Censorship, self-censorship, boycotts: Is the freedom of creation and expression under threat?

A culture held hostage? Are censorship and self-censorship symptomatic of a broader political climate? From overly interventionist “supervising bodies” to ideological, political or moral pressure groups, the risk of censorship seems ever-present, with a wide range of justifications: threats to public order, the imperative of audience numbers, incompatibility with certain values… Not to mention self-censorship, under the guise of paternalistic arguments (“this isn’t for my audience…”) or out of fear of reactions when a project is taken to its full extent. How can artists regain the full autonomy of decision-making that the 1998 Charter of Public Service Missions for the Performing Arts, introduced by Catherine Trautmann, was meant to guarantee?