The Art* of Defending Artists 3.0

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭* 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝟑.𝟎 | 28 April- 4 June 2025 | 

Registration open! 

Dear RISD Alumni community, I'm Emma Shapiro 10 PT, alum and anti-art-censorship activist. I am proud to be presenting as part of a very impactful and unique programme, along with internationally recognized artists, legal professionals, and cultural defenders including artist/activist Tania Bruguera, farid rakun of ruangrupa, UN Special Rapporteur Alexandra Xanthaki, and AI legal specialists from the Center for Art Law. 

The Art* of Defending Artists 3.0 is an advanced capacity-building programme dedicated to protecting artistic freedom, presented by Avant-Garde Lawyers, an organisation protecting the rights of artists to create freely worldwide. The programme will run online from April 28-June 4, 2025 and offer an in-depth study of the legal frameworks surrounding artistic freedom. In addition to modules covering the United Nations and the European Court of Human Rights, we will explore digital censorship, AI disputes and engage the expertise of socially engaged artists as we dive into the most pressing issues affecting the rights of artists today. The course is designed to empower individuals and organisations to better protect art and artists from arbitrary censorship and violations of cultural rights. 

Kindly see attached the programme link for more information. We have an excellent line-up of high-level experts and want to encourage participation from stakeholders across law, art, culture and civil society. 

We are particularly keen to engage students of the arts, creative industries, culture, law and related fields. 

Registration ends April 23rd. 

This is a wonderful opportunity for the RISD community to engage with powerful ways to defend artistic expression in an environment of increasing global art censorship. I hope to see you there! 

Emma