Tag : Commended

Born in 2008, as a pact between Farah Malik, a Pakistani Muslim, and Dana Arbib, a Libyan Jew, ‘A Peace Treaty’ creates employment for skilled artisans working in places of socio-political strife, which are frequently seen only negatively by the media. They work in Afghanistan, Nepal and Pakistan,...

Ai Wei Wei has used his prominence as an artist to be a vocal critic of Chinese repression of free speech and human rights. He has used his artwork and his social media presence to push authorities for greater honesty and transparency. He is also very vocal in his defence of other Chinese advocates...

Alessandro spent five weeks at the heart of the Libyan uprisings, capturing the spirit of the rebels, the war and the daily struggle for survival of those living through conflict. He suffered numerous risks on the frontline of a war to capture these images and bring them to the world, wanting to...

If every fifth citizen of the world is an Indian, every fifth Indian is a dalit : an untouchable who, despite strict laws, faces severe human rights abuses. This collaborative project seeks to (belatedly) engage the world with the debilitating effects of the caste system. The artists seek to change...

Brian seeks to explore war from the perspective of children living in its day-to-day reality. Following children in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank as they work with therapists to unlock and articulate their experiences through creativity, ‘War Toys’ is a series of photographs which portray the...

Cia de Dança Balé de Rua is a dance company formed in the streets of a poor neighbourhood in Uberlandia in the centre of Brazil – a common dream of a group of friends who were determined to improve the reality of many young people in the turbulent favelas around them through their creativity and...

Conrad’s work has been focusing on making social change since the early 1970s, acting as a catalyst for discussion on issues from nuclear war to 9/11. Part of his tenure as the official artist of the US Campaign to Ban Landmines, these landmine sculptures are covered in images from popular culture...

David’s work documents the positive results of adherence and access to Anti Retro Viral treatment for HIV/AIDS. His photographs capture the colour, optimism, hope and strength of those he portrays to try and empower both subject and viewer. A change, he believes, from the usual representations of...

De Bruces a Mi use their music to bring a positive message of change to a Colombian society hit hard by poverty, corruption and violence. They call for a spiritual and emotional revolution to bring about real and lasting change in society, demanding equal rights, denouncing injustice and appealing...

Research commissioned for ‘The Lost Girls of South Africa’ found that a young girl born in South Africa is more likely to be raped than she is to complete secondary education. Deborah and Xoliswa were determined to tell the story of some of these victims of sexual abuse in a way that truly...

District Unknown – all under the age of 24 – are the first metal band in Afghanistan, who compose their own music to inspire, challenge and provoke discussion about change and risk amongst the youth of Afghanistan. They face numerous challenges to their work, including threats from the government...

For the last seven years, photographer Espen has travelled the world, documenting the daily lives of refugees, going behind the headlines to countries largely forgotten by the world. He has followed in the footsteps of the 43 million or more people forced from their homes due to lack of action by...

Guy travelled to North Korea in 2001 to supervise the production of animated cartoons, and on his return home, wrote a graphic novel based on his experience. ‘Pyongyang’ offers a rare glimpse into a society that lives under one of the most repressive regimes on earth. It is a humorous narrative...

‘Evidencias’ is an ongoing participatory installation comprising over 200 domestic objects that have been used to perform acts of violence against Mexican women, donated by the women themselves and accompanied by brief written testimonials. Lorena’s work is centred on exposing, denouncing and...

Through intimate interviews, provocative art and rare historical film and video, Lynn’s film reveals how art can address the political consequences of discrimination and violence. She has been working on this project for 42 years, amassing 13,000 minutes of footage, documenting courageous and...

‘Suspended Together’ is an installation that gives the impression of movement and freedom. However, a closer look at the 200 doves reveals that the doves are actually frozen and suspended with no hope of flight. An even closer look shows that each dove carries on its body a permission document that...

Mitra’s work is concerned with the ‘crisis of contemporary culture’ in both West and East, with a particular focus on Iran. Regularly travelling between two different worlds, Mitra often feels that she does not belong in either, and her work looks to provide an insight into how it feels to be an...

Natan’s photographs portray young members of the disenchanted Arab minority in Israel. ‘Eighteen’ is an inside view of a community by a Jewish Israeli man, someone who is perceived by his subjects as the enemy; showing that if he can be accepted into his subjects’ lives, then so can others.

Nermine has spent her life trying to reveal the underbelly of society, searching to show what usually goes unseen. For ‘Metanoia’, she spent three months living, eating and sleeping with the patients of a state-run mental asylum in Cairo, pushing herself to the limits of her creativity and...

Omar is a Syrian-American Hip Hop artist, committed to creating art that entertains, educates and inspires people across the world. He uses his lyrics to raise awareness about issues as wide ranging as war, xenophobia and racial profiling, and his high public profile has allowed him to raise...

ABHA is a not for profit organisation that works with socially excluded women and children in Iran, Afghanistan and Cambodia, using different art forms to increase the awareness for the need for greater social justice, harmony and freedom for everyone, everywhere. They seek to establish creative...

