Programme / Artistic research and humanities for conflict transformation and social justice, a case study: UNESCO’s Art-Lab for Human Rights and Dialogue

What is the impact of artistic research and the transformative power of the arts and culture when they intervene ethically for human rights, i.e.: involving the people whose rights have been (or are being) violated? 

To this end, the ”artivists” participating in the side event will react to the following questions: • What is the actual space left to artistic research in the scientific world? • When will the decisive role of the artists in social justice finally be recognized in conflict transformation and social inclusion processes? • What is the actual contribution of artistic research to human well-being and social healing through the practice of the arts, to a sustaining peace and sustainable development? • What are the prerequisites to facilitate artistic research in line with fundamental human rights and conversely, what is the impact of the arts on the advancement of human rights?

The event has been organized by UNESCO, which launched ”Art-Lab for Human Rights and Dialogue” on the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 10 December 2018. ”Art-Lab” invests in powerful cathartic modes of expression, such as the arts practice and culture; which are also vehicles for the expression of fundamental human rights.

It includes four pillars: 1) Art-Lab’s Observatory documents and analyses the impact of arts-based practices on human rights and peacebuilding, giving the floor to alternative voices to the dominant cultural narrative; 2) Its international “Art-Lab” Platform of “artivists”, i.e. artists who are experienced trainers in the conduct of artistic interventions in fragile contexts; culture professionals and practitioners; journalists and researchers; 3) Its Fabrique accompanies national authorities in the design and conduct of inclusive policies engaging marginalized populations in artistic interventions; 4) Its Framework for Ethical Artistic Practices in Support of Human Rights and Dignity for development and humanitarian operators will be co-published jointly with the OHCHR in 2023.