HU932-7-SP-CO:
Human Rights and the Arts
2024/25
Human Rights Centre (Essex Law School)
Colchester Campus
Spring
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Monday 13 January 2025
Friday 21 March 2025
15
22 April 2022
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
This module will provide students with an interdisciplinary introduction to and engagement with the relationship between human rights and the arts. The module consists of separate sessions which focus upon the specific contributions which a carefully selected range of artistic forms and genres have engaged with and contributed to the global defence of human rights. The module is team taught by and will draw upon the expertise of colleagues in the areas of contemporary art, cultural studies, dance, literature, mass media and photography.
The module has a number of principal aims. These include:
1. Provide a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the complex relationship between the arts and human rights.
2. To enable students to develop a sound understanding of a carefully selected range of artistic forms and movements and their contribution to the global defence of human rights.
3. To enable students to make informed connections between human rights principles and instruments and ongoing topical debates surrounding the importance of art as an instrument for social justice and human rights.
4. To enable students to situate key debates surrounding the significance and importance of art within the wider human rights PGT syllabus.
5. Provide the core component of the proposed new MATPHR pathway in human rights and the arts.
1. Gain a satisfactory knowledge of core debates within and perspectives upon the role of art in the global protection of human rights.
2. Gain a satisfactory knowledge of a selection of significant artistic forms, genres and activities and the contribution they make to the protection of human rights.
3. Gain a satisfactory knowledge of how human rights has explicitly influenced and contributed to the a selection of artistic forms, genres and activities.
4. Gain a satisfactory knowledge of how the violation of human rights has directly targeted peoples’ cultural and artistic institutions and resources.
5. Gain a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of some of the core challenges which confront artists in their attempts to support human rights. appeals to identity raise for the existing human rights regime.
Week One: An introduction to human rights and the arts
Week Two: Human rights in literature
Week Three: Dance and human Rights
Week Four: Photography and human Rights
Week Five: The art of protest movements
Week Six: Art and socioenvironmental conflicts on Latin America
Week Seven: Holocaust and art restitution
Week One: An introduction to human rights and the arts
Week Two: Human rights in literature
Week Three: Dance and human Rights
Week Four: Photography and human Rights
Week Five: The art of protest movements
Week Six: Art and socioenvironmental conflicts on Latin America
Week Seven: Holocaust and art restitution
Week Eight: The politics of contemporary arts
Week nine: Colonial past: restitutions of heritage and artistic intervention to re-generate colonial heritage
The module will consist of a weekly two-hour in person lecture/seminar.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Essay (HU932 Human Rights and Arts) |
|
100% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Yes
Yes
Yes
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.
* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.
Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can
be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements,
industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist
of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules.
The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.
The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.