Festival Stories

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' "

― Fred (Mr.) Rogers

In these times of social isolation, we appreciate the “helpers" in society more than ever. New Haven is home to the passionate and the compassionate, and as we look for ways to get through the days and the weeks ahead of us, let's look toward each other. Our city came together to create Together New Haven (#togethernewhaven) as a way to highlight our community's ability to stay strong and help one another. Inspired by...

Always dreamed of being onstage? Here’s your shot! 

Do you tap your feet when a good song comes on? Did you perform in school plays? Do you dance around your kitchen? Whether you're a foot-tapper or a wanna-be Nutcracker, this is your chance to collaborate with a Broadway choreographer. Participants in Keigwin + Company’s inclusive “Let’s Make a Dance” workshop, open to all ages and skill levels. Keigwin and Wolcott invite anyone with “undiscovered talent and a sense of humor” to join the workshop, they say. “Come move with us and play.”

Since 2003, Keigwin + Company has...

The International Festival of Arts & Ideas welcomes Bobby Asher! 

“Bobby Asher immediately impressed us with his creativity, wide-ranging expertise, and passion for the arts,” said Festival Co-Directors Liz Fisher and Tom Griggs. “He’s known for leading innovative projects that are as exhilarating as they are challenging and that draw diverse voices into conversation about critical contemporary issues. We are thrilled to welcome him as the Festival’s new Director of Programming and are certain that he will be a collaborative partner eager to engage with New Haven as he develops a 25th...

Tune into NPR’s All Songs Considered for a sample of how Tanya Tagaq uses her breath to create rhythm and texture that dance around the cello’s chilling melody. Tanya’s distinctive sounds come to New Haven tomorrow—get your tickets to experience sound and sensuality in its rawest form.

The next week of Festival 2019 has so much in store: sensational performances, discussions of art and purpose, plus unforgettable experiences of food, music and workshops. Scroll through some of the highlights to come.

TUESDAY, JUNE 18

NEXT Presents The Cities Project: New Life For New England’s Industrial Past
5:30PM @ Alexion Pharmaceuticals Auditorium

How do we best reuse spaces that contain cultural importance? Join us as we travel around our region and learn about how communities are honoring their industrial heritage while looking to the future. More info on this free event here >

Kronos...

It’s the start of week two and there’s so much to do! Grab your bike and sneakers if you want to get your heart rate up while exploring the city. Or just come ready to use your thinking cap and get creating.

Sunday, June 16, 2019
Bike Tours: HISTORIC BRIDGES OF NEW HAVEN @ 9:00am
Walking Tours: PEEKING INTO NEW HAVEN'S CLOSET @ 11:00am
Scene on the Green: CANNING HUNGER @ 12:00pm
Walking Tours: THE BIG READ WALKING TOUR @ 3:00pm
Tour the ins and outs of New Haven to find often overlooked structures and celebrate safe spaces. Gather with community members on the Green to support a great cause. Take...

“Home” is an art installation about a seemingly humdrum concept — hanging around the house — that happens to have been created by someone with a deep-rooted desire to entertain, enlighten and excite.

“Home,” the last major ticketed event of the 2019 International Festival of Arts & Ideas, happens June 19 to 22 at the Yale University Theatre. More information and tickets for HOME >

During the course of the 90-minute performance, a house is built onstage, then moved into and fully lived in — by actors and musicians who travel with the piece, but also members of the audience. There are also...

The first week of the festival is finishing strong. There’s chances for the community to come together and plenty of fun for family bonding. Find encouragement to honor your identity. Meet new musicians in concerts and classes centered on hip-hop, soul and R&B. You don’t want to miss these workshops and performances that underline the potentiality of theater in communicating the complexity of being human.

Saturday, June 15, 2019
Bike Tours: CULTURAL IDENTITY @ 9:00am
Bike Tours: STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL / HINDINGER FARM @ 2:00pm
Food Experiences: GRAND AVENUE GASTRONOMY TOUR WITH LEE CRUZ @ 2:00pm
...

Tanya Tagaq, a limitless musician “committed to forging a new path each time she creates” as Devon Leger of The Seattle Globalist describes her, has channeled primal humanity and spirituality through her music, which has earned her Canada’s 2014 Polaris Prize and multiple Juno Awards. Tagaq blends tradition and culture, pain and bliss, emotions and physicality all together to bring life to her other-worldly music. “It’s also meant to be a bridge between people,” Leger writes. “This is music as a force of change.”

Although Tagaq never intended to make traditional music, her own methods of Inuit...