This innovative summer school, held in Seville, Spain, from June 23 to 27, 2025, was the result of a collaboration between the University of Seville and the Human Rights Research and Education Centre (HRREC). The goal of this course is to explore issues around the arts as a manifestation of human rights and as an instrument for the promotion of human rights and social justice.
The program was led by the Academic Committee, consisting of Professor John Packer (Associate professor of law and former HRREC Director – 2014-2025), Professor Ramón Blanco-Barrera (Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Seville, and HRREC Fellow), María del Mar García Jiménez (Assistant Professor, University of Seville), as well as Viviana Fernandez (HRREC Associate Director). Additional contributions as instructors during the summer school were made by HRREC members Oonagh Fitzgerald and Omid Milani (Fellows), as well as Van Armenian (Student member).
We are pleased to present a short interview conducted by Viviana Fernandez with Ana Fox, undergraduate student in the Faculties of Arts and Law, and Van Armenian, Ph.D. candidate in Interdisciplinary Research in Music, to talk about their experience at the Summer School on Arts and Human Rights.
Firstly, Ana, from your perspective as a student participant, how did you find the overall program? And how many of the activities were you able to attend?
Ana: I found the program really well-balanced, especially in terms of structure and interaction. Rather than limiting participants to passive listening, it created space for dialogue between us and with the invited speakers. I found that this encouraged reflection and critical questioning throughout our conversations.
What also struck me was that the activities weren't limited to the presentation rooms; the various outings and events invited us to discover Seville in a more direct way, and I participated in all of them. I feel that the program fostered genuine connection. Looking back, it's the relationships and the supportive atmosphere that leave me with the warmest memories of this experience.
Van, you were an instructor and a participant in the micro-certification program in Seville. Could you start by explaining what "degenociding" means in your work and how you introduced the concept to the other participants during the week?
Van: Basically, . For example, in what is now called Canada, it involves creating Indigenous-led spaces where Canadians are taught about Indigenous worldviews and artistic expressions. It’s about taking responsibility for undoing some of the damage caused by colonialism—really, about passing on a better, more dignified Canadian identity to our children. Human dignity, of course, is a foundational aspect of human rights frameworks.
How did the other experts, guest lecturers, and students react to your ideas about degenociding? Did you feel that the concept resonated well with the group at certain point?
Van: The response was truly exciting and encouraging. What I found most interesting was the opportunity to discuss colonialism with people from different parts of the world—Western Sahara, Peru, Spain, and Canada in particular—and to realize that the challenges faced by colonized peoples are remarkably similar, often even interchangeable.
My co-instructor, the Catalan composer Montserrat Torras, delved deeply into the Spanish psyche when it comes to confronting—or avoiding—the legacy of colonization. There is an apparent pride in the accomplishments of imperial conquest, which struck me (and Montserrat) as a powerful dissonance in Spanish identity politics that needs to be addressed. There is obviously much work to be done in Spain to first recognize the depth of destruction imperial conquest has wrought on the world and to come to terms with its past—very much like the work we must do in Canada.
Looking ahead, where do you see the concept of degenociding going next—both in academic spaces and in community or artistic practice?
Van: My hope is that degenociding will add a useful element to decolonization efforts by inviting non-Indigenous guests on Indigenous lands to act as better guests—as dignified guests. For degenociding to work, systemic change is needed, and I hope the philosophy behind it can help inform both policy and education in Canada, for starters.
Ana: Van, I was particularly interested in how you suggested degenociding could be implemented in Canada—through music. Your experience as a professional violinist seemed to resonate with this idea.
Van: Yes, as a musician I understand the power of music. From my research it seems that dedicating an independent space for Indigenous music in K–12 education could really change how Canadians think about the lands they live on for the better!
Our program provided an ideal environment to explore these possibilities and learn how the arts can intersect with human rights. Thanks to the embodied knowledge they provide, arts not only amplify human rights narratives, but also motivate people to act.
Let’s go back to you now, Ana. What drew you to participate in this program, and what did you hope to gain from it?
