The Pan-African Network for Artistic Freedom (PANAF) is pleased to announce the publication of the 2026 PANAF Summit Report.
The third edition of the PANAF Summit was held from 6–8 February 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, under the theme “Free to Create: Power, Pressure, and Possibilities within Digital and Economic Landscapes.” The Summit convened 72 participants from 17 countries, including artists, cultural practitioners, researchers, legal experts, policymakers, government representatives, civil society organisations, funders, and regional and international institutions.
Building on the outcomes of the 2025 PANAF Summit in Zanzibar, the 2026 edition marked an important transition from identifying the challenges affecting artistic freedom to developing practical, collaborative and Africa-centred responses. Over three days, participants examined the legal, economic, digital and gender-related pressures shaping artistic freedom across the continent, while also exploring opportunities for institutional reform and collective action.
At the heart of the report are proposals developed through four interconnected working groups:
• Residencies and Relocation for artists at risk
• Legislative Reform for Artistic Freedom
• Research on Artistic Freedom
• Digital and Physical Mobility for African artists
Among the ideas presented are the creation of an African repository of safe spaces and support services for artists at risk; the development of a Model Law on Artistic Freedom and the Creative Economy; the establishment of a virtual African research institute on artistic freedom; and the creation of a distributed mobility infrastructure to support the movement and circulation of African artists and their work.
These proposals are not presented as final programmes, but as foundations for further consultation, testing, collaboration and implementation. Together, they demonstrate that protecting artistic freedom requires coordinated interventions across legal frameworks, research, digital systems, economic structures and artist-support mechanisms.
The report also reaffirms a central conviction of the PANAF Network: artistic freedom is not a cultural luxury, but a democratic necessity. Its protection requires the collective engagement of artists, policymakers, lawyers, researchers, cultural institutions, funders, governments and civil society organisations.
PANAF invites stakeholders across Africa and beyond to read the report, share it within their networks and consider how its proposals can inform or complement their work. By connecting our knowledge, resources and expertise, we can build stronger and more sustainable systems that enable every artist to create freely and safely.
Download the 2026 PANAF Summit Report below.
PANAF SUMMIT 2026 – Report-Final
