The Human Rights Festival will return to Constitution Hill in Johannesburg from 26 to 29 March 2026, marking its eighth edition as part of South Africa’s Human Rights Month commemorations.
Janine Muthusamy, Marketing Manager at Constitution Hill, told the Saturday Star the festival “seeks to honour the legacy of those who fought for human rights while creating greater awareness of the importance of active citizen participation.”
Muthusamy says the event held in remembrance of the 1960 Sharpeville massacre, will be guided by this year’s theme, “Remembering the Past. Engaging the Present. Shaping a Just Future.”
How does this year’s theme, “Remembering the Past. Engaging the Present. Shaping a Just Future,” translate into tangible impact for communities beyond the four-day festival?
The festival is curated to commemorate national human rights day, however the Heritage and public programmes teams at Constitution Hill run multiple programmes with various partners throughout the year. These programmes are free to attend and include multiple learners programmes based on constitutional education that are executed both at Conhill and nationally through outreach programmes. A living museum and world heritage site is the perfect platform to amplify intergenerational knowledge sharing, heritage legacy and learning.
With major milestones being commemorated, including 30 years of South Africa’s Constitution and 50 years since the Soweto Uprising, how is the festival ensuring these historical moments resonate with younger generations?
The programme has a dedicated children’s zone which provides educational play in new ways. Children will learn about their rights and responsibilities through visual art creation sessions, performing art sessions (theatre, drama and poetry done by kids and children’s storytellers.) Play Africa will provide constitutional education playful learning activities such as the imagination playground, my constitution and clay pottery. Children’s and Learners' programmes are conducted by Play Africa which is based at Constitution Hill together with tours of the museum all of which teach liberation heritage to younger minds.
What measurable outcomes or long-term initiatives emerge from the festival to ensure that conversations around human rights lead to sustained action and policy influence?
The festival provides a space for dialogue and workshops around tangible actions in human rights. It attracts multiple organisations who conduct these session and exhibit at the festival. Their sessions inform solution making and provide the public with information on support and actions that can be taken to seek help. These initiatives continue past the festival on an annual basis in the form of public programmes. Some examples of these are organisations are: Greenpeace Africa; FEW (LGTBQIA Rights Organisation), KAAX (Anti Xenophobia), Gender Rights In Tech (Anti GBVF and Safety), Lawyers for Human Rights; Amnesty International and more.
How are grassroots organisations, activists and ordinary citizens being empowered through the festival’s platforms such as Activism Row, dialogues and workshops?
Constitution Hill see’s it role as a lekgotla as being critical to bringing ordinary citizens face to face with social justice organisations by hosting these exhibitions, public dialogues and workshops at no charge. The programme this year offers 48 one and a half hour workshops and dialogues and has over 40 organisations that will be present at the Activism Row. Many attendees find organisations that provide free services in difference areas that assist them with challenges they face.
Given ongoing social challenges in South Africa, how does the festival balance celebration and reflection with addressing current human rights issues facing vulnerable communities?
The programme is curated very carefully to ensure that current affairs are part of the topics that are selected. The inclusion of the two day Visions of Freedom film festival, Words of Freedom performing arts segment that includes theatre and poetry and art exhibitions, allow the public to reflect and learn whilst being entertained. Constitution Hill also grants access to all museum spaces during the event which allows the public to remember the rights we enjoy today and how they were once hard fought for.
What can the public look forward to at this year’s festival and which key highlights or experiences should attendees not miss?
The 1000 Drums for Solidarity event kicks off the programme on the 28th of March 2026. In it’s third year it is a call to come together and show solidarity for those who suffer human rights injustices both here and across the world. The Kids Zone offers multiple activities, developmental play, story times and performances to keep young minds entertained.
The two day Film Festival on March 27 and 28 brings local and international films that speak to human rights through screening sessions that will be hosted at the festival.
The Gauteng Curated Market on the 28th and 29th of March is a unique opportunity to explore Gauteng’s creative talent and showcases fashion, wellness, art and more.
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za
Saturday Star
