Human Rights Education Visual Art Program

VforArt has created a special series of Workshops based on Speak Truth to Power. Schools can choose from three different workshop packages all given by art historian Chantal van Vlijmen:

1: Basic introduction into art and human rights
Ms Chantal van Vlijmen will present an overview of the connection between (visual) art and human rights. The class will be given in an interactive manner with space for discussion amongst pupils. The class will be provided a copy of the book “Speak Truth to Power” by RFK Human Rights Switzerland.

Duration: 2 lessons | Language: German or English | Costs VforArt: CHF 200
Level: 5. / 6. Primarschule + Sekundarstufe + Gymnasium (adapted according to school level)

2: Deep dive into art and human rights
This workshop will focus on what art can do for human rights. On the basis of different forms of art from different artists, with different messages several topics will be discussed. Among the subjects are the influence of the artwork on the public, viewed from, the location where the artwork is on display and how and which message the artist wants to convey. Pupils are encouraged in an interactive manner to interpret, discuss and see how the talked about artworks relate to them. The class will be provided a copy of the book “Speak Truth to Power” by RFK Human Rights Switzerland.

We recommend to book package 1 as preparation, although this is not necessary.

Duration: 2 lessons | Language: German or English | Costs VforArt: CHF 200
Level: Sekundarschule + Gymnasium (adapted according to school level)


3: Art project
During the first lectures art historian Chantal van Vlijmen will present an overview of human rights through (visual) art and what art can do for human rights. During the second set of lectures, pupils will create their own art inspired by the human right, which is the most important to them. During the last lecture pupils will organize an exhibition of their work. They will learn about how to display and present their art, explore the relations between the different pieces they created and organize a finissage with tour. During the last lecture the finissage for fellow pupils, teachers and / or parents (and other guests) will be organized.

This project is great to combine with a booking of RKF Human Rights’ photo exhibition Speak Truth to Power by award-winning photographer Eddie Adams, existing of portraits of international human rights defenders. If this were the case, the pupils would place their own art between these defenders and have to analyze what place their own art would fit with the stories of these photographs and learn to present their thoughts to fellow students / teachers / parents.

Duration: 8 lessons | Language: German or English | Costs VforArt: CHF 800
Level: 5. / 6. Primarschule + Sekundarstufe + Gymnasium (adapted according to school level)