Superstruct Entertainment today, Sept. 9, launched its Artistic Code at the International Festival Forum in London, bringing together the principles that guide artistic programming across its portfolio of more than 80 festival and live event brands globally.
“Superstruct believes festivals should be places where artists can challenge, provoke and express different points of view. Live events are spontaneous by nature. The Artistic Code protects that space for expression while giving artists and festival teams a shared approach from booking through to show day,” the press release announcing the launch of the Artistic Code states.
At the heart of the Artistic Code are four principles: protecting artistic freedom within the law; creating safe and welcoming spaces; ensuring programming and partnerships reflect Superstruct’s values; and promoting inclusivity and fairness.
“In practice, this means no censorship of artists simply because their views are controversial, zero tolerance for discrimination or behaviour that puts people at risk, and no alignment with campaigns of incitement or movements motivated by intolerance,” the press release continues.
Drawing on decades of experience across different festivals, countries and cultures, the Code aims to translates these principles into practical guidance across booking, contracting and live performance. It wants to make clear “that Superstruct does not operate banned lists and that performances should only be interrupted where there is a safety reason to do so, while respecting the identity and creative independence of every festival in its portfolio.”
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Elaborating on this point specifically, the Artistic Code, which can be read in full here, state, “We intervene in a performance for safety reasons only. If an artist says something that breaches policy or contract, the right response is almost always a clear statement after the show, not an interruption during it.”
Superstruct stated that the Artistic Code “will evolve alongside Superstruct’s festivals and the wider cultural landscape, informed by experience and continued discussion across the industry.”
Rebecca Kane Burton, Chief Operating Officer at Superstruct Entertainment, commented, “Artistic freedom sits at the heart of our festivals. They are places for artists to express themselves, challenge ideas and bring different points of view to audiences. We believe strongly in backing that freedom. The Artistic Code makes our position clear and gives artists and our festival teams shared principles to work from, with creative independence at the heart of them. We’re making it public because we want to share what we’ve learned and contribute positively to the wider industry conversation.”
