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We are not okay. Conflict, inequality, and violence have fractured the world. The fight for human rights cannot afford to become background noise.
Starting this Sunday (15 November), the Living Rights Festival brings those conversations into public spaces across Cape Town, using art, music, film and dialogue to challenge injustice and inspire change.
Now in its third edition, the festival officially launches under the theme Rooting Change: Rupture and Renewal in a World of Disorder. Running until Tuesday, 15 December, the programme brings together artists, activists, academics, young people and communities to explore the struggles shaping our world. And the possibilities for building something better.
Expressions of courage and compassion
Organised by the Institute for African Alternatives (IFAA), the festival prioritises human dignity, solidarity and collective action. “We gather at a time when our world seems increasingly fractured by war, inequality, violence and uncertainty,” says festival director Nazeema Mohamed.
“Yet even in these troubled times, we find extraordinary expressions of courage, compassion, creativity and solidarity. People continue to resist injustice, defend human dignity and imagine a world beyond divisions and cruelties.”
The opening event this Sunday takes place at the Central Methodist Mission on Greenmarket Square at 5pm, Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Nomusa Makhubu and Mike van Graan will start the proceedings with a conversation on violence, humanity and renewal.
Defiant Currents, a performance by the Insurrections Ensemble, brings African and Asian musical traditions into discourse. Featuring musicians from South Africa, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and India, the performance explores grief, resistance and hope through music and poetry.
A month-long deep dive
The festival’s programme extends well beyond the opening weekend, confronting some of the most pressing human rights issues of our time.
‘Mother City Housing, Inequality and the Right to the City’, a documentary exploring displacement and the struggle for affordable housing in Cape Town, will screen at Bertha House. ‘Bones’ examines the return of Sarah Baartman’s remains to South Africa, examining colonial violence, women’s dignity and restorative justice.
The programme also makes space for gender justice, with Honouring Women. Demanding Justice brings activists, scholars and community leaders together at the Castle of Good Hope on Tuesday, 1 December, to confront the unfinished struggle for freedom and dignity.
Young people are equally central to the festival. Youth Week, running from Monday, 30 November to Friday, 4 December, will allow approximately 30 participants aged 16 to 29 to discuss rights, identity and community through storytelling, photography, music and theatre.
Other events address Palestinian solidarity, workplace safety, the human cost of war, peaceful conflict resolution and children’s rights.
From community-led gatherings to artistic performances, the festival’s underlying message is: human rights are not abstract ideals. They encompass people’s everyday lives, safety, freedom, histories, and the right to be treated with dignity.
READ: A little village, a whole lot of art: KLiK returns to Kleinmond
More info:
- Events take place at venues including Central Methodist Mission, Bertha House, The Book Lounge, the Castle of Good Hope, Theatre Arts and Magnet Theatre.
- The Living Rights Festival runs from Sunday, 15 November to Tuesday, 15 December 2026. Tickets and bookings are available through Quicket.
- View the full programme on the IFAA website
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