ArtsEquator

We're thrilled to announce the four fellows for the ArtsEquator-Esplanade Offstage Fellowship 2026: writer Daniel Peters, creative producer Fezhah Maznan, playwright and SIFA festival director Chong Tze Chien, and actor/artist-educator Claire Teo! Co-presented by ArtsEquator and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, this initiative commissions the development and publication of four opinion pieces that are topical, of the moment and reflect critically on contemporary performing arts in Singapore and Southeast Asia. These fellows are selected by both arts organisations, and are mid-career or emerging Singapore cultural practitioners and writers. These op-eds will be published on esplanade.com/offstage, stay tuned see their final pieces. #EsplanadeSG #Offstage

Through our RADAR project, we've been able to centralise information about attacks on freedom of expression of arts and culture in Southeast Asia into a fully searchable database. Find out more and visit the link in our bio to explore our database and learn more about the cases from the region.

ICYMI, our pilot report on self-censorship is now out and here are what some artists and practitioners had to say about the state of self-censorship in Malaysia. Read the full report now on radar.artsequator.com

New research from Malaysia reveals how self-censorship is quietly reshaping the arts. Across film, music, visual arts, and publishing, artists and cultural workers are adjusting, withholding, or rethinking their work to avoid backlash, restrictions, or professional risk. The report, Understanding the Impact of Self-Censorship Among Artists and Cultural Workers in Malaysia, by ArtsEquator and Five Arts Centre’s RADAR, explores how censorship (direct and indirect) affects creative practice, career growth, personal well-being, and wider cultural discourse. Drawing on five focus group discussions conducted in July 2025, the study shows that self-censorship is not just an individual choice. It is shaped by the broader cultural, political, and institutional environments artists must navigate. Read the full report here: /understanding-the-impact-of-self-censorship-among-artists-and-cultural-workers-in-malaysia/ #ArtisticFreedom #Malaysia #SelfCensorship

Last week at the @freedomfilmfest conference, we launched the first-ever report on self-censorship in the arts & cultural sector in Malaysia. Download #LinkInBio. The report explores the impact of self-censorship, focusing on how it shapes creative practices, personal well-being & broader cultural discourse. The study is conducted by @merdekacenter & commissioned by @artsequator & @fiveartscentre as part of the Southeast Asian Artistic Freedom RADAR project. Amongst other things, many respondents shared personal experiences or witnessing changes to artistic work by authorities, venues or institutions. These encounters not only restricted specific works, but also created a (c)rippling effect, encouraging self-policing of future creative ideas. Direct censorship reinforces self-censorship. --- The opening keynote referenced how 'Courage is Contagious'. In the same week, Ministry of Home Affairs banned M. Navin's novel 'Sigandi' & 2 Gerakbudaya publications - Shamsiah Fakeh & Komrad Asi's memoirs. A performance fell victim to online outrage, another case with patterns of recording, sharing & moral policing of a taken-out-of-context video excerpt. This time, a student staging of a play performed many times before by different companies, at Universiti Malaya's Karnival Teater. Fear also is contagious. Anna Har & Brenda Danker's opening remarks charted FFF's journey since 2003. They revealed the labour - physical, mental, emotional - of developing social filmmaking in Malaysia. How for years, in documenting untold stories, a path fraught with risk, challenges & sometimes, legal action, they "just absorb lah". They reflected, after decades of highlighting issues faced by other sectors in society, they came to a crossroads: they had to advocate for rights & freedom in their own sector. Distinct from the Festival, the conference is more like a gathering of the tribes. Committed (exhausted) filmmakers, researchers, legal experts, policy advocates, artists, cultural workers, allies - sharing experiences, battle scars, reflections, regional models, solidarities. Re-gathering strength & energy, planning & plotting ways forward together, future collaborations. 👇 con'td

Read the first-ever report on self-censorship in the arts and cultural sector in Malaysia, commissioned by ArtsEquator and Five Arts Centre as part of the Southeast Asian Artistic Freedom Research and Documentation Resources (RADAR) and conducted by the Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research. The study explores the impact of self-censorship among artists and cultural workers in Malaysia, focusing on how it shapes creative practices, personal well-being, and broader cultural discourse. Drawing on five focus group discussions conducted in July 2025, the findings reveal both the pervasive influence of self-censorship and the diverse strategies employed by practitioners to navigate restrictive environments. Read the full report now on radar.artsequator.com

From silence to strategy to storytelling—explore how art survives, adapts, and speaks. Session 5 brings: 🗯️ Panel: Unpacking self-censorship & how artists navigate restriction 🛠️ Workshop: Tools to assess risk and create safely 🎬 Film Talk: Reclaiming silenced histories through powerful storytelling Date: 15 Apr 2026 Venue: AICB Centre of Excellence, Kuala Lumpur Choose the session that speaks to you most and join us: bit.ly/ICFS2026 or click the link in bio 🔗

When art is challenged, artists push back! ✊ The Conference on Film & Society 2026 opens with a keynote by Sara Whyatt, setting the stage for an urgent conversation on artistic freedom amid censorship and control ✊🏼 Session 2 spotlights Southeast Asia — bringing together voices from Malaysia, Aceh, Vietnam, and Thailand to explore what it really means to resist, create and challenge the status quo — even under pressure 🔥 Date: 15 Apr 2026 Venue: AICB Centre of Excellence, Kuala Lumpur Register: bit.ly/ICFS2026 or via the link in bio

Catch the RADAR team in Kuala Lumpur this month for @freedomfilmfest ‘s 𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 & 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆: 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 where we will be launching our newest report on self-censorship in Malaysia, and speaking more about the impact of regional geopolitics on artistic freedom in Vietnam and Thailand. As a longtime advocate of artistic freedom in the region, we are excited to be part of this one-day event that is dedicated to exploring current trends, emerging challenges and effective responses in the realm of artistic freedom. The conference hopes to create a critical space for open dialogue, shared learning, and cross-sector solidarity. It also aims to strengthen regional and global networks of support, and develop collective strategies to protect and advance artistic freedom in an increasingly challenging future. To register and find out more, visit freedomfilm.my/conference2026

Join us for the public launch of our new RADAR research report on self-censorship in Malaysia at @freedomfilmfest ‘s 𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆: 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 taking place 15 April 2026 at AICB Centre for Excellence, Kuala Lumpur. To register and find out more, visit the link in our bio.

📢 Programme Announcement Artists, filmmakers, advocates, researchers, and experts from across the region and beyond are coming together—voices that don’t often share the same room, but need to now more than ever. This isn’t just a conference. It’s a space for gathering knowledge, having real conversations, sparking bold ideas, and driving collective action towards artistic freedom. If you care about the future of creative expression, you need to be in this room. For further info, visit our website 🔗 bit.ly/ICFS2026 or click the link in bio!

🇲🇲 In her deeply moving essay, “The Body That Remembers”, Myanmarese writer and ArtsEquator Fellow Myint Myat Thu reflects on how watching dance performances during Taiwan Week 2025 unexpectedly opened a path back to her own body—after years of carrying the weight, violence and exhaustion of her country’s challenges. 📖 A beautiful reflection and a reminder that art can restore what politics has frayed. Highly recommended reading for anyone following Southeast Asian arts: link in bio. 🔜 More essays from our ArtsEquator Fellows coming soon! #ArtsEquator #SoutheastAsia #Dance #ArtsWriting