RFK Human Rights Switzerland firmly adheres to the notion that art and culture are an integral part of our humanity. Humans are not just cognitive beings; we have feelings too. We, love, we hurt, we laugh, we cry - and we can be moved. We all know the feelings that can arise after hearing a personal story, watching a touching movie, reading a gripping book or looking at a shocking picture. That is what makes us human. And that is why we believe a great way to understand and feel the importance of human rights is through the prism of art.

According to research done by the Pädagogische Hochschule Luzern in 2018 there were no Lehrplan 21 compatible materials to integrate human rights education in arts classes (“Bildnerisches Gestalten”). Our offer now fills that void.

RFK Human Rights Switzerland has developed a system of “pick and choose” where every school and teacher can create a program to fit it’s individual interests and capacities. Our arts & human rights program exists of a growing number of “building blocks” that can be used in itself or in relation with one another. Our current building blocks consist of:

  • Lesson plans

  • Workshops

  • Educational art programs on location

  • Guest lectures

  • Photo exhibition Speak Truth to Power

We encourage interested teachers to start with our free lesson plan introducing human rights through art. After that, a teacher may want to download another lesson plan for example on the subject of freedom of speech through art. Another teacher may want to take his or her class to visit our partner WE ARE AIA at Löwenbräu Kunst to partake in our joined educational program. A third teacher could prefer to book one or the whole series of professional guest lectures to explain about art and human rights activism in class, while becoming artists themselves. Each option could be set in the framework of booking our Speak Truth to Power photo exhibition to be hung in school (free of charge).

This page presents and overview of our offer, along with free downloads and booking options.

To ensure the quality of our work we work together with different partners: VforArt, WE ARE AIA | Awareness in Art and Dr. Kerstin Bitar.

 
 
 

Introductory lesson plan on: arts and human rights (german & english)

Combining arts and human rights will create not only a cognitive stirring, but also provide an emotional effect, whereby the values of human rights are better and more sustainably internalized.

October art challenge

Do you know your rights? We challenge you to discover them during the next 30 days! In collaboration with artist Laura Lembo, each day will be dedicated to one of the 30 articles included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

WORkSHOP SERIES ON VISUAL ARTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS

VforArt (specialized in customized art programs for children and adults), created a special series of Workshops based on the educational program "Speak Truth to Power" by RFK Human Rights. Schools can choose from three different packages:

Workshop 1: Introduction to Arts and Human Rights (2 lessons) Art historian Chantal van Vlijmen will present an overview of human rights. Read more

Workshop 2: Deep dive into visual arts and human rights (2 lessons) Art historian Chantal van Vlijmen will focus on what art can do for human rights. On the basis of different forms of art… Read more

Workshop 3: Art Project (8 lessons) After introductions on the topic, pupils will create their own art inspired by human rights and organize an exhibition of their work. Read more

Language: English & German
Level: 5. Primarschule and upwards

Lesson PLAN »A FUTURE OF MANY FUTURES«

Based on the exhibition »A Futures of Many Futures« this lesson plan was created. Based on photographs of the exhibition pieces, pupils will explore their meaning and the meaning of art in society. A special assignment is included in which the students will first look at the video of installation by Alicia Framis and then recreate it themselves, while reflection on gender roles and stereotypes.

EXHIBITIONS and Educational art programs

RFK Human Rights is educational partner of WE ARE AIA | Awareness in Art. AIA produces outstanding projects that raise awareness through the prism of art. AIA dedicates itself to five topics and reveals their interconnectivity: global inequalities, preservation of biodiversity, challenges of digitalization, social responsibility and equality. RFK Human Rights and AIA develop special educational programs for pupils to accompany the exhibitions.

Information on current programs and exhibitions: https://www.weareaia.ch/

Previous exhibitions: