the production
About The People Speak
The People Speak was inspired by Howard Zinn’s groundbreaking books A People’s History of the United States and Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
A U.S documentary film version of The People Speak in 2009, produced by Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Chris Moore, Anthony Arnove, and Howard Zinn, and co-directed by Moore, Arnove and Zinn, featured dramatic and musical performances by, among others, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Danny Glover, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Don Cheadle, Eddie Vedder, Harris Yulin, John Legend, Josh Brolin, Kathleen Chalfant, Kerry Washington, Lupe Fiasco, Marisa Tomei, Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman, P!nk, Sean Penn, and Viggo Mortensen. Live readings have also featured Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Morello, James Earl Jones, Patti Smith, and many other leading artists.
A U.K documentary version in 2011 was directed by Colin Firth and Anthony Arnove and featured, among others, Arundhati Roy, Ben Kingsley, Benjamin Zephaniah, Ian McKellen, Joss Stone, Juliet Stevenson, Keira Knightley, Nonso Anozie, Omid Djalili, Owen Teale, Rupert Everett, Stephen Rea, Teddy Thompson, Tom Hickey and Tom Robinson. It aired on History UK / Sky and also became a book by Canongate, edited by Firth and Arnove, titled The People Speak.
The Peformers
Confirmed performers include Stephen Rea, Fionnula Flanagan, Tommy Tiernan, and Susan McKeown.
The Performances
The People Speak brings to life the extraordinary history of ordinary people who built the movements that made the United States what it is today, ending slavery and Jim Crow, protesting war and the genocide of Native Americans, creating trade unions and the eight-hour work day, advancing women’s rights and gay liberation, and struggling to right wrongs of the day.
Since 2003, there have been more than 100 performances in over 20 U.S states. Performers range from students and community organizers to artists such as Black Thought from The Roots, Mos Def, Danny Glover, Steve Earle, Wyclef Jean, Sarah Jones, Robert Redford, Tim Robbins, Mark Ruffalo, Wallace Shawn, Patti Smith, Kurt Vonnegut, Kerry Washington, Floyd Red Crow Westerman, and Alfre Woodard.
Art for Amnesty
Art for Amnesty is a global community of artists of all disciplines and nationalities who share Amnesty International’s vision of a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. It is home to the world’s storytellers, those willing to shine a light on injustice by using visual or fine art, film, literature, poetry, music, photography, design or performance to express what it means to be human.
Today, recording artists like Chvrches, John Legend and Burkinabe rapper Smarty join celebrated symphony orchestras, luminaries from the contemporary art world, south American authors, middle eastern street artists, Hollywood movie stars, south Asian film-makers; creators everywhere lending their voice to Amnesty International’s campaigns to end abuses of human rights.
Amnesty International has consistently promoted freedom of speech and expression for artists all over the world. It has helped garner international attention and win personal freedom for those like legendary Nigerian musician Fela Kuti and Russian punk band Pussy Riot, whose governments sought to silence them.
Today, as Amnesty’s movement of human rights defenders continues to grow throughout Africa, Asia-Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, Art for Amnesty responds with a curtain call for artists on the global stage in the digital age.