbitrary detention, censorship, isolation, harassment, and imprisonment.
This campaign, led by ARC in collaboration with @peninternational and @civilrightsdefenders, highlights the sustained criminalization of artistic and cultural expression in Cuba and calls for the immediate release of imprisoned artists.
Over the coming days, we will share the stories of artists who remain behind bars, simply for voicing dissent through their creative expression.
📢 Raise awareness and share this video
Cuban artists need your support!
🔗 Learn more via link in our bio!
************************************************
🚨 #VocesPresas regresa en un momento crítico.
Mientras Cuba anuncia la liberación de personas en medio de una creciente crisis humanitaria, artistas y periodistas independientes siguen enfrentando represión — incluyendo detenciones arbitrarias, censura, aislamiento, hostigamiento y encarcelamiento.
Esta campaña, liderada por ARC en colaboración con @peninternational y @civilrightsdefenders, visibiliza la criminalización sostenida de la expresión artística y cultural en Cuba y exige la liberación inmediata de los artistas encarcelados.
En los próximos días compartiremos las historias de artistas que siguen en prisión, simplemente por expresar su disenso a través de su expresión creativa.
📢 Ayuda a difundir - Comparte este video
¡Los artistas cubanos necesitan tu apoyo!
🔗 Más información en el enlace de nuestra bio.
#Cuba #SOSCuba #ArtisticFreedom #CubanArtists #LibertadParaTodosLosPresosPoliticos #Libertad #ArtIsNotACrime #patriayvida #Artivismo #LibertadArtística #ArtistasEnRiesgo #SanIsidroMovement
Don`t miss out on this opportunity! Supporting artists at risk requires more than awareness. It requires practical tools.
Join Sam Brakarsh (@sambrakarsh), ARC’s Regional Representative for Africa, for Residencies as Refuge — a FREE online workshop in collaboration with Ahmed Mourad Khanfir (@am_khanfir) of Res Artis (@res_artis).
Part of ARC’s Artist Resilience Toolkit, this session equips artists and organizations with practical strategies to support artists navigating risk, displacement, and return.
April 15, 3PM UTC
April 16, 9PM UTC
FREE to attend. Registration closes this Friday, April 10.
Learn more and register via the link in our bio.
#ArtistResilienceToolkit #ResidenciesAsRefuge #ArtistSupport #ArtWorkshops #ArtistDisplacement #ArtResidencies #CreativeResilience
Don`t miss out on this opportunity! Supporting artists at risk requires more than awareness. It requires practical tools.
Join Sam Brakarsh (@sambrakarsh), ARC’s Regional Representative for Africa, for Residencies as Refuge — a FREE online workshop in collaboration with Ahmed Mourad Khanfir (@am_khanfir) of Res Artis (@res_artis).
Part of ARC’s Artist Resilience Toolkit, this session equips artists and organizations with practical strategies to support artists navigating risk, displacement, and return.
April 15, 3PM UTC
April 16, 9PM UTC
FREE to attend. Registration closes this Friday, April 10.
Learn more and register via the link in our bio.
#ArtistResilienceToolkit #ResidenciesAsRefuge #ArtistSupport #ArtWorkshops #ArtistDisplacement #ArtResidencies #CreativeResilience
A powerful story of art, resistance, and urgency.
Join us at the Miami Film Festival (@miamifilm) for the world premiere of The Long Cuban Night, a documentary capturing the San Isidro Movement (@mov_sanisidro) and the artists who continue to fight for freedom in Cuba.
Featuring voices like Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara (@luismanuel.oteroalcantara), Maykel Castillo Pérez (@maykelosorbo), and Denis Solís González (@gonzalezdenissolis), the film sheds light on the realities of censorship, repression, and the unbreakable spirit of creative expression.
At a moment when Luis Manuel is once again on hunger strike in protest of his unjust imprisonment, this story feels more urgent than ever.
🎬 Stay for a live Q&A with Director & Sound Designer Sergio Fernández Borrás (@sergeborras)
📍 Miami Film Festival
🗓 April 11 | 5:45 PM
Tap the link in bio to learn more and reserve your seat.
#MiamiFilmFestival #CubanArtists #FreedomOfExpression #DocumentaryFilm #ArtAndActivism #PatriaYVida
A powerful story of art, resistance, and urgency.
Join us at the Miami Film Festival (@miamifilm) for the world premiere of The Long Cuban Night, a documentary capturing the San Isidro Movement (@mov_sanisidro) and the artists who continue to fight for freedom in Cuba.
Featuring voices like Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara (@luismanuel.oteroalcantara), Maykel Castillo Pérez (@maykelosorbo), and Denis Solís González (@gonzalezdenissolis), the film sheds light on the realities of censorship, repression, and the unbreakable spirit of creative expression.
