Themes

Art and social change is the theme of MoMaC.

We see arts and culture as essential components of a free and democratic society. Both in times of peace and in times of war, arts, culture and media are vital in creating and nurturing a vibrant and engaged civil society through the promotion and celebration of truth, beauty, diversity and imagination. Recognizing the potential that arts and culture has to shape mindsets, particularly on socially and politically contentious issues, ICES will use arts and culture to promote diversity, disseminate key research findings and memorialize key events and concepts.

In the past ICES has used arts and culture as a way of promoting social transformation and reconciliation. This has included the production of documentaries, the publication of literary works, and the organization of film festivals, art exhibitions, writing workshops, and dance and musical performances and workshops.

As with its dialogues, ICES has provided a free and open space for bold and innovative artistic expression spanning all forms – dance, music, theatre, photography, visual arts, film and mass media – often in collaboration with partner organizations working in the arts. As part of its work on reconciliation, transitional justice, gender and social inclusion, ICES will explore the use of the arts and physical and digital creative spaces to facilitate social healing, archive narratives of the past, and build creative spaces for non-recurrence.

The focus areas of MoMaC broadly overlaps with the research strands of the International Centre for Ethnic Studies and is the repository of creative and artistic interventions done in alignment with these themes. They are,

Diversity, Coexistence and Religious Confluence

Social Inclusion and Vulnerability

Justice, Memory and Reconciliation

Rights and Institutional Reform

Inclusive Economies and Sustainable Growth

Gender: both as a separate programmatic intervention and as a crosscutting issue