Opening Barriers: Navigating the Complexities of Visa Processes
Sound & Culture Summit
“Inclusivity in Dutch culture is an illusion, if the Netherlands doesn’t open the doors”. These were the conclusive words of Le Guess Who?’s statement about the struggles of obtaining visas for the artists for last year's festival edition. It’s a struggle that is still present today and needs to be tackled. Not just for this festival in Utrecht, but as an open call for all festivals and cultural organizations that can’t offer diversity within programs because of these bureaucratic obstacles. Not being able to make a performance happen is a cultural loss.
An average Dutch artist has the privilege to travel and promote themselves and their art pretty much anywhere in the world. However, the same cannot be said for artists beyond the Schengen. This panel is presented to raise awareness about these issues, and to share some tangible solutions, especially when diversity and inclusivity are crucial goals of cultural programming.
Moderator: Aylin Öcalan
Speakers: Peter Somuah, Jaswinder Singh