Human Rights Watch

Royal Court special focus 2002 creates link with Human Rights Watch

International Playwrights at the Royal Court in March 2002 happened to coincide with the annual Human Rights Watch Film Festival in London. This event is one of the highlights of the London and New York calendars each year.

The idea was introduced by John Studzinski, Founder and Chairman of Genesis and also UK Chairman of Human Rights Watch, that the Royal Court might link forces with the human rights charity and provide a focus that would be a kind of theatrical equivalent to the HWR film work.

In the event, several short plays were commissioned for platform reading both at the Royal Court on special evenings and also in cinemas where HWR films were being shown. The mix was very successful and certainly the play Plasticine by Vassily Sigarev (which went on to win much praise and major prizes) was a suitably themed drama. HWR and the Royal Court are in discussion about future collaborations.

Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. Human Rights Watch stands with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom, to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice.

For more information about the organization and about its film festivals call +44 (0)20 7713 1995 or visit http://www.hrw.org.