Dublin Arts and Human Rights Festival marks 5th anniversary
- Dozens of events during international festival from 13-22 October
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 from 13-22 October.
Festival lead partners Front Line Defenders and Smashing Times – alongside a range of arts & human rights partners – will bring an exciting and innovative lineup of events that promote equality, human rights and diversity through the arts.
“We are thrilled to be kicking off the fifth installment of the Dublin Arts and Human Rights Festival, featuring a range of innovative and thought-provoking events exploring how art and human rights interact in our world today,” said Laura O’Leary, International Events and Promotions Coordinator at Front Line Defenders, and the festival’s human rights curator.
“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.”
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, Fighting Words, Irish Council for Civil Liberties, National Women’s Council of Ireland, Trócaire, Irish PEN and GOAL.
It takes place in Dublin, Kerry, Donegal, and Cork, with artists and speakers in attendance from multiple countries. The festival’s artistic curator is Mary Moynihan, Artistic Director of Smashing Times, and the human rights curator is Laura O’Leary, International Events and Promotions Coordinator at Front Line Defenders.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.
Front Line Defenders is proud to host and co-sponsor a range of events during the festival, including (click the links for full event and booking details):
- 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 by a Russian missile attack earlier this year;
- The Art of Changemakers, 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.
In all, 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. Events are taking place across 17 different venues, involving 29 different organisations nationwide.
