Artistic Freedom Initiative

2025 Honourable Mention

United States/Switzerland

Artistic Freedom Initiative’s Story

“Lawyers are not always the most empathetic people in the world, but that was very different with AFI”, said Margarita Kuleva a Russian interdisciplinary artist. “I found lawyers who were very interested in my work.” After becoming a vocal critic of the war in Ukraine, Margarita needed to leave Russia. Now, Margarita is a practicing artist in the NYC area and teaches at NYU Arts & Science and Steinhardt.

She is just one of the thousands of artists from more than 60 countries and in more than 40 disciplines who have been supported by Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI). Since its inception in 2017, AFI has provided pro bono support to over 4000 at-risk artists and family members.

AFI‘s mission is to uphold artistic expression as a core pillar of democracy and artistic freedom as a means for artists to continue to shape, celebrate and preserve the cultural narratives of silenced and marginalized groups. Although there are plenty of organizations that support human rights and free expression, AFI provides a holistic mix of direct legal, immigration and resettlement services to artists at risk of persecution or censorship, combined with in-depth reports to strengthen rights protection mechanisms and actionable policy recommendations to support advocacy.

AFI also amplifies the work of artists in exile. Its Artists for Social Change public arts program, for example, helps artists raise their voices against racism, xenophobia and patriarchy. Artists for Social Change, alongside their Legal and Resettlement programs, work in tandem to open doors for artists to collaborate with US and Europe-based artistic partners.

The organization’s Global Policy & Advocacy team builds on evidence gathered during case work. It publishes country-specific human rights reports that examine how legal mechanisms, funding control and ideological appointments are used to deny artists the opportunity to participate as cultural contributors in their home countries. AFI’s advocacy campaigns deliver actionable policy recommendations for national governments and international bodies, such as the United Nations, that have the power to improve conditions for artists in their home countries.

In a time when it is increasingly risky in many parts of the world to publicly express different viewpoints, AFI protects the vital role of art and artists and works to safeguard the universal right to free creative expression.