Press Release: Society of Hungarian Authors Szépírók Társasága under pressure: European Alliance of Academies hosts a solidarity event in Budapest

30 – 31 May 2023, Central European University, Budapest

With an event held in Budapest in solidarity with the Society of Hungarian Authors, the European Alliance of Academies sends a signal in support of freedom of the arts. The most recent measures taken by the Hungarian government increasingly threaten the country’s independent art and cultural scene. Now, Szépírók Társasága, one of the founding members of the European Alliance of Academies, is being directly impacted by drastic cuts in the annual budget.

The members of the Alliance have organised a series of public discussions, artistic programmes and talks with political decision-makers to bring attention to the mechanisms that, while democratically legitimised, lay the groundwork for numerous restrictions of artistic freedoms, whether in Hungary or in other European countries.

The opening discussion on 30 May, “The Impact of Silence. Can Culture Flourish in an Ambiance of Ceased Dialogue between Artists and Public Authorities?”, focuses on the position of artists between public funding and independent artistic production. The event scheduled for 31 May, entitled “United in Responsibility. Border Crossing Networking for an Independent Culture”, offers local artists a space for networking and presentation: Authors from Szépírók Társasága will stage theatre performances and scenic readings together with students of the FreeSZFE Society, who since 2021 have been protesting the privatisation of the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest (SZFE).

With: María José Crespo, György Dalos, Simon Márton, Jeanine Meerapfel, Katharina Schultens, Balazs Szücs, Béla Tarr as well as digital contributions by Terézia Mora, Robert Wilson, George Szirtes

Szépírók Társasága was founded in 1997 to promote contemporary literature and contribute to the democratisation of the politics of culture in Hungary. Among the nearly 400 members are some of the most internationally recognised Hungarian writers, as well as renowned cultural journalists, critics, translators and literary scholars. www.szepiroktarsasaga.hu

An event organized by the European Alliance of Academies in cooperation with the Akademie der Künste and Szépírók Társasága.

You can download this press release here.