Most performing artists experience censorship, survey shows

Photo: Mor Sanat

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More than 60 percent of performing artists experience censorship and apply self-censorship, according to a new survey.

The survey was conducted among 515 active performing artists by the Actors' Union and the Contemporary Film Actors Association (ÇASOD) as part of the "Project for Monitoring and Preventing Censorship and Self-Censorship in the Field of Visual and Performing Arts in Turkey."

The respondents were between the ages of 18 and 71 and were asked 57 questions between June and September 2020.

According to the survey:

• The first three words that come to mind about censorship are "ban," "pressure" and "desperation."

• 61 percent of the respondents said they were subjected to censorship in professional life while 35 percent said they weren't.

• 63 percent of the respondents said they applied self-censorship and 33 percent said they didn't.

• 82 percent said they didn't notify a professional organization about a case of censorship, 13 percent said they notified incidents.

• 64 percent said they were members of an NGO such as unions and associations while 34 percent said they were not a member of such an organization.

• Among activities to pursue rights, 40 percent of the respondents said they would "definitely participate in" signing a mass petition and 22 percent said they would never participate in "occupying a building or a workplace." 51 percent said they would participate in a boycott of a product, brand or service.

• 60 percent of the respondents said there was no men-women equality in their sector while 26 percent said there was. 11 percent said they were undecided.

• 66 percent said the situation regarding freedom of expression will be "worse" or "much worse" in the next five years, 22 percent said it will be "better or much better," and 20 percent said it will be "neither better nor worse."

• 35 percent of the respondents said the Covid-19 pandemic will have a "neither good nor bad" effect on freedom of expression in the future, 32 percent said it will have a "bad" effect and 30 percent said it will have a "very bad" effect. Only 4 percent said it will have a good effect.

• When asked about whether they applied self-censorship when responding to the questions in the survey, 74 percent said they didn't, 16 percent said they were undecided and 10 percent said they did. (AÖ/VK)