An overwhelming majority of arts and cultural sector workers feel they are at risk of being “professionally ostracised” if they share controversial opinions, according to a report published today. Some 93% of respondents to a survey from advocacy group Freedom in the Arts (FITA) either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “Workers in the arts & cultural sector who share controversial opinions risk being professionally ostracised.”

“Afraid to Speak Freely” documents the “alarming rise of bullying and self-censorship in the UK’s arts sector”. It concludes that there is “widespread intimidation, ostracism, and career risks for those who dare to challenge the prevailing political orthodoxy”. Freedom in the Arts was founded in 2023 by Rosie Kay and Denise Fahmy, both of whom faced professional repercussions for expressing gender-critical beliefs. Kay, a leading choreographer, resigned in 2021 from the dance company she founded after she was accused of transphobia. Fahmy reached a settlement with Arts Council England in 2023 after she felt forced to leave due to harassment for her gender-critical beliefs.

The survey asked respondents about “the dangerous topics” and unorthodox viewpoints that one is “ill-advised to express” in the arts sector. At the top of the list was “women’s rights, gender identity and transgender politics”, with around half of all respondents claiming that “expressing anything akin to a gender critical viewpoint was dangerous”. This was followed by the Israel-Hamas war. “Vehement pro-Palestine statements are acceptable or even encouraged,” one respondent wrote, “but anything pro-Israel is condemned.”

The report also found that 80% think arts workers “wouldn’t dare own up to Right-of-centre political opinions”. The report says that “advocating stricter border control, or expressing nationalist sentiments” are often seen as “career suicide in the arts”.

Concerns about free speech in the UK have not subsided since Labour took office last summer. In January this year, it was reported that celebrities and business executives worried about being “cancelled” could take out specific insurance to deal with the consequences. At the weekend, Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood and Israeli artist Dudu Tassa were forced to cancel shows in London and Bristol due to “credible threats” to their safety. Anti-Israel campaigners have accused Greenwood of “artwashing genocide” by working with an Israeli musician.

“Artists are being forced into silence, not because they lack creativity, but because they fear professional repercussions,” said Rosie Kay in the new publication. “This report gives voice to those who have been marginalised, punished, and isolated for simply expressing their views.”

The report claims that the arts and culture sector is in “conflict between its liberal ideals and illiberal realities”. “The freedom to imagine and express is the lifeblood of the arts,” it concludes. “Safeguarding that freedom, even when it leads to uncomfortable conversations, will ultimately enrich the arts.”

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Max Mitchell is UnHerd’s Assistant Editor, Newsroom.

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