Class Art and Human Rights

This UC is born from an evidence: the Visual Arts are used more and more as a critical, ideological and reinvigorating tool. Our fast, complex and plural contemporary world challenges artists in a demanding way in their daily lives. More and more, the territory of Human Rights is raw material for artists and their artistic message decisively implies a form of citizenship, committed and critical. The involvement of Visual Arts in the defence of the most fragile, the most forgotten or the most problematic members of our humanity is today a global reality, and many case studies and artistic currents are examples of this.  The UC seeks to accompany this civic intervention, showing (on the one hand) a theoretical and thematic framework of the Rights involved, and (on the other hand) the multiple possibilities of artistic interference in social, religious, economic and political fractures, etc. In this 1st cycle, the UC gains its pertinence by offering the youngest this realistic vision

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1. Rebellion and vanguard in the Arts: a history of (anti)schools 2. Creativity and freedom of artistic expressions in the frontier of the Human 3. The artist and Human Rights (HR) today: minorities, gender, religion, opinion, body, life, death, love, horror 4. Groups and programs in defense of HR: UNESCO: Art Lab: Dialogue with World Artists for Human Rights. USA: International Human Rights Art Festival. UK: Leicester Human Rights Arts and Film Festival. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: Art for Amnesty. SAHARA: ARTIfariti - Art and Human Rights. Human Rights Arts & Film Festival (HRAFF). Human Rights Nights. International Human Rights Art Festival. Smashing times International Centre for the Arts and Equality. Highlight Arts. Creating Rights. FREEMUSE: Defending artistic freedom. Artists at Risk connection. IARA - International Arts Rights. Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.  Artists for Human Rights. Arts Rights 212 Justice. Artsfex: Artistic freedom of expression.

This course involves alternating methodologies. The first (i.e. the critical examination of topics, issues and dilemmas relating to the role of the arts today) takes place only during the first four to five weeks of classes, with discussions encouraged at least every 15 minutes. In the following weeks, an innovative methodology is adopted which reverses the traditional system through role-play: from this point onwards, a student (the 'teacher' for that day) will deliver the lesson to their classmates and the lecturer, who must record all their observations in a detailed SWOT analysis (the basis for the ensuing debate).This assessment methods (critical analysis, oral presentation of a research pro ject by the student in a role-play, SWOT analysis and in-depth debate) enable different perspectives  and positions regarding human rights to be highlighted in a versatile and original way, fostering skills in students such as interpersonal communication and the reasoned defence of arguments.  

Cardoso, F. (2018) Direitos Humanos. Reflexões a partir da arte, género e movimentos sociais. Viseu Ed.  DeLaet, D.L. (2021). The Global Struggle for Human Rights: Universal Principles. USA: Cengage Learning Freeman, M. (2020). Human Rights Key Concepts. UK. Polity Press Guerra, P. et all. (2019). COMbART: Arte, ativismo e cidadania. Porto, Univ. Porto Judkins, R. (2016). A Arte do Pensamento Criativo. Lisboa: Temas e Debates.  Lipovetsky, G. (2019). Agradar e tocar. Ensaio sobre a sociedade da sedução. Lisboa: Ed:70 McCall-Smith, K. et all. (2019). The Faces of Human Rights. UK: Bloomsbury Publishing, PLC Singer, P. (2018). Ética no Mundo Real: ensaios sobre coisas realmente importantes. Lisboa: Ed:70 Sikkink, K. (2019). Evidence for Hope: Making HR Work in the 21st Century. Oxford: Princeton Press Webb, C. T. (2016). Art and Human Rights. Ed. Univ.Manchester Press Wood, P. et all. (Eds.). (2021). Art in Theory: The West in the World. An Anthology of Changing Ideas. Hoboken, NY: Wiley-Blackwell