Satirical Art Silenced: ‘Licence to Offend’ Exhibition Cancelled Over Fear of Offence

[Social Media]

 

Satirical Art Silenced: ‘Licence to Offend’ Exhibition Cancelled Over Fear of Offence

 

A political cartoon exhibition featuring works by some of Britain's most renowned cartoonists, including Morten Morland of The Times, has been abruptly cancelled just hours before its private launch. The event, titled Licence to Offend, was set to showcase a range of satirical works that have already appeared in major national newspapers. But despite months of planning, the show was shut down over concerns it might cause offence, prompting fierce criticism from the artists and curators involved.

 

Scheduled to open to the public on Thursday in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, the exhibition was halted at the eleventh hour by TownSq, a co-working venue that had agreed to host the event. Guests who were due to attend a private viewing on Wednesday were informed not to come after the venue reversed its decision, citing potential backlash and staff safety.

 

The exhibition included pieces by Morten Morland of The Times, Mac and Pugh of the Mail titles, Patrick Blower of The Daily Telegraph, and Martin Rowson of The Guardian. The cartoons, already published in their respective outlets, offered satirical portrayals of public figures such as Donald Trump, Sir Keir Starmer, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg.

 

Morland, who has worked with The Times since 2002, condemned the decision as “idiotic.” “These weren’t offensive cartoons. They were cartoons that had already been printed in national newspapers. I’ve never experienced anything like it. It’s an idiotic decision on so many levels,” he said. He took particular issue with the rationale provided by TownSq, which described its need to maintain a “politically neutral environment.”

 

In response, Morland said, “The decision to deny freedom of expression is in itself a hugely political act.” He further argued that cancelling an exhibition based on hypothetical offence is a dangerous precedent. “This shuts down any discourse before it’s even been allowed to happen under the pretext that someone somewhere might have objections to something,” he said. “That is surely a much more offensive concept.”

 

 

TownSq defended its decision, saying the level of discord the exhibition generated confirmed the need to avoid politically charged content in its space. “The fervour and discord around this event has been a testament as to why,” a spokesperson said. “This was not a decision that we took lightly, and we’re frustrated that it needed to be taken at all. We admire the artists’ work and the months of effort that [went] into curating it, but the conditions created following it meant it would be unsafe to host the exhibition.”

 

Zoe Dorelli, the curator of the exhibition, expressed deep disappointment at the cancellation. “It’s quite amazing that we pulled together most of the best cartoonists that are working at the moment,” she said. “One should be sort of celebrating this kind of thing and not pulling it.” She described the cancellation as a blow not just to the artists, but to the broader principle of free expression in the arts.

 

Whitelight Projects, the organiser behind Licence to Offend, is now actively seeking an alternative venue to host the exhibition. Dorelli confirmed that several offers are under consideration, suggesting that the show may yet find a stage where its voice—and the voices of its artists—can be heard.

 

  Adpated by ASEAN Now from The Times  2025-05-03

 

 

[impulse]

Why would anyone take the effort and spend the money to go to an exhibition of what you can find 100x as much of on the interwebs?

 

Unless, of course, it's a vanity project...

 

[FlorC]

Sad that we still can't post "satirical art "  here on AN.

It can be truth or just funny or both.

Of course the left can't meme, that might be the reason.

[Magictoad]

8 hours ago, Social Media said:

 

Satirical Art Silenced: ‘Licence to Offend’ Exhibition Cancelled Over Fear of Offence

 

A political cartoon exhibition featuring works by some of Britain's most renowned cartoonists, including Morten Morland of The Times, has been abruptly cancelled just hours before its private launch. The event, titled Licence to Offend, was set to showcase a range of satirical works that have already appeared in major national newspapers. But despite months of planning, the show was shut down over concerns it might cause offence, prompting fierce criticism from the artists and curators involved.

 

Scheduled to open to the public on Thursday in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, the exhibition was halted at the eleventh hour by TownSq, a co-working venue that had agreed to host the event. Guests who were due to attend a private viewing on Wednesday were informed not to come after the venue reversed its decision, citing potential backlash and staff safety.

 

The exhibition included pieces by Morten Morland of The Times, Mac and Pugh of the Mail titles, Patrick Blower of The Daily Telegraph, and Martin Rowson of The Guardian. The cartoons, already published in their respective outlets, offered satirical portrayals of public figures such as Donald Trump, Sir Keir Starmer, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg.

 

Morland, who has worked with The Times since 2002, condemned the decision as “idiotic.” “These weren’t offensive cartoons. They were cartoons that had already been printed in national newspapers. I’ve never experienced anything like it. It’s an idiotic decision on so many levels,” he said. He took particular issue with the rationale provided by TownSq, which described its need to maintain a “politically neutral environment.”

