Human Rights Festival 2 Edition
STORIES OF COURAGE. VOICES FOR CHANGE.
Following the success of its inaugural year, the Human Rights Festival returns for its second edition as a vibrant multidisciplinary celebration of arts, culture, and community engagement. Delivered by We Restart – Art Centre of Sanctuary, the festival brings together more than 65 artists, including visual artists, performers, filmmakers, musicians, and writers, alongside 20+ community organisations and partners across North West and Central London.
Taking place during Refugee Week and inspired by this year’s theme, Courage, the festival unfolds across seven venues from Barnet to Wembley, Alperton, Elephant & Castle, and Notting Hill. Through exhibitions, visual art installations, theatre, books, short films, Q&As, workshops, live performances, and a large-scale community mural, the programme creates spaces for dialogue, reflection, creativity, and participation.
This second edition expands significantly in both scale and ambition, featuring international collaborations, emerging and established artists, and a strong focus on community-led participation. Audiences are invited not only to experience the programme, but to actively contribute through workshops, open calls, installations, and collective projects such as Human Rights Today, the growing digital exhibition and archive connecting artists and communities from around the world.
At its core, the Human Rights Festival champions creativity as a tool for social change—promoting inclusion, wellbeing, civic participation, and cultural exchange, while amplifying voices from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds.
Image: A moment of the Human Rights Festival 2025 at the O2 Camden, in the background the artworks by Sareh Moradi.
TIMELESS AFGHANISTAN
An exhibition celebrating Afghan artistic heritage through the work of artists Samira Kitman and Fakhria Nezami.
The project is presented as part of the Human Rights Festival by two charities dedicated to supporting artists and safeguarding cultural heritage:
Turquoise Mountain, founded by His Majesty King Charles III in 2006
to protect and revitalise traditional craftsmanship,
and We Restart – Art Centre of Sanctuary,
which supports displaced and migrant artists in rebuilding their creative practice in London.
hASAN kATTAN
Hasan Kattan
As an independent Syrian filmmaker and director of a production firm, Hasan Kattan brings forth a wealth of experience spanning more than a decade, specializing in directing and producing documentary films. Hasan has been instrumental in the creation of several significant documentary projects, which have garnered international acclaim and accolades across various roles, including directing and cinematography.
We Will Return, My Love a documentary by Hasan Kattan
A magic moment:
Unique Communities and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra during a workshop in Wembley.
Partners & Supporters
Venue Partners