Integrated dance (abled and disabled dancer performing together) is one of the newest art forms in South Africa – and Remix Dance Company are one of the leading practitioners. ‘LovAffair’ had its world premiere at one of the most prestigious venues in Cape Town; a union of dance, drama,...

As many as 500,000 women and children have been victims of rape as a weapon of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Robin travelled there to photograph survivors, record their testimonies of brutal violence and tell their stories of survival. His greatest challenge was to do justice to the...

Rooftop is one of the iconic Zimbabwean theatre companies spearheading the theatre protest movement, who represent a confluence of activism, performance and politics. In the face of constant censorship and unwelcome attention from the state, they continue to tirelessly address contemporary...

Every year millions of young girls are forced into marriage, and although child marriage is outlawed in many countries, the tradition continues. Stephanie’s film is a call to action in the words of the child brides themselves.

‘Preludio’ is a theatre performance by young people aged 16 to 35 in an area seriously impacted by the armed conflicts in Colombia. It represents the tragedies of the past along with hopes for a future of peace. The theatre group was formed in Barrancabermeja, one of the worst conflict affected...

The Thee Nyi Naung Dance Troupe was formed in 2005 and their political humour and criticism of the military junta of Burma attracts large audiences in a country where freedom of expression is systematically restricted. It also attracted the attention of military officials who continue to try to...

‘Domestic Tension’ was inspired by the death of Wafaa’s brother in the Iraq War, closely followed by the loss of his father. Wafaa sequestered himself for one month in a gallery with a paintball gun with which people could shoot at him over the internet, asking people to engage in a dialogue about...

Yahya, a Sudanese refugee in Australia since 2007, constantly strives to raise awareness in his adopted nation of the conflict in Darfur. He often goes without his own comforts in order to support his family and friends back home, and dreams of working for the UN to ensure that no one ever has to...

Right at the heart of the Egyptian Revolution in Tahrir Square, Arabian Knightz have continued to pursue their long standing mission – to push for equality and unity between all religions and colours. ‘Not Your Prisoner’ calls for people to stand up and demand their rights, and ask for the end of...

ShujaazFM is a multimedia project in Kenya comprising a daily radio show, a monthly comic and a heavy social media presence. During Kenya’s 2008 post election violence, most of those caught up were disillusioned youngsters, easily convinced by their leaders that other ethnic communities had wronged...

3 Meters Away are the first Yemeni band to sing Reggae music and have been heavily involved in the cause of the ‘peaceful revolution’, composing and performing special works such as ‘Inhale Freedom’ and ‘I’m Staying Till the Regime Leaves’. Their concerts are free and open to all, and they sing for...

Dalia’s work is a series of photographs focussing on the 17,000 people who went missing during the 1975 -1990 Lebanese Civil War and whose fate is still unknown. She wants to raise awareness about the effects of war on human beings, even decades later, and shed light on the issue of ‘enforced...

Rachel is an artist whose work is energetic, fragile and raw; not least due to her severe visual impairment. She strives to reach out across the world to share her creativity and facilitate opportunities for vulnerable individuals to be heard through creative collaboration. This ongoing project...

Roxana’s book tells the story of her imprisonment as an Iranian-American journalist in Iran and the faith and friendships that got her through her ordeal, calling attention to human rights violations in Iran and calling upon readers to take a stand and act together against injustice. Although she...

The ‘LRA Coming Home Card’ is a simple yet innovative way of directly reaching members of Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Central Africa, which has been terrorising victims for many years. This flier is hung on tree branches in the very heart of the conflict by Invisible Children...

Kaid is a photographer who started the Home School Project to teach art to children in the slums in cities across the world. He photographs the children at the end of each class, provides them with a nutritional meal and displays their photographs and stories in cities across the world, drawing...

Wanlov’s music calls for positive social change across all sections of society, calling for peace, love, access to education, equality for women and accountable leaders. Nominated for ‘Best African Act’ at the MOBO Awards, his music has been used to raise awareness of many issues, including as the...

Ahmed is an actor, comedian and film maker, and one of the pioneers in taking American style standup comedy to the heart of the Middle East, the story of which he tells in his documentary film ‘Just Like Us’. Believing that comedy provides a cross-cultural dialogue for social change, he wants to...

'The Invisibles', a series of four short films by Marc Silver and Gael García Bernal, details the plight of tens of thousands of men, women and children who leave their homes in Central and South America each year to travel across Mexico in search of a better life in the USA. They explore the...

‘Palestyle’ looks to empower female refugees and create awareness of the value and history of handmade embroidery, calligraphy and craft techniques that have been handed down by women from generation to generation. Each Palestyle design, made by a female refugee, is signed off with distinctive...

Kay has developed a unique artistic approach to expose the evils of human trafficking. Her aim is to make visually compelling images that avoid exposing the very people she wishes to help from public stigma or further danger. Using interactive portrait sessions and empathetic listening, she...

Isoko Theatre in Rwanda creates contemporary theatre for human rights and cultural growth in Rwanda. Their company is founded in the spirit of exchange, celebrating Rwandan artists and furthering global peace building, whilst also promoting equality for women and girls. ‘The Monument’ is a play...