IHRAF FESTIVAL: QUEENS 2026

A beautiful review of the Festival in Theatre Beyond Broadway!

Producer, artist, and activist Tom Block opened the evening by introducing artists working under extraordinarily difficult circumstances in Uganda, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Afghanistan, and Syria. His words immediately placed the evening within a larger human-rights conversation. In many parts of the world, artists risk punishment simply for expressing an idea, sharing a poem, or making work that challenges the status quo. Here, art becomes more than entertainment. It becomes testimony, resistance, connection, and a way of imagining positive social change.

Block, who created the International Human Rights Art Movement, has made that intersection of creativity and activism central to his work. The evening reflected that mission through performances exploring environmentalism, Indigenous identity, climate change, spirituality, humor, and our enduring need to connect.

Check the full review out HERE!