Dr Anna Marazuela Kim addresses the theme of Culture as a Human Right to open Oslo World 2022, an international festival dedicated to showcasing global artistic and cultural expressions
Date: 9 November 2022
Dr Anna Marazuela Kim, Associate Lecturer in the School of Art, Architecture and Design and member of the Centre for Creative Arts, Cultures and Engagement, was invited to give the keynote speech to open the 29th edition of Oslo World 2022, a week-long celebration of music and programming convening artists, activists, industry professionals and the public. The event was held at the Nobel Peace Center.
Dr Kim, who teaches on the Public Art and Performance MA, is an international advisor for culture tapped for her expertise on the power of culture in times of conflict and its role in fostering civic agency.
Her presentation charted the strengthening of cultural rights and creative expression within a universal human rights framework over the past 70 years, to argue that arts and culture - far from elite values - are actually fundamental to our humanity and also to its future.
A member of Institutes of Advanced Study and multidisciplinary research groups in the US, UK and Europe for over a decade, Dr Kim is committed to advocating for culture and bringing academic expertise to wider publics.
Dr Kim was invited to Oslo by the festival director of 17 years, Alexandra Archetti Stølen, whom she shared the opening panel with at Tallinn Music Week in May on The impact of music in crisis in conflict, a discussion especially dedicated to Ukraine.
With regard to her participation in these recent festivals, Dr Kim notes, "both Oslo World and Tallinn Music Week are exceptional, visionary events that give a platform to diverse cultural expression and political debates with the aim of increasing mutual understanding across the world.
"As someone deeply committed to advocating for the arts and culture, it's a tremendous privilege to be part of them and especially to speak at the Nobel Peace Center, which is dedicated to freedom of expression."