At a moment when Luis Manuel is once again on hunger strike in protest of his unjust imprisonment, this story feels more urgent than ever.
🎬 Stay for a live Q&A with Director & Sound Designer Sergio Fernández Borrás (@sergeborras)
📍 Miami Film Festival
🗓 April 11 | 5:45 PM
Tap the link in bio to learn more and reserve your seat.
#MiamiFilmFestival #CubanArtists #FreedomOfExpression #DocumentaryFilm #ArtAndActivism #PatriaYVida
We’re incredibly grateful to @BroadwayCares and @buenavistamusical for their generous support of ARC – Artists at Risk Connection and our Cuban Artists in Exile program.
What’s happening right now is bigger than one place.
From repression to conflict, more artists around the world are being pushed into risk every day.
At ARC, we work to provide urgent, direct support so artists can continue creating, sharing their work, and staying connected to their voice and community.
If you’d like to stand with artists at risk, you can support this work in the link in our bio.
Every contribution makes a difference.
🎨 Featuring work by Cuban Migrant Artist Resilience Fellows (2023–2026 cohorts)
#ArtistsAtRiskConnection #ArtisticFreedom #SupportArtists #CulturalResilience
We’re incredibly grateful to @BroadwayCares and @buenavistamusical for their generous support of ARC – Artists at Risk Connection and our Cuban Artists in Exile program.
What’s happening right now is bigger than one place.
From repression to conflict, more artists around the world are being pushed into risk every day.
At ARC, we work to provide urgent, direct support so artists can continue creating, sharing their work, and staying connected to their voice and community.
If you’d like to stand with artists at risk, you can support this work in the link in our bio.
Every contribution makes a difference.
🎨 Featuring work by Cuban Migrant Artist Resilience Fellows (2023–2026 cohorts)
#ArtistsAtRiskConnection #ArtisticFreedom #SupportArtists #CulturalResilience
🎨🌍A major step forward for artistic freedom in Africa!
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (@achpr_banjul) has adopted the Resolution on the Promotion and Protection of Artistic Freedom in Africa, including a call to develop a Model Law on Artistic Freedom in Africa–a landmark milestone for strengthening protections for artists across the continent.
This achievement reflects the sustained efforts of partners across the region. Behind the scenes, ARC co-authored this resolution alongside Lisa Sidambe, Wesley Mwafulirwa, and Hon. Topsy-Sonoo, African Union (@africanunion_official) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information. Sam Brakarsh, ARC Africa Regional Representative, has worked with the Vance Center for International Justice (@vancecenternyc) for the past year, mapping artistic freedom legislation across 11 African countries to inform this resolution. This achievement reflects the power of sustained collaboration and advocacy in defense of artistic freedom.
Why does this matter?
Because across Africa, artists continue to face censorship, intimidation, and arrest simply for expressing ideas. This resolution affirms something fundamental: artistic expression is not a luxury. It is a protected human right.
This is an important step forward, and a foundation to build on.
Read the full resolution in the link in our bio
#ArtisticFreedomInAction #ArtistsAtRisk #HumanRights #Africa
🎨🌍A major step forward for artistic freedom in Africa!
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (@achpr_banjul) has adopted the Resolution on the Promotion and Protection of Artistic Freedom in Africa, including a call to develop a Model Law on Artistic Freedom in Africa–a landmark milestone for strengthening protections for artists across the continent.
This achievement reflects the sustained efforts of partners across the region. Behind the scenes, ARC co-authored this resolution alongside Lisa Sidambe, Wesley Mwafulirwa, and Hon. Topsy-Sonoo, African Union (@africanunion_official) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information. Sam Brakarsh, ARC Africa Regional Representative, has worked with the Vance Center for International Justice (@vancecenternyc) for the past year, mapping artistic freedom legislation across 11 African countries to inform this resolution. This achievement reflects the power of sustained collaboration and advocacy in defense of artistic freedom.
Why does this matter?
Because across Africa, artists continue to face censorship, intimidation, and arrest simply for expressing ideas. This resolution affirms something fundamental: artistic expression is not a luxury. It is a protected human right.
This is an important step forward, and a foundation to build on.
Read the full resolution in the link in our bio
#ArtisticFreedomInAction #ArtistsAtRisk #HumanRights #Africa
When pressure rises, artists often feel it first.
In a recent conversation on the Carolina Connection (@uncconnection) podcast, ARC’s U.S. Representative Patrick Bond reflects on how institutions under political pressure make artist and cultural workers less safe when they engage in censorious activity to mitigate institutional risk.
This moment connects directly to what we’re seeing across campuses and cultural spaces.
From printmaking workshops led by Raj Bunnag (@jungle_asian_redneck) at UNC to broader conversations around censorship, one thing is clear:
art remains a powerful tool to challenge power and spur reflection, resistance, and dialogue..
