Dublin’s only annual festival dedicated to celebrating the intersection of the arts and human rights marks its fifth anniversary this year as it hosts 10 days of events in the capital, around Ireland and online this October.
Dozens of events promoting equality, human rights and diversity through the arts will be coming to Dublin between October 13 and October 22. Front Line Defenders' Laura O'Leary said the festival will feature "a range of innovative and thought-provoking events exploring how art and human rights interact in our world today".
She added: "The festival’s aim is to highlight the extraordinary work of human rights defenders in Ireland and around the world, past and present, and the role of the arts in promoting human rights."
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The Dublin Arts and Human Rights Festival is an annual, international festival organised by Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality and Front Line Defenders, a Dublin-based international organisation working to improve the security and protection of human rights defenders at risk, in partnership with Amnesty International, National Women’s Council of Ireland, as well as other arts and human rights partners.
It takes place in Dublin, Kerry, Donegal, and Cork, with artists and speakers in attendance from multiple countries. Events are taking place across 17 different venues, involving 29 different organisations nationwide.
The festival comprises 21 live performances, six exhibitions, nine talks or panel discussions, four installations, three workshops, three film screenings, two partner exchanges, one podcast, and one radio documentary. Some of the events include:
Memorial Monologues – The Path of Memory , a monologue show featuring the stories of human rights defenders who are commemorated at the HRD Memorial in the Iveagh Gardens, written by Mary Moynihan
Remember the Defenders: A Photo Exhibition , highlighting 10 human rights defenders around the world who have done courageous work protecting human rights
Voices from Ukraine: War, Film, and Human Rights , a panel discussion with the organisers of Docudays UA, a Ukrainian international human rights documentary film festival, on presenting a festival while at war, followed by a tribute to Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina, who was fatally injured earlier this year by a Russian missile attack
The Art of Change makers , featuring photography and poetry artworks and portraits of human rights defenders around the world
25 years of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders – How far have we come? , a podcast on the 25th Anniversary on the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, featuring an interview with Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders
Open Mic Night , featuring poetry and music relating to themes of social issues, human rights, social justice, and solidarity
The Arts Council of Ireland supports the festival, which is a hybrid programme delivered over 10 days. It hosts an exciting blend of events happening in person and online, reaching audiences locally, nationally, and internationally.
Check out the full programme of events on the official web page of the Dublin Arts and Human Rights Festival 2023.
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