Explore ‘The Power of the People’ at the 2025 Oxford Human Rights Festival

The Oxford Human Rights Festival 2025, hosted by Oxford Brookes University, will explore justice, culture, and activism through thought-provoking events, workshops, and exhibitions.

Running from 14 to 21 March, this year’s festival embraces the theme ‘The Power of the People,’ offering a week-long programme featuring a diverse lineup of events. Hosted by the Centre for Development and Emergency Practice (CENDEP), part of the School of Architecture at Oxford Brookes University, the festival will highlight the role of individuals and communities in driving positive change.

Dr Supriya Akerkar, Director of CENDEP, said: “For 23 years, this festival has shone a light on the resilience and courage of those fighting for justice worldwide. In 2025, at a time of growing uncertainty and instability, we continue this tradition.

“Everyone is welcome as we bring together voices that challenge, inspire, and drive meaningful change. Whether you’re an activist, student, artist, or simply passionate about human rights, we hope you will join us for a week of discussion, creativity, and action.”

The festival will open with the Annual Nabeel Hamdi Lecture, featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning architect and journalist Alison Killing, who will explore how open-source investigative techniques helped expose human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang region. Alison is the only architect to have won the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting. Her talk will showcase how digital tools are reshaping human rights advocacy and accountability.

Creativity meets activism at the Crafting Change event, where participants will collaborate to produce a collective artwork reflecting on home, security, and displacement. The final piece will be displayed at Oxford’s Westgate Shopping Centre, raising public awareness of housing and belonging.

For those keen to explore Oxford’s history through a critical lens, the Uncomfortable Oxford Walking Tour will uncover the city’s colonial past and its continued impact on race, class, and justice. Led by expert researchers, this guided experience will challenge traditional narratives and highlight the power of historical reckoning.

At Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum, the event Palestine: Power in Culture will celebrate Palestinian resilience and identity through film, poetry, and live conversations with residents of the Al-Am'ari refugee camp. Attendees will also have the chance to experience traditional Palestinian art forms, including Dabke dance and Tatreez embroidery.

A thought-provoking panel discussion, Claiming Power: Decolonising Justice for People and Planet, will bring together voices from ActionAid, CENDEP, and Oxfam to explore how global justice can be reimagined beyond colonial legacies. Panellists will discuss climate justice, indigenous rights, and feminist activism.

The festival will celebrate the power of artistic expression with Rights in Rhyme, an evening of spoken word and performance poetry dedicated to issues of equality, freedom, and justice.

A special screening of the film Lyd will provide a rare glimpse into the lost history of a Palestinian city, followed by a Q&A session with the directors. Architecture as a tool for social change takes centre stage at Beyond Buildings, where leading architects will discuss how participatory design can create inclusive communities and challenge urban inequality.

The festival will conclude with a closing event that will provide a space for reflection, networking, and continued dialogue on the themes explored throughout the week. 

For the full programme and to register for events, visit the Oxford Human Rights Festival webpage. 

Photograph: An art installation from a previous Oxford Human Rights Festival. Photo credited to CENDEP.