Episode 2: Music Freedom Day 2021

Music Freedom Day is on 3 March. On this occasion, and to honor the 5 Music Rights, we want to take a closer look at freedom of musical expression in Europe. To learn more about the situation in Hungary and Poland, Simone Dudt (EMC) is joined by music journalist and curator Monika Pasiecznik and journalist András Stumpf for the second episode of our podcast. They talk about importance of public spaces and support for musical diversity and expression, specifically public broadcasting and public funding and how those spaces have increasingly been limited over the last years for artists that do not follow the narratives of the government. They also highlight the specific challenges and barriers for independent artists that have been made even more difficult by the COVID-19 crisis. On 3 March 2021, Freemuse and partners in 40 countries around the world will celebrate the 15th annual Music Freedom Day and stand united in solidarity with artists facing challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown, through local and online events.   This year, by focusing on the theme "Imagine a Pandemic Without Art", Music Freedom Day intends to raise awareness of the challenges faced by artists and performers during COVID-19, and to remind us not take art, and the space for artists for granted. www.musicfreedomday.org