“The value of culture lies in diversity. Freedom of expression is an essential element of creativity. Every democratic state must protect cultural diversity, guarantee freedom of expression for artists and ensure the autonomy and independence of cultural institutions. It is not the government’s responsibility to take care of the programming and curation of cultural institutions, but rather to guarantee the economic, social and structural conditions for their effective functioning and the development of artistic processes.”

With these words, Santarcangelo Festival’s Artistic Director, Tomasz Kireńczuk, affirms a principle that resonates far beyond the arts: the defence of freedom, diversity, and autonomy as the foundations of democracy itself.

I pick up where our editor, Michael Zarathus-Cook, left off in his essay from Issue 15, where he broached the subject of moral urgency in cultural institutions and how they respond to the erosion of freedoms, the rise of authoritarianism, and the pressures of market logic. More specifically, I will dive into a recent example of a government body not only letting down the arts (yet again) but also into the ways a cultural institution can speak up, refusing to let authoritarian and capitalistic actions go unnoticed.

In early 2025, the Italian government announced major cuts in its budget, with a significant cut to the Ministry of Culture, a reduction of approximately €2 million compared to last year. As a result, numerous institutions, associations, and cultural bodies will receive less — or in some cases — no funding from the state, resulting in the need to look elsewhere for financial sustenance, real consequences on the programming and accessibility, even the ability to survive in some cases.

In July 2025, the small northeastern Italian town of Santarcangelo di Romagna hosted the 55th edition of its festival, the oldest in Italy dedicated to contemporary performing arts. Founded in 1971, it has since become a vital reference point across Europe for theatre and dance. More than a celebration of artistic experimentation, the festival has become a civic forum, in which cultural practice intersects with pressing questions of politics and society.

Santarcangelo Festival, like many cultural events in Italy, applies for state funding every year and is evaluated through a points system. This year the festival was downgraded, falling from 28 to 14 points, which could mean losing the essential funding it relies on. Shockwaves were felt through the cultural sector.

Over the years, Santarcangelo’s takeover of stages and public spaces through its performing arts programme has become a site of resistance as much as creation, where artists from different contexts explore issues of precarity, climate justice, gender equality, and freedom of expression. The festival’s curatorial stance insists that cultural institutions cannot remain neutral; they must position themselves as agents of solidarity and care, creating conditions in which diversity is not only represented but actively defended. In this sense, Santarcangelo embodies the contemporary challenge faced by many cultural institutions: to safeguard artistic freedom while embracing their ethical and political responsibility within society, thereby underscoring the moral urgency of their role.

The persistence of Santarcangelo Festival over more than half a century highlights the endurance of cultural spaces that refuse to be reduced to mere entertainment or measured solely by economic output. In today’s climate, where many institutions face budget cuts, political interference, and the pressure to align with populist agendas, Santarcangelo insists on another model: one where culture is defended as a common good, inseparable from democratic life. Santarcangelo’s 2025 edition addressed these questions not abstractly, but through its curatorial choices and its activation of the town itself. Over 24,000 attendees and 12,781 tickets sold across 10 days of the festival attest not only to its artistic vitality but also to its social relevance. Performances spilled into streets, piazzas, and unexpected sites, challenging the boundaries between stage and civic space. 

The festival exemplifies how cultural institutions might reclaim their role as ethical actors. Rather than seeking neutrality, Santarcangelo aligns itself with values of freedom of expression, artistic independence, and solidarity across differences—all increasingly under threat in many parts of the world. The urgency is not only moral but practical: without these values, both art and democracy are left without a foundation.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni leads a center-right coalition comprising her party, Fratelli d’Italia — “Brothers of Italy,” whose membership included Rachele Mussolini, granddaughter of the Fascist dictator — along with Lega and Forza Italia. Meloni promotes a nationalist, identity-driven cultural policy that prioritizes funding for projects reinforcing “traditional values” and Italy’s historical heritage, while marginalizing experimental or critical contemporary practices. Public cultural funding under her government has increasingly been framed as an instrument of national cohesion rather than as a guarantee of artistic autonomy. The 2025 culture budget also includes cuts to key cultural institutions, such as the Venice Biennale Foundation, whose allocation was reduced by €800,000 from nearly €16 million in 2024. The Milan Triennale, Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, and the Quadriennale in Rome also face reduced allocations. Fuorimargine in Cagliari no longer receives ministerial support, Teatro delle Moire’s Danae Festival dropped from 32 to 11 points, Festival Ipercorpo from 29 to 11, BIG Bari International Festival from 29 to 11, and Festival delle 100 Scale from 27 to 11. These are significant changes considering that many of these events have been active for several years, even decades.

So how do we react when the funding carpet is pulled from under our feet? We do not stay silent. As Santarcangelo’s response makes clear, solidarity within the cultural community is strong, and it must remain so. At a time when social centers are being violently shut down (such as the historic Leoncavallo in Milan, which was evicted in August 2025) and the government seeks to homogenise Italy’s cultural identity—our voices, our bodies, and our messages cannot be silenced. Even in the face of diminished resources, we must continue to show up, not only as audiences, but also as active participants, advocates, and allies. Culture survives through presence and resistance.