2022 Ideas
These interactive events and conversations with vital thinkers delve into the most pressing topics in New Haven’s community and beyond. Ideas talks are FREE and open to the public. Ensure your seat with an Ideas fast pass–$20 per event or $100 for the full series.
FILM SCREENING: Black Book Graffiti - Word Write Large
Beginning at 5:30pm is a film screening of "Black Book Graffiti: Word Write Large(The Birth of the Black Book)" and a talk back with James Top, CEO of The Odd Partners Graffiti Crew.
The History of Graffiti
Virtual Event
FREE. A conversation with James Top, CEO of The Odd Partners Graffiti Crew and New Haven's Director of Cultural Affairs Adriane Jefferson.
Women Navigating the New Normal: Exploring Prison Re-Entry
Virtual Event
FREE. An honest discussion about the difficulties women face when returning home after prison, between Babz Rawls-Ivy and Tiheba Bain, who have been through the experience.
Un(Re)solved Talk
Virtual Event
FREE. In this virtual event, director and immersive artist Tamara Shogaolu, the creator of Un(re)solved, will discuss the installation in conversation with artist and filmmaker Thomas Allen Harris.
Communities of Care: Love & Social Justice
Andrea Jenkins in Conversation
FREE. Hear from Andrea Jenkins, the nation's first out Black trans person elected to office, on love, social justice, and activism.
New Haven Pride Center Day of Action on Racial Justice
In partnership with the New Haven Pride Center
FREE. This mini-conference will directly combat racism in the LGBTQ+ community through discussion, group learning, performances, and artistic perspectives that address the diverse needs and struggles of LGBTQ+ Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
The Passage: A Research Podcast Project on Identity, Dreams, Age & Race
Virtual Event with HKETONY Arts activator Fellow Hollis Ngai
FREE. A 2022 HKETONY Arts Activator Fellow at the Festival, Hollis Ngai interweaves interviews, stories, and memories into a podcast that presents a fresh perspective on cultural identities, the American dream, hopes, and race in New Haven.
Cultivating Community through Business Entrepreneurship
FREE. Business entrepreneurs Alisha Crutchfield-McLean, founder and owner of BLOOM, Jason Sobocinski, founder and owner of Black Hog Brewing Company, and New Haven’s newest lifestyle hub, unite for a seminar on how to build a brand and connect with community.
The Age of Humans
FREE. Learn how humans, art, and biology intersect in this talk with pioneering bio artist Suzanne Anker.
Exploring Chinese Art Song with Noah Fang
Yale-China Fellow
FREE. Noah Fang is an ethnomusicologist who studies traditional Chinese musical forms and is a musician himself. A 2022 Yale-China Arts Fellow at the Festival, Fang with mezzo soprano Ying Li will present a lecture-recital that illustrates the rich cultural history of Chinese Art Song.
Shawn Taylor: The Power of Fandom for Radical Change
FREE. American troubadour Shawn Taylor draws from his expertise in mythology, theater, and pop culture to discuss fandom that radicalizes for change.
The Wisdom in Fashion
Film Screening
FREE. A film screening with Jamaican designer Neville Wisdom, whose self-titled clothing boutique in New Haven has become a local favorite.
Designing Looks & Wearing Culture
A Conversation with Neville Wisdom and Prajje Oscar
FREE. A panel with Neville Wisdom and Prajje Oscar in conversation with Aaron Peirano Garrison on fashion and identity.
Black Food with Bryant Terry
FREE. Critically acclaimed author, chef, and food justice activist Bryant Terry discusses his 2022 James Beard nominated books Vegetable Kingdom and Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora with food justice activist Tagan Engel.
Beyond the Surface: Art & Medical Observation
FREE. How can doctors better serve patients from within challenging systems while our basic understandings of human complexity expands? This interdisciplinary celebrates the true art of medicine — seeing patients — spanning topics of misdiagnosis, LGBTQ+ health, medical teaching, and what the arts and humanities have to do with helping clinicians learn to see beyond the surface.
The Power of Choice in Climate Change
FREE. Paul Greenberg will be talking about the future of our oceans and how we can make changes to help the environment.
Laughing Matters with Funny Asian Women Kollective
FREE. Funny Asian Women Kollective (FAWK) combats the invisibility and dehumanization of Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American (APIDA) women using humor and comedy.
The Category Is: BALLROOM
A History of Ballroom
FREE. Strike a pose! Drag performer and Beyoncé impersonator Miss Shalae and ball performer Aishah “Spyder” Murray discuss the roots of ball culture.
El pueblo unido: Voces en activismo latino
Voices in Latinx Activism
GRATIS. Aprende acerca de las voces del activismo latino de la mano de la consumada activista de derechos civiles y organizadora comunitaria Dolores Huerta, fundadora y presidenta de la Dolores Huerta Foundation, en El Pueblo Unido en conversación con Camila Güiza-Chavez, co-directora ejecutiva de Heavenly Treats y miembro de Semilla Collective.
El Hogar que Cargamos: Inmigración y Cultura
GRATIS. Se parte de un seminario en español sobre inmigración narrado a través de la música en The Home We Carry: Immigration and Culture, presentado por la banda Las Cafeteras y la vicepresidenta de iniciativas del Vera Institute of Justice Kica Matos.
The Pursuit of Happiness: How to Reconnect with Yourself
THIS EVENT IS CANCELED