At ARC, we show up in these spaces because engaging with students, young artists, and academic communities is essential to protecting creative freedom at its roots.
👇 Comment "IN SOLIDARITY" below to show you stand with ARC in support of freedom of expression 👇
🎧 Listen to the full 4-minute segment:
https://ow.ly/MAXu50YBsF9
#CensorshipAwareness #PoliticalPressure #ArtActivism #SupportArtists #CreativeFreedom #FreedomOfExpression
When pressure rises, artists often feel it first.
In a recent conversation on the Carolina Connection (@uncconnection) podcast, ARC’s U.S. Representative Patrick Bond reflects on how institutions under political pressure make artist and cultural workers less safe when they engage in censorious activity to mitigate institutional risk.
This moment connects directly to what we’re seeing across campuses and cultural spaces.
From printmaking workshops led by Raj Bunnag (@jungle_asian_redneck) at UNC to broader conversations around censorship, one thing is clear:
art remains a powerful tool to challenge power and spur reflection, resistance, and dialogue..
At ARC, we show up in these spaces because engaging with students, young artists, and academic communities is essential to protecting creative freedom at its roots.
👇 Comment "IN SOLIDARITY" below to show you stand with ARC in support of freedom of expression 👇
🎧 Listen to the full 4-minute segment:
https://ow.ly/MAXu50YBsF9
#CensorshipAwareness #PoliticalPressure #ArtActivism #SupportArtists #CreativeFreedom #FreedomOfExpression
🖋️ At UNESCO: Advancing Protection for Artists in Emergency Situations
Last month at @UNESCO headquarters in Paris, ARC – Artists at Risk Connection participated in the Nineteenth Session of the Intergovernmental Committee of the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
There, our International Advocacy Officer, @vivir.x engaged with 13 Member State delegations on a key priority: strengthening coordinated international action to protect artists in emergency situations, in line with UNESCO’s 2026–2027 strategic orientation.
🌍 Ahead of the February session, ARC shared a policy memo with 34 delegations titled “Toward a Coordinated Approach to the Protection of Artists in Emergency Situations,” which proposes mapping existing initiatives and identifying coordination gaps in supporting artists affected by armed conflict, displacement, and repression.
Growing concerns about the risks faced by artists in these contexts, echoed by several Member States during the plenary, are also reflected in UNESCO’s Defending Creative Voices report and in Resolution 10.CP 13 of June 2025 Conference of the Parties, which calls to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions, including in emergency situations, and to establish a comprehensive and strategic reflection process on the diversity of cultural expressions in such contexts.
Since 2017, ARC has supported more than 2,300 artists across 85 countries. This experience underscores the need for a stronger international framework and the responsibility of Member States to protect artists facing threats, conflict, and displacement. As the 2026–2027 cycle moves forward, ARC will continue contributing field-based expertise to help strengthen international coordination and practical mechanisms for protecting artists at risk.
Learn more about ARC’s years-long UN advocacy: https://ow.ly/rGTa50YxAJg #UNESCO #ProtectArtists #InternationalAdvocacy #ArtisticFreedom #CulturalDiversity #EmergencySupport #CreativeVoices
🖋️ At UNESCO: Advancing Protection for Artists in Emergency Situations
Last month at @UNESCO headquarters in Paris, ARC – Artists at Risk Connection participated in the Nineteenth Session of the Intergovernmental Committee of the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
There, our International Advocacy Officer, @vivir.x engaged with 13 Member State delegations on a key priority: strengthening coordinated international action to protect artists in emergency situations, in line with UNESCO’s 2026–2027 strategic orientation.
🌍 Ahead of the February session, ARC shared a policy memo with 34 delegations titled “Toward a Coordinated Approach to the Protection of Artists in Emergency Situations,” which proposes mapping existing initiatives and identifying coordination gaps in supporting artists affected by armed conflict, displacement, and repression.
Growing concerns about the risks faced by artists in these contexts, echoed by several Member States during the plenary, are also reflected in UNESCO’s Defending Creative Voices report and in Resolution 10.CP 13 of June 2025 Conference of the Parties, which calls to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions, including in emergency situations, and to establish a comprehensive and strategic reflection process on the diversity of cultural expressions in such contexts.
Since 2017, ARC has supported more than 2,300 artists across 85 countries. This experience underscores the need for a stronger international framework and the responsibility of Member States to protect artists facing threats, conflict, and displacement. As the 2026–2027 cycle moves forward, ARC will continue contributing field-based expertise to help strengthen international coordination and practical mechanisms for protecting artists at risk.
Learn more about ARC’s years-long UN advocacy: https://ow.ly/rGTa50YxAJg #UNESCO #ProtectArtists #InternationalAdvocacy #ArtisticFreedom #CulturalDiversity #EmergencySupport #CreativeVoices
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