A troubling new report from Freedom in the Arts (FITA), titled Afraid to Speak Freely, reveals a UK arts sector increasingly dominated by censorship, ideological conformity, and fear.
According to the report, a staggering 84% of artists and arts professionals feel unable to express their views on social and political issues without risking personal or professional repercussions. For a sector long celebrated as a haven for free thought and bold expression, these findings are deeply concerning.
Decline in Freedom of Expression
In 2020, less than a fifth of 512 respondents to an Arts Professional (AP) Pulse survey stated that they did not feel free to speak publicly on heated social and political debates. However, FITA’s new research, conducted five years later in 2024, shows that freedom of expression in the arts has very much deteriorated. Today, the majority of 483 respondents to FITA's survey—when asked whether they feel free to speak openly—reported that they never or rarely do.
The suppression is not just a theoretical issue, it’s a lived reality for many artists. Take Jenny Lindsay, for example: an award-winning Scottish poet whose career was derailed after expressing gender-critical views in 2019. Despite being a central figure in Scotland’s live poetry scene, she faced erasure from events, lost teaching and performance opportunities, and was removed from a major online platform. By 2023, the hostile, censorious environment had driven her to stop performing. “I’ve lost work, friends, and my mental health suffered,” she said.
Similarly, Graham Linehan, creator of Father Ted and The IT Crowd, was exiled from the UK arts world after expressing gender-critical views. Once honored with a lifetime achievement award, he now feels like “a non-person,” as career opportunities vanished and his Father Ted musical was nearly stripped of his name. Producers even tried to exclude him from rehearsals. Linehan refused payment to remain silent, calling it a devastating betrayal. Now living abroad, the personal, financial, and emotional toll has been immense. He warns, “The UK doesn’t want artists; it wants obedient people. But that’s not how you make great art.”
Fear and Intimidation
These are not isolated incidents. FITA’s research, based on surveys with 483 professionals working across the arts and cultural sector, paints a stark picture:
- 84% of respondents reported that they either never, rarely, or only sometimes feel free to speak publicly about their opinions on social or political issues.
- 80% of respondents have experienced intimidation or harassment for expressing dissenting views within the arts sector.
- 78% of FITA’s respondents agreed with the statement “people working in the arts wouldn’t dare own up to right-of-centre political opinions”.
Most “dangerous topics”? Gender identity, race politics, and the Israel-Palestine conflict. FITA’s researchers describe a “culture of ideological policing” in which artists feel compelled to echo dominant narratives or face career ruin.
Impact on Creativity
This atmosphere is corrosive to creativity. The arts thrive on interrogation and surprise, yet many now describe a climate where disagreement is treated as violence, and nuance as complicity.
- Ceramicist Claudia Clare has faced repeated cancellations since 2010—not for her work, but for her views. In 2022, she was expelled from Ceramic Art London over social media posts. Legal action led to an apology and settlement without a gagging clause. She notes that censorship today is enforced not by the state but by civil society - by fearful managers and unaccountable activist staff.
- Writer and editor Sibyl Ruth lost work for expressing lawful gender-critical views on Twitter. A legal settlement followed, but she warns that in publishing, important stories are not being heard due to fear of ideological nonconformity.
- Visual artist Birdy Rose was accused of making others “unsafe” for her beliefs. She lost work, received threats, and was mocked in a song by peers. She describes how the arts have gone from valuing freedom to enforcing conformity.
There is also a psychological toll to this climate of self-censorship. Respondents spoke of “stress,” “anxiety,” even “paranoia” about saying the wrong thing. One described it as “living in a mad world” where constant self-filtering is required; another said, “It’s really unhealthy to be this stressed [about speaking].” Some reported burnout or considered leaving the sector entirely. A few had already quit arts jobs, saying they no longer felt they could be themselves. It is a damning indictment of the culture artists and professionals now have to navigate.
Artists Are Pushing Back
Despite the climate of fear, many artists are pushing back. In FITA’s 2024 survey, 89% of respondents said the arts have a duty to speak out regardless of consequences. Three-quarters offered ideas for reform—from leadership change to stronger free expression policies. There’s a growing movement for solidarity, with networks like Freedom in the Arts and the Free Speech Union providing crucial support. Some are forming peer networks; others simply refuse to be cowed. “If this had happened to me now, I’d be far better equipped to fight back,” said one artist.
Many called on institutions to embed freedom of expression into their charters and adopt politically neutral stances. Several pointed to legal victories—like Denise Fahmy’s tribunal win against Arts Council England—as proof the tide may be turning. Others highlighted the power of ridicule and open conversation to shift norms. “Just breaking the silence is part of the solution,” one said. “We can’t fix what we won’t openly discuss.”
The Dangers of Silence
“Artists are being forced into silence, not because they lack creativity, but because they fear professional repercussions,” says Rosie Kay, co-founder of FITA. “This report gives voice to those who have been marginalised, punished, and isolated for simply expressing their views.”
The arts are not meant to be comfortable. They are meant to provoke, unsettle, and open up space for complexity. If we allow them to be strangled by fear - whether from funding bodies, peers, or social media mobs - we risk turning one of our last truly democratic spaces into a fragile echo chamber.
Boards, funders, curators, and government officials must demand transparency, accountability, and ideological neutrality from the institutions that claim to champion the arts. Artists must be allowed to speak, not just those who follow the script.
Silence may be safe. But it is not art.
Alexandra Tompson
Editor | Lawyer (Admitted in New York; England & Wales)
