Beacons of Hope & A Gallery of Human Rights

The project addresses the goals of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and makes ecological, social, and human rights issues visible, tangible, and experiential through theatre, dance, and performance.
Within the project, students explore issues such as sustainable consumption, climate protection, protection of natural habitats, social justice, human rights, and fair working conditions in an inquiry-based, creative way.
The project is based on creative, and participatory learning. Students conduct research on SDGs, write monologues and dialogues, develop roles and characters, and translate their findings into tableaux, statue theatre, moving sculptures, dance sequences, and performances. Media education plays a central role through the production of a project and promotional film, and public documentation.

Peer learning and peer teaching strengthen collaboration, democratic participation, and self-efficacy.

Project Idea & Pedagogical Approach: The project focuses on life in contemporary society and the responsible treatment of nature, and resources. Through aesthetic and emotional approaches, complex global relationships become understandable and personally meaningful. The goal is to foster environmental awareness, responsibility, and action competence, linking global challenges with students’ own everyday lives. The SDGs serve as a framework for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and support sustainable school development in line with the ÖKOLOG and UNESCO school profile.

Project Overview: The project “Beacons of Hope & A Gallery of Human Rights” is an interdisciplinary environmental education initiative that uses artistic and performative methods to explore the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In times of global ecological, social, and humanitarian challenges, students are encouraged to develop awareness, responsibility, and the courage to take a stand. Through theatre, dance, performance, language, and media work, complex global issues become visible and emotionally accessible.
Students act as multipliers and beacons of hope, making sustainability, human rights, and environmental responsibility visible in public spaces.

Content-related SDGs
• No Poverty
• Zero Hunger
• Good Health and Well-being
• Responsible Consumption and Production
• Human Rights and Fair Working Conditions
• Social Justice and Equal Opportunities
Environmentally Relevant SDGs
• SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 13 – Climate Action

The artistic outcome is a living gallery of human rights and sustainability, presented in public spaces such as the Schlossberg and the Joanneumsviertel in Graz. In these performances, students embody global issues and invite the audience to reflect on the connections between consumer behavior, environmental destruction, and human rights violations. By deliberately placing the performances in public urban spaces, the project brings education beyond the classroom and engages a broad and diverse audience.
The project makes a significant contribution to environmental education, democracy education, and cultural education. It promotes empathy, perspective-taking, and social responsibility, while also fostering creativity, teamwork, and interdisciplinary thinking. Students experience themselves as capable of shaping educational and societal processes, which strengthens motivation and long-term engagement with sustainability issues.
Beacons of Hope & A Gallery of Human Rights also contributes to sustainable school development. The methods, materials, and artistic formats developed during the project are integrated into ongoing teaching and future projects. Environmental and human rights education are thus firmly anchored in the school’s ÖKOLOG and UNESCO profile. The project received very positive feedback from audiences, parents, and media representatives and supports the school’s mission to educate young people as responsible, reflective, and engaged global citizens.
By combining environmental education with artistic expression and public participation, Beacons of Hope demonstrates how schools can act as spaces of transformation and how young people can become beacons of hope for a sustainable and just future.