A Journey Through the Dublin Human Rights Festival (13–15 October 2023)
When we arrived at the “Pumphouse” site on Friday evening, October 13, the atmosphere was already something special. Set in a maritime industrial zone, surrounded by giant ships and cargo machinery, the place felt far from everyday life, almost like stepping into another world. Stewards guided us to a modest building where the performances took place, rows of seats covered with soft cushions welcomed us into a space that was unexpectedly warm and intimate, despite the cold. A violinist began to play, her music, rhythmic and melancholic, would become a recurring thread throughout the weekend. She appeared at every intermission, setting the tone with her gentle presence and sounds that stayed with us long after they stopped. Before the main performance, States of Independence, we were given a brief introduction to help us settle into the themes ahead. The show brought together the works of Féilim James, Mary Moynihan, and Michael McCabe, performed by McCabe and Fiona Bawn-Thompson.
It was a powerful blend of theatre, dance, music and video, a multidisciplinary piece that explored identity, freedom and the fine line between life and death. What stood out most were the performers’ presence and physicality. Their movements and expressions carried the weight of the themes. The triangular composition of the performance evoked the feeling of a living painting, always shifting but never chaotic. Focusing on the faces, expressions, hands and rigid movement, their faces were always visible to us. I saw in the performance the inner struggle of a woman haunted by grief or trauma, made visible through light, sound and projection. The angelic voice that closed the piece gave it an unexpected softness, a touch of hope. During the intermission, we visited the Flagship Eternal Rebels Exhibition, a striking installation. Surrounded by thick wire mesh, sculptures and flowing “blood,” the exhibit felt like a space between memorial and protest. Guests sipped red wine as they moved through the room, taking in stories of resistance and sacrifice. It was intense. Later, the audience followed the violinist outside for the final projection, screened onto a massive building. The imagery evoked freedom, movement and something bigger than ourselves. I remember wishing the performance had taken us even further, perhaps physically, perhaps emotionally. The next day, we attended a conference titled Human Rights Under Threat : The Arts Respond, featuring poet George Szirtes in conversation with Mary Moynihan. Topics ranged from migration to free expression, with poetry as a central thread.
There were projections, readings (including one by writer Csilla Toldy) and an open Q&A that invited genuine exchange. We also had a chance to introduce ourselves as representatives of ETFI, making connections in a meaningful way. On Sunday, wrapped in blankets and guided by the violinist’s music, we returned to the Pumphouse for more performances, organized by the Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality. The first show, by Ongoing Realities (Stockholm, Sweden), was an inspiring conference exploring the use of virtual reality, motion capture and animation in creative projects. Anna Näsström and Johan Bandholtz introduce us to an elegant, yet robotic dance. Life was represented as a game, ant time and movement as part of the contemporary surrealist works on display. The second performance, by Anja Calas, was both poetic and unsettling. Set against a red and white lighting scheme, a woman fought her way through a symbolic storm at sea. Whether she was a mermaid, a migrant or a survivor, her struggle felt deeply metaphorical, a reminder of the fragile line between fantasy and harsh reality. After dinner, we experienced Kaisa Kauppine’s performance, wordless, bold and funny in a dark, absurdist way. Through mime and sound, she explored womanhood with both vulnerability and satire. There were moments of laughter, discomfort and deep recognition. It was the kind of performance that leaves space for each viewer to find their own meaning. The final piece, by Alice Giroldin, was a solo that blended movement, spoken word and visuals. Performed in Italian and subtitled in English, it was both personal and theatrical, a reflection on self-expression, memory and the pressure to define oneself. Her voice and energy filled the space, leaving a strong final impression. We ended the evening by congratulating the performers, exchanging photos and messages and carrying with us the echoes of the weekend. It was an experience of art as dialogue, memory and resistance, and one I won’t forget.
Marylin Bras (ETFI)
