This is the theme of the ongoing Human Rights are Universal Arts Festival, which will end tomorrow at the Xenson Art Space in Kamwokya. The festival intends to look at the role of art in promoting social justice and, while at it, encourage creatives to use their voices to speak up.
The third edition kicked off on Independence Day with a series of poetry recitals, hip-hop cyphers by the Bavubuka Underground Movement, dance, and, as they have always done with the festival, an art exhibition. Last year, a series of events that included documentary and film screenings took place at Goethe Zentrum, and the exhibition and final panel discussion took place at the Xenson Art Space; however, this year, they brought all the activities in one location, which simplified the navigation of the entire festival.
According to Vincent Kyabayinze, this year’s theme is Where is home? It was intended to discuss what different people understand by home and how everyone can easily lose their home through different injustices. He says that as a Ugandan, the chances of losing a home and becoming a refugee are many, and thus, the festival is creating awareness among Ugandans while at the same time encouraging artists to communicate with their work.
“People migrate for different reasons—climate change, wars, poverty, bad laws, culture, and social reasons—but they still fail to find asylum, and some are denied entry to settle. That’s why we came up with this theme, asking why?” he says.
He adds that it is important for art to respond to such topics because art is fun and engaging: “Even children who are just starting their learning process start with pictures. Art is educating; there are unique aspects of art that we hope to leverage for the advancement of social justice, economic growth, and cultural enrichment.
This year, the festival curated an interesting programmne that catered for people of different tastes in art; those who needed to listen to music were catered for, and those who love dance also had their fun on stage. But it was the poets who seemed to carry the day, from Mercedes Nyarwoth, Davis Ntaro, Jeff the Poet, Samantha Size Yange and Lus the Poet, among others. And the works were diverse, from questioning perception to governance, most of the poets were unhinged.
Where singers made people scream, poets got many thinking critically; take Lus’ performance that took a dig at the government for forcing a relationship with Ugandans and later trapping them that they can’t get out even when they need to. But there is a lot the artists are talking about on the canvas. Oliver Nantongo for instance, addresses the stigma and discrimination people with vitiligo go through. Most of her paintings feature her, but this time with pink patches.
Tobu’s artwork is inspired by a picture of Hajji Nadduli mourning his son, though it is juxtaposed with recent pictures from the naked demonstrations against corruption that were held in the city early this year. Speaking at the opening of the festival, chief guest and the new president of the Uganda Law Society, Isaac Ssemakadde, reflected on the number of times he has been forced to abandon home because of human rights.
He says that while in Germany during one of the various times he has been forced to flee Uganda, he learnt about the importance of home and made the decision to comeback to Uganda to fight for his home.
In his speech, he also said that when he went viral for appearing on NTV alongside Nsereko, defending Uganda’s digital rights, he said his other home, the law chambers, became uncomfortable, and he became a subject of persecution by the system.
“I became a subject of persecution because judges claimed that they were facing cyber harassment from advocates like Isaac Ssemakadde, thus action had to be taken. I was blacklisted from my own work,” he said. He said he has found home in many other people’s homes but believes home is where you are loved. The festival ends tomorrow with a panel discussion between some of the artists exhibiting and performing.
