Ministry of Culture to Connect Human Rights and Arts in "2026 European Taiwan Cultural Year"

(Central News Agency reporter Zhao Jingyu, Taipei, 30th) Following the success of the "2025 European Taiwan Cultural Year," the Ministry of Culture will continue to host the "2026 European Taiwan Cultural Year" activities in over 10 European countries this year, focusing on "human rights advocacy" and "arts and culture promotion" to showcase Taiwan's diverse and profound cultural landscape. The Ministry of Culture announced today in a press release that the "2026 European Taiwan Cultural Year" activities will include the "European Taiwan Human Rights Film Festival" and will collaborate with key European arts and cultural institutions and universities to jointly plan large-scale Taiwanese arts and cultural performances. It is hoped that through in-depth discussions on Taiwan's human rights issues, Taiwan's diverse and rich cultural connotations will be further demonstrated. The Ministry of Culture stated that human rights and transitional justice are precisely the issues and core values that connect and deepen Taiwan's ties with the world. One of the main themes of this year's Cultural Year, the "European Taiwan Human Rights Film Festival," kicked off in March at the Czech "One World International Human Rights Film Festival," initiating a deeper dialogue between Taiwan's human rights issues and the international community. The Ministry of Culture will cooperate with international film festivals and arts and cultural institutions to promote Taiwan's human rights advocacy through film, including the UK Asian Queer Film Festival in April, the German Taiwan Democracy Image Documentary Exhibition and Spain's "Taiwan LGBTQ+ Pride Film Special" in May, the Helsinki Film Festival in Finland in September, the German MOVE IT! Human Rights Film Festival in November, and the Polish WATCH DOCS. International Human Rights Film Festival in December, screening Taiwanese films focusing on human rights issues. To further highlight the diverse facets and profound heritage of Taiwanese culture, the European Taiwan Cultural Year activities will systematically introduce Taiwan's art, film, literature, and thought, including a series of "Walking with Taiwan" activities in April in cooperation with Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania, a "Taiwan Culture Festival" in June in cooperation with KU Leuven in Belgium, and a "Taiwan Export" literature promotion program in August in cooperation with the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations in France. In addition, in September, the TAIWAN DAY European tour will be held, where the General Association of Chinese Culture will invite Ho Hsiao-Mei Dance Company, Gong Le Xuan, and Lei Sheng Traditional Arts Theater to perform in Austria, Poland, and Hungary. Through the cross-disciplinary combination of contemporary dance and traditional art formations, the aim is to deepen the cultural ties between Taiwan and Central Europe, allowing European society to better understand Taiwan's rich and diverse cultural connotations. The Ministry of Culture also invited Yen Po-Chun, the lead visual designer for the 2024 Cultural Olympiad Taiwan Pavilion, to create a new visual imagery design. Based on the core concept of "Culture Tag," it integrates flag imagery with geometric vocabulary, using purple symbolizing the Ministry of Culture's morning glory motif and yellow from the EU flag's golden stars, subtly embedding the letters T (Taiwan) and E (Europe). The Ministry of Culture stated that through the European Taiwan Cultural Year's screening and performance series, Taiwan's values of freedom and human rights will be highlighted, and by combining the cultural capabilities of European academic partners, deep dialogue with European society will be initiated, demonstrating the continuous flow and profound connection of Taiwanese culture in the international arena, and allowing various European countries to see Taiwan's core values of freedom, openness, and inclusive diversity. (Editor: Chen Ching-Fang) 1150430