Understanding and Doing Equality: Building Synergies between Arts and Human Rights

An International Workshop Organized by Ekaterina Yahyaoui and Honor Tuohy

On May 29, 2025, the Centre for Advanced Study in Sofia, Bulgaria, will host a groundbreaking international workshop titled “Understanding and Doing Equality: Building Synergies between Arts and Human Rights.” Organized by renowned scholars Ekaterina Yahyaoui and Honor Tuohy, this one-day event promises to be a vibrant confluence of interdisciplinary minds dedicated to unpacking the complexities of equality and human rights through the transformative power of the arts.

The Rationale: Why This Workshop Matters

Human rights and equality are universal ideals that resonate across cultures, societies, and political spectrums. Yet, despite their global appeal, these concepts are often interpreted and experienced very differently depending on one’s context—whether political, cultural, or personal. Even within political debates and activism, equality and human rights are wielded in diverse, sometimes contradictory ways, underscoring the deep complexity and multidimensional nature of these ideals. This complexity often makes it difficult to achieve productive public dialogue, mutual understanding, or policy progress.

Compounding this challenge is the highly academic and philosophical discourse surrounding equality, which often uses language that is inaccessible to the general public. Moreover, the lived experience of inequality or discrimination can be difficult to communicate, particularly to those who have never directly experienced it.

This is where the arts step in as a powerful mediator.

The Arts as a Bridge Between Experience and Understanding

Visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, and other creative practices have long played a crucial role in documenting human rights abuses and the realities of discrimination. Beyond mere documentation, the arts offer unique ways to foster empathy, evoke emotional responses, and translate complex human experiences into accessible forms. Artistic expression can create spaces for dialogue, connect communities, and catalyze social change.

However, how exactly can the arts be harnessed most effectively in the service of human rights and equality? What artistic methodologies and approaches best communicate the scientific and philosophical complexities of equality while resonating on a personal and emotional level? Which forms of artistic communication inspire compassion and foster mutual understanding, and can these forms drive positive social transformation?

These are the core questions that Ekaterina Yahyaoui and Honor Tuohy aim to explore at their workshop.

Workshop Goals and Themes

The workshop seeks to investigate and build synergies between the arts and the equality-oriented dimension of human rights by:

• Exploring methodologies that facilitate the sharing of lived experiences of disadvantage through artistic expression to evoke compassion and understanding.
• Examining ways to communicate complex ideas about equality, including its scientific and philosophical dimensions, through art.
• Identifying specific forms and practices of artistic communication that are most effective in creating positive social change.
• Highlighting successful examples of interdisciplinary collaboration between artists, scholars, and activists.

The organizers welcome contributions that are both theoretically informed and empirically grounded. The workshop encourages inter- and transdisciplinary perspectives, emphasizing collaboration among scholars, artists, and human rights activists.

Practical Details

• Date: 29 May 2025
• Venue: Centre for Advanced Study, Sofia, Bulgaria
• Format: One-day in-person workshop with provisions for online attendance under justified circumstances.
• Submission: Participants are required to submit a 1000-word concept paper by 22 May 2025.

The workshop is designed not only as a platform for dialogue and exchange but also as a step toward producing a publishable edited volume. The organizers plan to discuss publication strategies and future collaborative outputs during the event.

Why Attend?

For academics interested in human rights, equality, philosophy, or arts, this workshop offers a unique opportunity to engage with cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and practice. For artists and activists, it is a space to reflect on how creative work can influence and shape human rights discourse and action. For policymakers and practitioners, it provides insights into how artistic interventions might support public understanding and policy initiatives related to equality.

Looking Ahead

Ekaterina Yahyaoui and Honor Tuohy’s initiative addresses a pressing need to rethink how equality and human rights are understood and communicated. By fostering meaningful dialogue between the arts and human rights communities, the workshop aims to contribute to more empathetic, informed, and inclusive public conversations and actions.