United Kingdom arts publication ArtsProfessionals conducted a survey called the Freedom of Expression Survey. The results express that workers in the arts hide conservative beliefs to avoid backlash from the community with only 40% of those surveyed reported feeling they receive respect from their peers when expressing views including political movements such as Brexit.
Among survey takers there was an almost unanimous consensus that it is the respectability of those involved in the arts or culturally influential people to use their skills and reach to bring light yo subjects of importance “regardless of the potential consequences.” Despite this the arts and culture community nearly 70% wouldn’t be critical of the actions of funders because they hold some kind of ‘immunity’ due to their “perceived power over others.”
“Our arts, culture, and indeed education sectors are supposed to be fearlessly free-thinking and open to a wide range of challenging views,” according to one survey participant.
It is speculated that censorship of the arts and of culture boils down to politically correct policing of language from the general public, fear of being cast out from your fellow artistic peers because no one feels their views aren’t respected, and the threat of losing funding or accepting bribery to share only the thoughts and feelings of these funders who are somewhat above everyone and everything else.
The relationship between a funder and an artist is referred to by one survey participant as similar to that of a parent [funder] and child [artist].
‘However, they are now dominated by a monolithic politically correct class (mostly of privileged white middle class people, by the way), who impose their intolerant views across those sectors.’
The Freedom of Expression Survey further demonstrates a hypocrisy in the survey takers concerning their self-admitted responsibility community responsibility towards speaking truths with one in six admitting they had been offered money to sign non-disclosure agreements.
