Capres Turner

6.37 Exploring the Role of Art in Shaping Human Rights Education: A UK-Based Pilot Study with Post-16 Pupils (Paper)

Capres Turner – Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain

Abstract:

This research investigates the impact of art as a pedagogical tool for human rights education (HRE) among young people aged 16–18 in the United Kingdom. Recognizing that traditional education often prioritizes academic knowledge over holistic skill development, this study explores how engagement with art-based stimuli can foster critical thinking, empathy, and global awareness. Through a digital art exhibition centred on the human rights violations linked to mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), participants will engage in discussions around ethical consumerism, global interconnectivity, and systemic inequalities. The study utilizes a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys with qualitative semi-structured interviews, to measure shifts in human rights engagement and perception. The findings aim to inform policy recommendations for embedding human rights education within curricula through artistic mediums.

This research is supported by the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the University of Cyprus and aligns with anti-oppressive, inclusive education practices. By integrating the arts into human rights pedagogy, this project seeks to empower young people with the skills and awareness needed for active global citizenship.

12.14 Unearthed Futures: Voices from the Democratic Republic of Congo (Art Project)

Capres Turner – Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain | UNESCO Paris, France

Abstract:

This online digital exhibition explores the intersections of art, human rights, and social justice activism, using visual storytelling to shed light on the hidden costs of technology. Through a curated selection of artworks, photography, and digital media, the exhibition uncovers the human rights violations linked to coltan and other mineral mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Coltan is a valuable mineral essential for the production of smartphones and other electronic devices.

By immersing viewers in the realities of exploitation and environmental destruction, the exhibition challenges participants to think critically about their role in the global supply chain and the ethical dilemmas surrounding modern technology consumption. It presents art as a form of resistance and activism, emphasizing how creative expression can spark dialogue, foster empathy, and inspire collective action.

Accompanying the exhibition is a mixed-methods research project engaging young people aged 16–18 from diverse UK backgrounds, measuring the impact of artistic engagement on critical thinking, global awareness, and social responsibility. Through this interactive and reflective experience, the exhibition invites audiences to see art not just as a medium of expression but as a powerful tool for advocacy, education, and change.

Foreword: 

By centering the voices of those directly affected, the exhibition provides a platform for Congolese artists, activists, and community members to tell their stories through visual art, photography, and music. The exhibition aims to act as a transmitter, stimulating conversation, engagement, and responsibility among global audiences. Viewers are encouraged to reflect on their roles as consumers, the broader structures of capitalism and colonialism, and the power of resistance and solidarity. Rather than dictating the selection, the curation process prioritises the artists’ autonomy, encouraging them to choose the pieces they feel best contribute to the conversation we are fostering. This approach ensures that the exhibition is artist-led and grounded in authentic expression rather than external imposition.

Artworks:

1. Cyberflore, 2025. 80/60cm. Mixed media, Acrylic on canvas. Thierry Vahwere Croco @tvcrokiarts

2. The Call of Leaves, 2025. 100/90cm. Acrylic on canvas. Benjamin Baharanyi @baharanyi_benjamin

3. Rétroviseur, 2025. 160/120cm. Acrylic on canvas. Justin Kaserka @kumbuka_kasereka

4. Shape of Broken Hope [undated]. Acrylic on canvas. Justin Kaserka @kumbuka_kasereka

5. Transmission, 2024. 140/100cm. Acrylic on canvas. Thierry Vahwere Croco @tvcrokiarts

For the full digital exhibition, please visit: www.humanoidarchives.wordpress.com

Descriptions:

Thierry Vahwere Croco: An unfinished metamorphosis between human and machine. These hybrid figures reveal a palpable tension, a subtle imbalance that raises questions about our collective future. The computer parts, cut and fragmented, mingle with human organs, creating a striking dialogue between what is natural and what is artificial. It is a direct confrontation, a mirror of the transformations and irreversible impacts that human activities, particularly in exploited mining areas, inflict on our planet. In this series, the artist highlights water pollution, the destruction of ecosystems, and the visible and invisible scars left by an insatiable quest for resources. His works strongly denounce while offering a glimmer of hope: that of a moment of pause, of introspection, where humans can still choose to repair the broken links between themselves and their environment. This series is a reflection on our responsibility and an invitation to rethink the boundary between technological progress and the preservation of our natural world.

Justin Kaserka @kumbuka_kasereka: “REVIVAL” (Renaissance) explores a profound quest for transformation and reconciliation. The women of Congo, bearers of a history marked by their resilience in the face of war, become the muses of this renewal. Like cherry blossoms in spring, they symbolize beauty, fragility, and the hope of rebirth. The painting captures that precise moment when pain transforms into hope, when the buds of peace emerge from the arid soil of adversity. The contrast between the delicate petals of the cherry trees, foreign to Congolese lands, and the faces marked by strength. Their unlikely coexistence evokes the duality of life: gentleness and violence, beauty and suffering. This fragile harmony transcends borders and eras, revealing the power of art. At the same time, the ephemeral season of Japanese spring reminds us that everything is cyclical. As in human history, conflicts and hopes follow one another. “Renaissance” invites each of us to cultivate our own inner garden, to let our flowers of resilience bloom. Despite wars, life always finds its way to the light.

Benjamin Baharanyi @baharanyi_benjamin: This pays homage to the silent power of trees, their resilience, their dance between life, loss, and rebirth. As Chad Sugg so aptly puts it: “Love trees until their leaves fall, then encourage them to try again next year.” Trees are living witnesses to our shared future. They teach us patience, regeneration, and above all, interdependence.

Congo We Are All Suffering, 2025. Music Video. Dogo Browny – Invisible Kids Academy @invisible_kids_academy243. This young rapper from Goma uses his talent to shed light on the struggles and injustices faced by Congolese people every day. From child soldiers to exploited women and stolen resources, it’s time the world listens and takes action.