Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Monday 15 June 2026
IETM, in collaboration with Oulu2026 and City of Oulu, presented "Can I bite the hand that feeds me?—Power and Responsibility in Arts Funding"
Livestreamed at 15:45–17:15 EEST (Oulu, Finland)
Art and artists exist within networks of power, where funding is rarely neutral and often comes with compromise. Support from governments and private trusts can shape agendas and curb dissent, placing pressure on freedom of expression and democratic governance.
This opening panel discussion and Q&A confronts the power structures embedded in arts funding. It examines how these structures necessitate critical judgments, from navigating subtle pressures to resisting influence or refusing support outright, with implications for the work we make, the communities we build and the public spaces that sustain debate.
Bringing together academics, researchers, and cultural leaders, we consider the ethical, practical, and political stakes at play.
Confirmed speakers:
Ksenija Đurović, Bitef, Serbia
Sepp Eckenhaussen, Institute of Network Cultures & Caradt, the Netherlands
Maija Karasvaara, Kone Foundation, Finland
Moderator:
Beáta Hock, GWZO, Germany/Hungary
About IETM
IETM is one of the oldest and largest cultural networks, representing the voice of around 500 member organisations and freelancers actively engaged in all disciplines of the contemporary performing arts in over 60 countries worldwide. IETM exists to advocate the value of the arts and culture and to empower performing arts professionals through access to international connections, knowledge and a dynamic forum for exchange. Through international events, publications, advocacy actions, research, projects and more, IETM works to stimulate the quality, development and context of the contemporary performing arts, in all their diversity.
About HowlRound TV
HowlRound TV is a global, commons-based, peer-produced, open-access livestreaming and video archive project stewarded by the nonprofit HowlRound. HowlRound TV is a free and shared resource for live conversations and performances relevant to the world's performing arts and cultural fields. Its mission is to break geographic isolation, promote resource sharing, and develop our knowledge commons collectively. Anyone can participate in this community of peer organizations revolutionizing the flow of information, knowledge, and access in our field by becoming a producer and co-producing with us. Learn more by going to our contribute content page.
Monday 15 June 2026
IETM, in collaboration with Oulu2026 and City of Oulu, presented "Can I bite the hand that feeds me?—Power and Responsibility in Arts Funding"
Livestreamed at 15:45–17:15 EEST (Oulu, Finland)
Art and artists exist within networks of power, where funding is rarely neutral and often comes with compromise. Support from governments and private trusts can shape agendas and curb dissent, placing pressure on freedom of expression and democratic governance.
This opening panel discussion and Q&A confronts the power structures embedded in arts funding. It examines how these structures necessitate critical judgments, from navigating subtle pressures to resisting influence or refusing support outright, with implications for the work we make, the communities we build and the public spaces that sustain debate.
Bringing together academics, researchers, and cultural leaders, we consider the ethical, practical, and political stakes at play.
Confirmed speakers:
Ksenija Đurović, Bitef, Serbia
Sepp Eckenhaussen, Institute of Network Cultures & Caradt, the Netherlands
Maija Karasvaara, Kone Foundation, Finland
Moderator:
Beáta Hock, GWZO, Germany/Hungary
About IETM
IETM is one of the oldest and largest cultural networks, representing the voice of around 500 member organisations and freelancers actively engaged in all disciplines of the contemporary performing arts in over 60 countries worldwide. IETM exists to advocate the value of the arts and culture and to empower performing arts professionals through access to international connections, knowledge and a dynamic forum for exchange. Through international events, publications, advocacy actions, research, projects and more, IETM works to stimulate the quality, development and context of the contemporary performing arts, in all their diversity.
About HowlRound TV
HowlRound TV is a global, commons-based, peer-produced, open-access livestreaming and video archive project stewarded by the nonprofit HowlRound. HowlRound TV is a free and shared resource for live conversations and performances relevant to the world's performing arts and cultural fields. Its mission is to break geographic isolation, promote resource sharing, and develop our knowledge commons collectively. Anyone can participate in this community of peer organizations revolutionizing the flow of information, knowledge, and access in our field by becoming a producer and co-producing with us. Learn more by going to our contribute content page.
