Cities of Refuge 1
The ICORN programme ICORN is an international mem
ber organisation consisting of cities, municipalities and regions that work to protect and promote freedom of expression and artistic freedom. The Cities of Refuge provide long term temporary residency for persecuted writers, journalists, musicians, bloggers, academics, photographers, curators, visual artists, actors, directors etc. The ICORN programme differs from other artist residency programmes inasmuch as the primary selection criterion is not artistic merit but rather the risk to the person’s safety and/or that person’s need to get their voice heard and their work published. This involves moving a writer or artist away from danger where they are at risk of persecution, threats or imprisonment due to their occupation. An important task for a City of Refuge is to provide peaceful working conditions, a sense of collegial and social solidarity and the opportunity to work freely and independently, free from persecution. It is up to the individual artist in residence to decide if they want to be public. The City of Refuge cannot place any compensatory demands on an artist in residence, such as requiring public appearances, workshops or meeting journalists and politicians. It is the artist’s security, safety, needs and requests that are put first. The ICORN organisation ICORN’s values are represented by the ICORN Board, which consists of six members from different member cities with a variety of nationalities and approaches. Board members are elected for four years at a time. ICORN’s Secretariat is located in Stavanger, Norway. The staff have many years of experience in establishing Cities of Refuge and assisting artists in residence to safety. It is the secretariat that receives applications and maintains contact with those who apply for residency and the cities that offer to provide refuge. The secretariat cooperates closely with human rights and freedom of expression organisations, such as PEN International, Amnesty International, Scholars at Risk, Cartoonists Rights Network International, and Reporters Without Borders. PEN International works on behalf of ICORN to validate applicants for the ICORN programme. Each year, ICORN organises a members’ meeting at one of the affiliated Cities of Refuge. Every second year, the meeting is held in the 6/49