Ana: As an artist, I’ve always been interested in how creativity can be more than just an expression and how it can become a tool for visibility, innovation, and change. My fine art practice and project initiatives already explore these themes with a strong focus on human rights. For this reason, I was naturally drawn to —and honestly excited about— participating in this program.
It was also an opportunity to meet other artists and researchers from diverse backgrounds who offered interesting perspectives on the connection between art, human rights and social justice. What I hoped to gain from this experience was to explore how art can actively engage with these issues in practice and in dialogue.
Could you share an example of how one of the visits or discussions deepened your understanding of the course material?
Ana: I don’t think it was just one visit or discussion. The whole week made it clear to me how much arts, human rights, and social justice are connected—through our discussions during event trips, speaker presentations, and museum visits. It was the combination of all these experiences that helped me truly understand the concepts of the course material.
Van, what aspect of being in Seville stood out to you the most in the context of your work? Was it a fitting location for this kind of program?
Van: It was almost surreal to discuss colonialism just steps away from where Columbus prepared to set sail for the “Americas”—or, more precisely, where the idea of finding a new route to India was sold to the Spanish Crown, and where orders were later given to claim any “empty” lands for the King.
Seville is also an intensely artistic city, with beautiful expressions of the region’s finest art. Yet, it was a bit a bit eerie to see these behemoth cathedrals and lavish gardens, as beautiful and impressive as they were, knowing they were made possible through subjugation and slavery.
On a more positive note, Seville is also the birthplace of Bartolomé de las Casas, an important contemporary of Columbus who defended Indigenous Peoples’ rights. In fact, many scholars consider him a pioneering voice in international human rights thought. In that sense, Seville is not only an appropriate location for the course, but perhaps the best possible and most meaningful place to reflect on how to begin undoing the damage that, in many ways, began there.
Ana, we’d like to ask you the same question!
Ana: What struck me most about Seville was its culture and how close-knit and connected the people are. One of my favourite memories was from one of the evening activities recommended by the program, closer to the end of the course. Ramon, who was the main organizer and a professor at the University of Seville, took us to an incredible, almost hidden spot where local artists gather.
What made it so remarkable was its authenticity; it wasn’t polished or staged—it felt real, raw, and alive. The spot was genuinely part of the city’s creative vibe, with live music, local art, events, and a strong sense of belonging. It was such a unique experience because that kind of cultural connection was deeply inspirational to me. I want to bring that into my own work: creating spaces that foster identity and community rather than isolation.
If you were speaking with other students who are considering this program, what would you tell them about why it’s worth attending? How was living in Seville for a week?
Ana: I would tell them, “Don’t even question it!”. This program is highly recommended and worth attending. Everything about it stood out to me, from the course itself to the food, the culture, the events, the art, and even the great walkable accommodations provided by the program. It all came together as such a rich experience.
Living in Seville for a week felt like being immersed not just in a course, but in a whole way of life and culture. The program was designed with a great balance—it touched on history, culture, the arts, the present, and how to carry it into the future. It allowed us to apply what we learned to our work. Students could never gain this kind of experience in a typical classroom or online setting.
Van, from your perspective, is there anything you would like to add?
Van: As we discussed in Seville throughout the week, human rights are in crisis today. There are no longer any guarantees, especially for the most vulnerable. This forward-thinking program, developed by HRREC and the University of Seville, places the arts front and centre as a powerful mechanism to advance human rights.
Through this course, students and experts discovered concrete ways to do so. As Ana expressed so eloquently, the arts connect people across diverse communities by revealing the common threads that bind us together—a connection so very much needed today. The arts help “rehumanize” those who have been dehumanized.
As John Packer—who coincidentally completed his tenure as director of the HRREC the week we were in Seville—reminded us, the arts can play an important role in human fulfillment, which is another fundamental human right.
“As an artist, I’ve always been interested in how creativity can be more than just an expression and how it can become a tool for visibility, innovation, and change.”
Ana Fox
“This forward-thinking program, developed by HRREC and the University of Seville, places the arts front and centre as a powerful mechanism to advance human rights.”
Van Armenian