In May 2018 the Catalan rapper Valtònyc fled to Belgium. In his homeland Spain he was sentenced to imprisonment for insulting the crown and glorifying terrorism in his texts. Can an artist make his political voice heard in his work? Who decides where art ends and propaganda begins? Some compare the authoritarian attitude of Madrid today with the regime of the dictator Franco. Is nationalism the problem of our time or the solution?

A conversation about art, politics, freedom of speech and the increasingly blurred boundaries between them, with the magnifying glass focused on Catalonia.

Among others Jan Peumans (chairman of the Flemish Parliament), Marc Reynebeau (journalist De Standaard), Wim De Temmerman (dean KASK/School of Arts/HoGent) and Chokri Ben Chikha (researcher and theatre-maker) enter into dialogue with each other. VRT journalist Lisbeth Imbo moderates.

The debate is a free introduction of AMNE(I)S(T)IA: Say Sorry, a dance theatre performance performed by young Catalan artists. Your ticket for the performance is immediately your ticket for the debate.

Time: Friday 8 March 2019, 18.45 hrs.
Location: Arca Theatre, Ghent (Sint-Widostraat 4)
Language: Dutch, with interventions in English and French
Tickets: NTGent