On Saturday, 24 January 2015, the Fritt Ord Foundation will examine in more detail the principle aspects of the debate about the controversial award one of the world's most coveted theatre prizes, the International Ibsen Award, to Peter Handke. The conference is intended to shed light on the relationship between art, politics and freedom of expression in a broad sense.

The comprehensive, intense Handke debate in 2014 was one of the most important debates about art, politics and freedom of expression that we have seen in Norway for quite some time, and it is just one of several backdrops for the conference. The increasingly revitalised Hamsun debate is another, in addition to a number of other Norwegian and international discussions of recent decades. They reveal that artists have no more profound political understanding or more astute political judgment than most members of society. Meanwhile, they often have extremely good access to the general public, and they are often accorded respect and credibility based on their position as artists.

Each lecture will last for 30 minutes, to be followed by 30 minutes of discussion.

Date: Saturday, 24 January 2015, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Venue: The Wergeland Room at the House of Literature in Oslo

PROGRAMME

Welcome and introduction by Chair of the Fritt Ord Foundation's Board Georg Fr. Rieber-Mohn.

10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Here. Here in this world
Kaja Schjerven Mollerin, PhD fellow in literary science at the University of Oslo, former editor of 'The Window'.

11.00 a.m. - 12.00 p.m.
What does a writer know that an ordinary person does not know?
Thomas Steinfeld, former editor of Süddeutsche Zeitung and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, currently Venice correspondent for Süddeutsche Zeitung and a professor at the University of Lucerne.

12.00 p.m. - 1.00 p.m. Lunch

1.00 p.m. - 2.00 p.m.
Who is drawing up the boundaries today? About art, terror and freedom of expression
Hilde Sandvik, Culture and Debate editor at Bergens Tidende and author.

2.00 p.m. - 3.00 p.m.
Artistic creation as subversive activity. Should a democracy attach conditions to artists' freedom of expression?
Arne Ruth, former editor-in-chief of Dagens Nyheter (News of the Day) and former Fritt Ord Foundation professor, author.

The conference languages are Norwegian and Swedish. The conference will be moderated by executive director of the Fritt Ord Foundation.

Admission is free of charge. Registration at handke@fritt-ord.no