A Poem by Andres Camilo Madariaga

When we sent out an open call to have workers submit a picture of themselves, we also asked them what essential work meant to them. Here, Andres Camilo Madariaga, restaurant worker & volunteer at the Greater New Haven Cat Project, wrote a poem on what essential work means to him:

What Essential Work Means to Me, by Andres Camilo Madariaga

Sometimes we forget, as we go on with our daily life, all the essential workers still selflessly serving all of us. The same essential workers that sacrifice themselves and their time-- every day-- so we all have a better life. 

The farmers and restaurant...

Building the Stage: An Interview with a Stagehand

An interview with Jim Shea, Business Agent for IATSE LOCAL 74 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees 

 

As the steel skeleton of the Festival’s iconic stage rose on the Green this week before the return of in-person programming on Friday, a crew of workers lifted beams, laid floor, and--quite literally--set the stage.  

These are workers for Local 74 for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the stagehand’s union, and they work behind the scenes across southern Connecticut to bring theater, concerts, graduations, and other live events to life. 

We caught...

Where to Get your Copy of Joy Harjo's AN AMERICAN SUNRISE for the NEA BIG READ

The International Festival of Arts & Ideas invites you to join us as we celebrate US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo's An American Sunrise, the Festival’s choice for the 2021 NEA Big Read. Harjo’s poems sing of beauty and survival, illuminating a spirituality that connects her to her ancestors and thrums with the quiet anger of living amid the ruins of injustice. 

 The Festival is partnering with the New Haven community to offer free events highlighting the book’s themes. This year’s programming will include Native Writers in Conversation, a panel discussion on New England’s rich Indigenous literary...

Five Poems by US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo

Imagine with the Festival May 14 - June 27, 2021

In 2020, The International Festival of Arts & Ideas reinvented its summer Festival at the last second, launching a 2-month virtual extravaganza of 200+ events that drew more than 120,000 people from throughout the world. Now, the Festival is taking what it learned from its 2020 virtual programming and stepping into the future, listening to their local and global communities to Imagine 2021 together.

A predominantly virtual festival, Festival 2021 will take place May 14 - June 27, 2021, and its 200+ events—80% free—will feature such luminaries as Jacob’s Pillow-awardee choreographer Ronald K...

Interview with Artistic Director & Choreographer Ronald K. Brown

Dancer, choreographer, and Jacob's pillow awardee Ronald K. Brown is known for his innovative and community-oriented choreography. As head of EVIDENCE: A Dance Company, he has told stories of the African diaspora, mixing traditional African dances with contemporary music and staging. Here, he shares his process, philosophy, and visions of Imagine 2021:

What’s your creative process? How do you envision connecting past and present—both personally and more broadly—in your work?

When I get an idea for a piece, I begin to write down images that I think belong to the particular work and then I look...

New Year's Resolutions: Looking forward with Shelley Quiala

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