A perfect partnership

For many, human rights and the arts may not seem to be the most obvious bedfellows, but at Amnesty International we pride ourselves on placing great significance on such a partnership. We recognise that arts and entertainment make human rights real to people. Through song, laughter, art and poetry we can show the amazing joy and impact of human expression and contrast this with what the world feels like to people denied these rights and freedoms. I am always struck by this at Amnesty International’s annual comedy events – ‘Stand up for Freedom’ at the Edinburgh Festival and Belfast Festival’s ‘Stand up for Justice’. Audiences at both gigs know that they are in for a treat as top-class comedians from around the world throw their energy, personality and any topic of their choosing into a performance. It is not unusual for the comics to satirise politicians, the monarchy or other well-known figures, and they know that they will not face persecution for such a performance. We take this satire and humour for granted here in the UK. But in countries such as Burma or Cuba, performers face the threat of jail for daring to criticise the government through their performances.
Freedom is critical
The Moustache Brothers – a comedic duo from Burma – were imprisoned in 1996 for lampooning the government. U Par Par Lay and U Lu Zaw served almost six years in a labour camp before being released in 2001. Last year Cuban musician Gorki Águila was arrested and charged with ‘dangerousness’ because his lyrics were critical of the government. Eventually he was charged with a lesser offence of civil disobedience, for which he was forced to pay a fine. Such instances not only anger us at Amnesty, but they also encourage us to celebrate every opportunity of free expression in music, comedy and art, which is why we were delighted to re-establish the Secret Policeman’s Ball three years ago. This year the ball, a comedy and music show that helped to inspire Live Aid and Comic Relief, celebrates its thirtieth anniversary. As well as performances that hold a mirror up to violations of freedom of expression, artistic pieces can unlock the complexities and obscurities of some human rights issues. We see this regularly through plays and literature, and we do our best to celebrate such thought-provoking, bold and creative work.
One way in which we do this is by presenting a Freedom of Expression award at the Edinburgh Festival to the playwright who has created a dramatic piece that starkly and imaginatively illustrates the impact of human rights abuses. ‘The Container’ won the award in 2007 and was recently staged at London’s Young Vic Theatre. This play – which is performed in a shipping container – highlights the difficulties, fears and trials faced by people fleeing persecution trying to take refuge in the UK. The subject of asylum and refuge is one which does not often directly impact the average British theatre-goer and is often portrayed negatively in the media. ‘The Container’ seeks to dispel myths about this matter and brings the audience closer to the subject in a way in which only theatre and live performance can. The play captured not only the attention of the audience, but it also inspired many to take action to get involved with Amnesty.

Artistic differences
We value the relationships we have built over many years working within the arts and creative industries. Through working with some of the most creative people in the world we are able to tell stories in the most powerful, moving and engaging ways.
For example, we worked with Turner Prize winner Grayson Perry at the ‘Imagine a World…’ exhibition in 2005, and with Peter Kennard’s art installation ‘Declaration’ last year as we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in December 2008. We have also been able to partner with internationally acclaimed writers and artists to create three books to celebrate the UDHR 60th anniversary. For each of the three books, an illustrator or author chose one article from the UDHR and applied his or her own creative interpretation to produce an illustration or a provocative or humorous short story. Illustrations from artists including Axel Scheffler and John Burningham featured in Amnesty’s award-winning children’s book, ‘We Are All Born Free’. The second book entitled ‘Free?’ was a set of short stories aimed at young people aged from 10 to 14, published in May. Authors from around the world including Roddy Doyle, Meja Mwanji and Michael Morpurgo submitted a short story which focused on a human right for a younger audience. The final book, called ‘Freedom’, completed the series when it was launched in August at the Edinburgh Book Festival. Contributors to this anthology include Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Paolo Coelho and Ariel Dorfman.
Funding for freedom
This is just a snapshot of our proud history of working within the arts and entertainments industry – and it doesn’t end there. This area of our work is intrinsic to Amnesty, which is why we recently created the Amnesty Arts Fund. The fund provides us with a vehicle to recognise and nurture the special relationships we have with people in all creative industries; to work with them on producing creative work associated with particular human rights issues and campaigns; and to bring our creative partners together with partners who may be interested in funding such innovative and creative ways of promoting and protecting human rights. Over the years we have recognised that plays, comedy gigs, art exhibitions bring people together and inspire them, and that is why Amnesty places such importance on working within the arts industry. We recognise the power of bringing people together and, with a movement of more than two million people around the world, we seek to continue working within the arts to inspire people to come together to ensure all our rights and freedoms are protected and enjoyed. N

Amnesty award announced
The Royal Exchange Theatre production of Judith Thompson’s ‘Palace of the End’ has won the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award. The play, which was presented at the Edinburgh Fringe, links three monologues by people caught up in the Iraq War, two of which are based on the experiences of real people. A record 63 productions entered for the award this year. w: {www.royalexchangetheatre.org.uk}