IHRAF unveils 60 performances for eighth annual festival in New York

The International Human Rights Art Festival will stage 12 performance blocks and 60 performances from Dec. 7-13 at wild project in New York City. The lineup spans theatre, dance, spoken word, music and performance art, with tickets priced at $25.

Why it matters: - The International Human Rights Art Festival is using its eighth annual edition to connect artists and activists around human rights themes. - The festival’s 60 performances offer a broad public platform for work centered on LGBTQIA+ rights, women, immigration, civil disobedience and other social issues. - Ticket access is set at a relatively low $25, which can widen attendance for a weeklong New York City arts event.

What happened: - The International Human Rights Art Festival announced its complete 2026 program on Nov. 10. - The festival will run Dec. 7-13, 2026, at wild project, 195 E. 3rd Street in New York City. - The program includes 12 performance blocks and 60 performances. - Tickets are available through the festival ticket page.

The details: - The schedule opens Monday, Dec. 7, with the Short Play Festival at 7 p.m. - Tuesday, Dec. 8, features Celebration of LGBTQIA+ at 7 p.m. - Wednesday, Dec. 9, includes Celebration of Women at 7 p.m. and Celebration of Human Rights at 8:30 p.m. - Thursday, Dec. 10, includes Celebration of Immigration at 7 p.m. and Celebration of Becoming at 8:30 p.m. - Friday, Dec. 11, includes Civil Disobedience, curated by Dakota Silvey, at 7 p.m. and EVERYTHING IS UNDER CONTROL, curated by ArteEast, at 8:30 p.m. - Saturday, Dec. 12, includes a 3 p.m. curated event by Mare Nostrum Elements and And Scene, curated by Mick Szal, at 7 p.m. - Sunday, Dec. 13, closes with Short Performance Festival at 3 p.m. and Purposeful Bodies Together in Hope, curated by BodyStories: Teresa Fellion, at 7 p.m. - The festival spans theatre, dance, spoken word, music and performance art. - The festival is the founding and signature event of the International Human Rights Art Movement. - Tom Block founded the festival at Dixon Place in New York in March 2017. - Block is described as a 50-times produced playwright, author of 13 books and a visual artist with more than 25 years of exhibition history. - Block has presented his plays, artwork and ideas across the United States, Canada, Europe, Turkey and the Middle East. - Costanza Bugiani is the festival’s assistant producer. - Bugiani is an Italian theatre-maker who moved to the U.S. six years ago. - Bugiani co-founded Teatro del Mantice in Florence. - Bugiani co-produced sweet prince, which is currently touring the Northeast, and Hamlet at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York in August 2022 with Junkyard Shakespeare. - Bugiani worked as a Covid Safety Manager at Paper Mill Playhouse during 2022. - Bugiani worked as a temporary intern at The Tank in 2023. - Bugiani attended the Summer Intensive Program at Atlantic Acting School in 2024. - Bugiani is the associate producer for In Scena! Italian Theater Festival in New York.

Between the lines: - The festival’s theme-driven structure suggests an effort to frame performance as civic engagement, not just entertainment. - The lineup mixes curated events with festival blocks, which can help attract different audiences and artistic communities. - The human rights focus gives the festival a clear identity in New York’s crowded arts calendar.

What's next: - The festival will continue rolling out across seven days in December. - Organizers are promoting the event through the festival website and social channels as ticket sales move forward. - The final lineup points to a program built for audiences interested in arts programming tied to activism and public issues.

The bottom line: - IHRAF is turning its eighth annual festival into a weeklong showcase of performance rooted in human rights, with 60 shows and a broad mix of artists, curators and social themes.