Hope, Courage, Resilience: The Story Continues

Friday 15 – Sunday 24 October 2021

10 Days of Arts and Human Rights

Smashing Times and Front Line Defenders in partnership with Amnesty International, Fighting Words, Irish Council for Civil Liberties, National Women’s Council of Ireland, Trócaire, and Poetry Ireland will implement the 2021 Dublin Arts and Human Rights Festival to showcase and highlight the extraordinary work of human rights defenders in Ireland and around the world, past and present, and the role of the arts and artists in promoting human rights today. The festival will run for ten days from Friday 15 October to Sunday 24 October 2021. The artistic curator for the festival is Mary Moynihan, Artistic Director, Smashing Times and the human rights curator is Laura O’Leary, Front Line Defenders.

This year’s festival will contain both online and in-person events in line with current Covid-19 guidelines, and will facilitate the opportunity to share, celebrate, remember, explore, provoke and promote the arts for human rights. Join us as we bring together artists, activists, citizens, families, communities and all those interested in using the arts to celebrate and promote human rights and equality for all. The theme of this year’s festival is Hope, Courage and Resilience: The Story Continues. The festival celebrates human rights and links the arts to civil society, active citizenship and politics through a series of inter-disciplinary performances, film screenings, documentaries, theatre, music, dance, visual and digital art, poetry, literature, historical memory, discussions and arts-based workshops, featuring Irish and international artists and guest speakers celebrating and promoting dignity and respect for all people equally.

: Mary Moynihan, Artistic Director and Curator

: Dublin Arts and Human Rights Festival

: Niamh Clowry, Development Officer

Over ten days, the festival brings audiences a mix of artworks that include the very best performances, vibrant dance acts, live music, visual art exhibitions and family fun, combined with stimulating discussion and debate. An assortment of workshops in performance, music, and song-writing are available for all ages as a part of this unique and vibrant festival of culture, arts and equality. The festival is a collaborative partnership showcasing world-class programming and presenting new and diverse artists and acts, with something for everyone to enjoy. Join us for a celebration of the arts and human rights – a festival not to be missed. The festival will bear witness and remember the past, explore the present and celebrate the future linked to equality and rights for all, highlighting the role artists can play in a new society.

Events will take place online and in person. Site specific shows featuring theatre, poetry, literature, song, music and dance will be presented in the grounds of Rathfarnham Castle; live performances of theatre, dance and music will be presented on the rooftop garden of the Chester Beatty Library; an exhibition of visual artworks and film art pieces will be presented at dlr Mill Theatre Gallery Space; and a discussion on human rights, poetry and the environment will be held at the NUI Galway Human Rights Centre.

The Map visual art exhibition takes place at Rua Red Arts Centre, Dublin and a tour of the acclaimed film Limbo by Ben Sharrock travels to four venues, Droichead Arts Centre, Garter Lane Arts Centre, Solstice Arts Centre, Navan and Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar hosted by Access Cinema and Dublin International Film Festival. Duck, Duck, Goose, a new play by Fishamble Theatre Company can be seen at Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny, 16 October; Lyric Theatre, Belfast, 19-20 October; and Belltable, Limerick, 23 October, followed by an online post-show on 23 October, 7pm. Writing a Protest Song, consists of two song writing workshops on 9 and 16 October, hosted by Fighting Words ,and Voices of Witness is an online event featuring poetry readings and music performances on 21 October, 7pm.

Please be aware that some of the events in the festival programme touch on themes of a sensitive nature. All events are over 18s only unless stated otherwise.

Catherine Ann Cullen, Poet in Residence, Poetry Ireland; Liam Herrick, ICCL; Colm O’Gorman, Amnesty International
Andrew Anderson, Front Line Defenders; Orla O’Connor, NWCI; Colm Quearney, Fighting Words
Niamh Clowry, Smashing Times; Mary Moynihan, Smashing Times