The Dublin Arts and Human Rights festival showcases and highlights 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. This 11-day runs until September 29 at a range of venues including the Samuel Beckett Theatre, Science Gallery Dublin and dlr Mill Theatre Dundrum.
Events include Escape Routes and Freedom Trails – European Solidarity between Nations (19 September 7.30pm, Samuel Beckett Theatre) offers theatre, film and panel discussions celebrating and remembering extraordinary stories of Irish and European men and women involved in the resistance and in ‘escape lines’: secret World War II networks set up to assist Allied soldiers and citizens leave Nazi occupied territory during WWII. Today, the escape lines are remembered in Europe and beyond as ‘Freedom Trails’. Hear about courageous Belgian woman and human rights defender Andrée de Jongh, who set up the Comet Line that saved over 800 Allied service men. Listen to the stories of courageous Irish men and women active during WWII including Katherine Anne Mc Carthy, Mary Cummins, Catherine Crean, Margaret Kelly and Samuel Beckett. The evening explores stories of solidarity from WWII and how European citizens can come together to promote democracy, equality and peace today.
Artists and speakers for this unique event include Mary Moynihan, theatre and film-maker and Artistic Director of Smashing Times; Belgian director Frédérique Lecomte from Theater & Reconciliation presenting her extraordinary work from Belgium and the Congo; John Morgan, Dublin lawyer and co-founder of the Basque Pyrenees Freedom Trails’ Association (BPFTA) and one of the key people to raise awareness of the involvement of Irish men and women in the Resistance during WWII; Eneko Aizpurua, Award Winning Writer, Basque Country, and Trinity graduate Seán Binder from Cork, an Aid Worker who spent over 100 days in a Greek jail arising from his work volunteering with refugees.
During the afternoon of 19 September, from 3-5pm, the festival is delighted to welcome Frédérique Lecomte to Ireland from Belgium. Frédérique is Director of the Belgian company Theater & Reconciliation and will present a full-length workshop and talk about her extraordinary work and unique Method for Theatrical Practice in Conflict Zones that she has developed using creative processes to promote conflict resolution and reconciliation in the Congo.
Musical highlights include Don’t See Any Lines by Cork singer/songwriter Hilary Bow, featuring Hilary and Liam Ó’Maonlaí on vocals. This song was released as a single on World Refugee Day, 20 June 2019. The lyrics are inspired by Hilary’s friendship with Kurdish refugees and by working with people who had arrived in Ireland seeking refuge. The song is used as a call to end the direct provision system in Ireland and implement a more humane system for people arriving here.
Until September 29
