This year, SH|FT will join forces with Living Arts International to convene the Safe Havens meeting in Cambodia from 2nd – 4th December 2026, aiming to strengthen the interaction between global and southeast Asian actors in the field of the Arts in Society.
Merging the strongest features from the legacies of the both well-established Meeting Point on Art & Social Action in Asia and SH|FT’s the Safe Havens meetings in an effort to bring global and regional actors closer together and share insights and networks, we hereby present the Safe Havens Meeting 2026 SEA Differently: An Asian Lens on Artistic Freedom meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Spotlight on Southeast Asia
With Safe Havens Meeting 2026 SEA Differently: An Asian Lens on Artistic Freedom, SH|FT and Living Arts International want to create space for conversations that expand what we mean when we talk about artistic freedom. In joining forces, we hope to open up new pathways for strengthening artists’ ability to play a vital role in society.
Co-curated by LAI, SH|FT and RADAR, and hosted by CICADA, the program will spotlight Southeast Asia – a region that is underrepresented in cultural policy dialogues globally. Through Safe Havens Meeting 2026 SEA Differently: An Asian Lens on Artistic Freedom, we aim 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 to shift the focus from crisis response to possibility and action, building rather than defending expression and creativity.
Context: Narratives of cultural rights and artistic freedom
Artistic freedom gained traction as a priority issue for the international cultural sector around 15 years ago. Since then, there has been a proliferation of INGOs and CSOs documenting violations of artistic freedom, and providing support to artists, including relocating those at risk.
In large part, these have involved artists persecuted for works which transgress political or social boundaries. While this is urgent work, such cases may dominate and shape the narrative of what constitutes artistic freedom, at least on the global stage. There is a risk of blurring the boundaries between artists and human rights defenders.
This may cause us to overlook and even undermine the experiences of hundreds of thousands of arts and cultural practitioners who may not position themselves on the front lines of political opposition, but whose artistic freedom is nonetheless hampered for a myriad of reasons.
The Safe Havens Meeting 2026 SEA Differently: An Asian Lens on Artistic Freedom Program
Browse detailed program HERE
The opening day of the meeting will zoom in on Cambodia, both as a way to orient the international delegates to the Cambodian context and also to engage the wider arts, culture and development communities in-country with the Safe Havens Meeting. The keynote panel The Cambodia We Want, will open the program with a robust discussion between 5 Cambodian cultural leaders. The group will set out a vision and a roadmap for Cambodia where the status of artists reflects their contribution to society and the economy, there are resources and platforms for creation and distribution of creative work, and dynamic exchanges with artists in neighbouring countries.
Following this discussion we will host a community reception, with performances from Cambodian artists, including Neang Sou Sou and friends, who will share their perspectives on artistic freedom through their creative expression.
The program on 3rd and 4th December is curated along three tracks:
Imagine
These sessions will be future oriented, articulating visions for the futures we want to see with respect to artistic freedom. The content for this programming will be generated by three think tanks. Each one will convene 4-5 times before the gathering in Siem Reap and produce a short position paper which will be shared in advance of the meetings.
The contributors come from across SEA, South Asia and Europe, with diverse profiles and expertise in arts, policy, research and development. They will be discussing: The Cambodia We Want, Reimagining Relocation, and With Whom Do We Build, which challenges us to assert our relevance to broader agendas.
Experience
These sessions will foreground practitioners’ voices, using creative expression and artistic approaches to communicate experiences related to artistic freedom in Asia. This programming will include performances and exhibitions by artists from Cambodia, Southeast Asia and Mexico, as well as 8 hands-on workshops run by practitioners from across Asia on topics including: Cultural tools as shields for artistic freedom, Freedom through collective care, Breaking free from self-censorship and Who cares for the caretakers?
Inform
The Inform program will ensure an exchange of knowledge on essential topics related to priority issues for artistic freedom in Southeast Asia. In addition to a presentation by RADAR on key issues in the region, this is expected to include information about accessing resources for mobility, and the rights of cultural professionals as workers. These sessions will be primarily delivered through partnerships with cultural and rights organisations, by invitation of the organisers.
We will close the 2026 Safe Havens Meeting with a reflective discussion and blessing ceremony with tree planting.
Browse detailed program HERE
Taking Part
If you would like to join the Safe Havens Meeting 2026 SEA Differently: An Asian Lens on Artistic Freedom, please get in touch by completing the Expression of Interest form below:
Express interest HERE
We hope to be able to welcome everyone who wants to join and are using an Expression of Interest process to make sure we are able to fairly review and allocate places to everyone who would like to attend. In case of over-subscription we will create a waiting list. Once you have expressed interest you should hear from us within 5 working days.
If you have knowledge or resources that you consider relevant to the meeting objectives and would like to contribute, please contact post@sh-ft.org for further discussion.
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
The Southeast Asian Artistic Freedom Research and Documentation Resource (RADAR) cultivates and supports the Southeast Asian arts ecosystem through research, documentation and analysis. 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.