 

In response, Morland said, “The decision to deny freedom of expression is in itself a hugely political act.” He further argued that cancelling an exhibition based on hypothetical offence is a dangerous precedent. “This shuts down any discourse before it’s even been allowed to happen under the pretext that someone somewhere might have objections to something,” he said. “That is surely a much more offensive concept.”

 

 

TownSq defended its decision, saying the level of discord the exhibition generated confirmed the need to avoid politically charged content in its space. “The fervour and discord around this event has been a testament as to why,” a spokesperson said. “This was not a decision that we took lightly, and we’re frustrated that it needed to be taken at all. We admire the artists’ work and the months of effort that [went] into curating it, but the conditions created following it meant it would be unsafe to host the exhibition.”

 

Zoe Dorelli, the curator of the exhibition, expressed deep disappointment at the cancellation. “It’s quite amazing that we pulled together most of the best cartoonists that are working at the moment,” she said. “One should be sort of celebrating this kind of thing and not pulling it.” She described the cancellation as a blow not just to the artists, but to the broader principle of free expression in the arts.

 

Whitelight Projects, the organiser behind Licence to Offend, is now actively seeking an alternative venue to host the exhibition. Dorelli confirmed that several offers are under consideration, suggesting that the show may yet find a stage where its voice—and the voices of its artists—can be heard.

 

  Adpated by ASEAN Now from The Times  2025-05-03

 

 

I

 

8 hours ago, Social Media said:

 

Satirical Art Silenced: ‘Licence to Offend’ Exhibition Cancelled Over Fear of Offence

 

A political cartoon exhibition featuring works by some of Britain's most renowned cartoonists, including Morten Morland of The Times, has been abruptly cancelled just hours before its private launch. The event, titled Licence to Offend, was set to showcase a range of satirical works that have already appeared in major national newspapers. But despite months of planning, the show was shut down over concerns it might cause offence, prompting fierce criticism from the artists and curators involved.

 

Scheduled to open to the public on Thursday in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, the exhibition was halted at the eleventh hour by TownSq, a co-working venue that had agreed to host the event. Guests who were due to attend a private viewing on Wednesday were informed not to come after the venue reversed its decision, citing potential backlash and staff safety.

 

The exhibition included pieces by Morten Morland of The Times, Mac and Pugh of the Mail titles, Patrick Blower of The Daily Telegraph, and Martin Rowson of The Guardian. The cartoons, already published in their respective outlets, offered satirical portrayals of public figures such as Donald Trump, Sir Keir Starmer, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg.

 

Morland, who has worked with The Times since 2002, condemned the decision as “idiotic.” “These weren’t offensive cartoons. They were cartoons that had already been printed in national newspapers. I’ve never experienced anything like it. It’s an idiotic decision on so many levels,” he said. He took particular issue with the rationale provided by TownSq, which described its need to maintain a “politically neutral environment.”

 

In response, Morland said, “The decision to deny freedom of expression is in itself a hugely political act.” He further argued that cancelling an exhibition based on hypothetical offence is a dangerous precedent. “This shuts down any discourse before it’s even been allowed to happen under the pretext that someone somewhere might have objections to something,” he said. “That is surely a much more offensive concept.”

 

 

TownSq defended its decision, saying the level of discord the exhibition generated confirmed the need to avoid politically charged content in its space. “The fervour and discord around this event has been a testament as to why,” a spokesperson said. “This was not a decision that we took lightly, and we’re frustrated that it needed to be taken at all. We admire the artists’ work and the months of effort that [went] into curating it, but the conditions created following it meant it would be unsafe to host the exhibition.”

 

Zoe Dorelli, the curator of the exhibition, expressed deep disappointment at the cancellation. “It’s quite amazing that we pulled together most of the best cartoonists that are working at the moment,” she said. “One should be sort of celebrating this kind of thing and not pulling it.” She described the cancellation as a blow not just to the artists, but to the broader principle of free expression in the arts.

 

Whitelight Projects, the organiser behind Licence to Offend, is now actively seeking an alternative venue to host the exhibition. Dorelli confirmed that several offers are under consideration, suggesting that the show may yet find a stage where its voice—and the voices of its artists—can be heard.

 

  Adpated by ASEAN Now from The Times  2025-05-03

 

 

I am a member of the organisation which put up the exhibition.  The FSU. The Free Speech Union. Looks like we have another battle on our hands- though not one we expected!

[roquefort]

Licence to Offend’ Exhibition Cancelled Over Fear of Offence

 

Woke equivalent of "Meeting of the Apathy Society cancelled due to lack of interest"?

 

And it's not even April 1st!