Celebrating International Human Rights Day

From December 8 to 10, 2025, Conflict Textiles, Ulster University, INCORE, Queen's University Belfast, and the Tower Museum collaborated on a three-day programme honouring International Human Rights Day. This initiative highlighted the power of textiles and film in addressing human rights issues.

Participants included film students, researchers, activists, curators, and community members, all exploring how textiles and film can serve as vehicles for memory, truth, and justice. Events included film screenings, workshops, exhibitions, and discussions.

On December 10, the Derry-Londonderry Ulster University Campus hosted a special event featuring short films curated by Cinematic Arts student Jessica Buchanan and PhD researcher Tabassum Islam. Following the screenings, attendees engaged in a thought-provoking discussion with filmmaker Esther Vital, Roberta Bacic from Conflict Textiles, and Professors Élise Féron and Brandon Hamber from INCORE. 

The event underscored the vital role of film in fostering community dialogue around human rights. 

Conflict Textiles has curated a page with all the links and events.

Difficult Conversations

In April 2023, I participated in a Panel Discussion entitled “Difficult Conversations”, discussing textiles as a “language”, drawing on the work of Conflict Textiles. 

The panel included Professor Paul Seawright and Dr Sandra Johnston from Ulster University, as well as poet Dr Paul Collis and Dr Jen Crawford from the University of Canberra. 

The difficult conversations project was co-developed, co-curated and co-produced by a team representing the British Council, the University of Canberra and Ulster University.  

Coming out of the event Roberta Bacic I published.

Hamber, B., & Bacic, R. (2023). Textile Language for Difficult Conversations: Reflecting on the Conflict Textiles Collection. In Ursula K Frederick, Ashley Harrison, Tracy Ireland and Justin Magee (Eds). Difficult Conversations. British Council: London [Download].

Reflecting on Masculinities Through the Eye of the Needle

The Textile Language of Conflicts Exhibition launched today (6 November 2017) at the Magee Campus, Ulster University. The exhibition was curated by Roberta Bacic and organised by Professor Robinson. I gave the keynote address at the opening entitled "Reflecting on Masculinities Through the Eye of the Needle". The talk can be listened to below.