Why Can't You Be Creative in Egypt? A New Study by the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression

On October 24th 2016, the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) published a report entitled: Why Can't You Be Creative in Egypt?

The 45-page study, written by Hossam Fazulla, gives an overview of the state of creativity in various art fields in Egypt, discussing the laws, systems, and bodies which govern and censor these different fields, as well as the most blatant violations of freedom of expression enforced upon the artists.

In addition to the information above, the study relied on in-depth interviews with experts in various art fields. Director and producer Salma Al Tarzi, for example, was interviewed for her expertise in short and long-form cinema. Caricaturist Andeel and publisher Karam Youssef were interviewed for their expertise in literature. Ayman Helmy—a composer and founding member of Bahgaga band —was the expert interviewed on music. Ahmed Saleh—film and theatre and creative director—provided insight into theatre. Finally, graffiti artist Ahmed Fathi provided commentary into his own field.

To view the study in its entirety, please click here.