SEA differently: An Asian lens on artistic freedom
Safe Havens Meeting, co-hosted by Living Arts International
Siem Reap, Cambodia, December 2nd – 4th, 2026
We are pleased to announce that Safe Havens Freedom Talks (SH|FT) and Living Arts International (LAI) will co-host the Safe Havens Meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia from 2nd – 4th December 2026. The meeting aims to strengthen the interaction between global and regional actors in the field of artistic freedom, and we hope that Safe Havens 2026 will provide a platform for discussions that broaden the definition of artistic freedom. By working together, we seek to create new pathways for enhancing artists’ capacity to contribute significantly to society.
Co-curated by LAI, SH|FT, and ArtsEquator, and hosted by CICADA, the programme will spotlight Southeast Asia – a region that is underrepresented in cultural policy dialogues globally. Through Safe Havens 2026, we want to create new channels of communication and connection among artists, CSOs and INGOs, to jointly work on seeing things differently. We plan to create a space that focuses on what can be done, and how those resources that exist might be deployed in new ways to build up expression and creativity, rather than dealing with crises.
This gathering brings together artists, human rights defenders, and policymakers from Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America to help bridge the gap between global networks and independent arts groups in Southeast Asia.
We aim to create safe, inclusive spaces where practitioners from the Global South can lead the conversation on artistic freedom, while also moving beyond entrenched power dynamics between funders, CSOs and independent practitioners in the Arts, Rights, Justice ecosystem. By establishing these new connections and raising awareness of the regional context, we hope to leave a legacy of better resources and stronger solidarity for the Southeast Asian arts community.
The Organisers
Safe Havens Freedom Talks (SH|FT) is a Swedish non-profit organisation dedicated to the protection and promotion of artists at risk and artistic freedom. SH|FT provides open platforms for human rights defenders in the arts globally.
Living Arts International (LAI) promotes culture and the arts as a powerful force for a compassionate 21st century world. Spurred by its roots in Southeast Asia, where it works as Cambodian Living Arts and Mekong Cultural Hub, it champions cultural initiatives that catalyse dialogue, connecting and grounding us in our humanity across borders.
Programming Partner
ArtsEquator cultivates and supports the Southeast Asian arts ecosystem by creating platforms for discourse about the art making environment. Through research projects, it supports the cultural rights of its principal stakeholders – arts critics, arts makers and arts audiences. It actively fosters inter-regional links between Southeast Asia and the rest of the world.
Cambodia Project Lead
The Creative Industries of Cambodia Association for Development and Advocacy (CICADA) was co-founded in 2020 by six leaders from the cultural sector. Now a national association representing 152 members, through civic education, data-driven advocacy, and policy dialogue, CICADA empowers cultural and creative workers to exercise their democratic rights in shaping policies that affect their livelihoods and Cambodia’s broader socio-economic and environmental development.
The 2026 meeting is supported by the Swedish Arts Council Artistic Freedom Programme and the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan.
