Cultural and Media Policy Studies News and Events
Eleonora Belfiore contributes opinion piece for new publication on freedom of expression in the arts
Dr Eleonora Belfiore has contributed an opinion piece entitled 'Controversy is good' for a recent publication edited by Julia Farrington and Natasha Lehrer entitled 'Beyond Belief: Theatre, freedom of expression and public order - a case study', published by Index on Censorship.
The publication is available to download here
The publication includes contributions by key personalities in British cultural life such as David Edgar, Michael Billington, Jude Kelly, Matthew Parris, and playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s, whose play Behzti (Dishonour) was cancelled after religiously motivated demonstrations against it turned violent, and whose latest play Behud - in which she explores creatively the furore caused by her earlier work - is the starting point for a reflection on the tensions between the playwright's freedom of expression and the need to preserve public order in the face of violent reactions to art works.