Artistic freedom is too often reduced to “freedom of expression”, but for artists and independent cultural organizers, the ground is much more complex.

It’s not only what someone can say, but where someone can go, how someone can live, who someone can reach, and whether someone can sustain the work without fear.

In this podcast, the first in a series of conversations recorded at Le Guess Who?’s Sound & Culture Summit, three music and arts practitioners from Syria, Georgia and Malaysia join us to offer their perspectives, based on the experiences in their home cultures as well as the place they now call home.

‘Artistic Freedom Under Threat: Mobility, Censorship & the Right to Create’ features U? curator Al-Shaheen Falcon, Nino Davadze of Mutant Radio Tbilisi and Victoria Yam, co-founder of ALIGN.ONLINE and also known as rEmPiT g0dDe$$. The conversation is moderated by Manon Moulin and curated by Reset! network.

Audio recording by Marc Broer
Editing by Margaret Munchheimer
Photography by 36framez

On the closing day of Le Guess Who? 2023, the festival features the first international performance of Ndox Electrique, whose music is inspired by an ancient ritual of the spirit-world originating from Senegal’s n’döep ceremonies.

Here, Atiyyah Khan, an arts journalist, researcher and DJ from Johannesburg, introduces the group and provides context to the origins of this healing ritual that connects so strongly to their sound.

Words & audio by Atiyyah Khan
Photography by Gianna Greco & François R. Cambuzat

Born in Palestine and currently based in Paris, Kamilya Jubran is one of the most revered figures in the experimental and alternative Arabic music scenes.

Through her multi-disciplinary work, Jubran continues to inspire a new generation of both musicians and audiences. One of those musicians is Sandy Chamoun, part of the Lebanese group SANAM who are also performing at Le Guess Who? 2023. We asked Sandy Chamoun to share a personal introduction to Kamilya Jubran’s life and work.

Words & audio by Sandy Chamoun
Photography by Alexia Fiasco