Open Mic Night: Emerging Artist Showcase

The Open Mic Night: Emerging Artist Showcase took place as part of the Dublin Arts and Human Rights Festival 2024. The event featured performances from emerging musicians, poets, theatre artists, movement artists, rappers and storytellers, all dedicated to exploring their artform to promote human rights, equality and diversity. The evening saw over 30 performers take to the stage, some for the very first time, in an atmosphere of support and encouragement. The event was produced by Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality in conjunction with our partners Front Line Defenders.

This multidisciplinary ‘movement’ signified a special night of camaraderie between a variety of performance artforms, united in their passion for human rights across the globe. The evening gave emerging performers an opportunity to practise their artform in front of a live audience, in some cases, for the very first time. The ‘open mic-style’ of the event offered a relaxed and informal feel, which made the emerging artists feel more comfortable. This was an important learning in the facilitation of live events featuring emerging artists.