Four years ago, the idea of a Human Rights festival in Uganda sounded impossible. Who would the artists be? Where would we get the films? And how would we get people to gather and listen to conversations on human rights—a subject often seen as reserved for the elite in workshops and policy briefs?

The dream was ambitious. There was no funding, no road map, just one conviction: the festival must happen.

The First Steps

In 2021, we opened the doors to our very first edition. To our surprise, people came. Not in thousands, but enough to prove that the vision had a pulse. We hosted six poets, four musicians, two films, eight visual artists, and even one sculpture. From that modest beginning, the dream was born.

That first year showed us something powerful—art speaks where politics silences. Audiences connected. Artists sold their work. Partnerships began to form with media houses and cultural institutions. What started as a fragile hope began to take root.

Growing a Movement

Today, the festival is no longer a dream—it is a movement. This year we are lining up  35 performers, six visual artists with a carefully curated five-day exhibition, and a platform that has become home to the next generation of change makers. These artists are not just entertainers; they are storytellers, truth-tellers, and defenders. The six exhibitors are the first cohort from the EAVA Artists Residency, which nurtures their craft and courage.

We are not raising “keyboard warriors.” We are raising artists who stand in the streets, in galleries, and on stages to challenge injustice. Because art is dangerous. Governments know it. Dictators fear it. Corrupt officials try to silence it. But art survives. We survive.

Why This Year Matters

This year’s theme is simple yet urgent: Defend.

• Defend our rights.
• Defend our planet from man-made climate disasters.
• Defend the marginalized who are silenced and excluded.
• Defend the artists who risk everything for truth and justice.

The Human Rights Are Universal Arts Festival is not entertainment for its own sake. It is a call to action. It is a space where communities gather to learn, reflect, and mobilize.

Gratitude and Solidarity

This journey has been tough  from the very beginning,  but along the way we have found partners- Goethezentrum Uganda, IRIS (InIRIS - the International Resource for Impact and Storytelling  GIZ ug and My friends Brett Davidson  and John Boswell walked with us. your support has been more than financial; it has been a vote of confidence in the idea that Uganda deserves a public space where art and human rights meet. To them, and to every person who has stood with us, we say thank you.

Looking Forward

As we approach this year’s edition, we open our doors once again to the public, to donors, and to organizations that want to be part of something bigger than a single event. By supporting this festival, you are not funding performances—you are funding resistance, resilience, and a reimagining of our society.

Come and be part of the festival driving change. This is our time to shape our narrative. This is our moment to defend.