THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS & IDEAS PRESENTS A NEW LINE-UP TO KICK OFF THE SUMMER, featuring Grammy Award Winners, National Humanities Medal winners and more, 29 years and counting!!!
April 15th, 2024 (New Haven, CT) - The International Festival of Arts & Ideas (IFAI) turns 29 this year and it is excited to announce its summer line-up with new ideas and a new approach to take festival goers on an unforgettable journey from June 14 to 29. The Festival was recently featured by the New York Times.
“We are allowing ourselves to dream in multiple ways this year, so we decided to embrace the Festival itself without a singular theme,” said Shelley Quiala, Executive Director at IFAI “providing more freedom to artists and thinkers to navigate through different topics that impact our lives without limitations.”
As part of this new approach, the Ideas series will offer a three day-long summits where bright minds will discuss contemporary issues and urgent challenges, coupled with a new format of conversations connected to performances called Ideas Unleashed. On June 15, the talk will focus on Environmental Voices. On June 22, everyday life: loneliness, aging, and happiness. And on June 29, the intersections in the arts, among the speakers are Shelly C. Lowe, Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities and Jason Mancini, Executive Director of Connecticut Humanities.
“With the Office of Tourism’s newly launched ‘Make it Here’ tourism campaign, Arts & Ideas supports the spirited approach to building your own Connecticut experience, and we are excited to be a part of this unforgettable journey that uplifts the vibrancy and culture to one of the State’s best metropolitan destinations. It’s not just about entertainment; it's about connection, passion, and exploring our energetic city,” said Rachel Lenda, Director of the Connecticut Office of Tourism.
2024 Program Highlights
“We are going to thrill our audience with the return of circus, bringing from Montreal’s 7 Fingers arts collective, a renowned contemporary company that redefines the circus experience by combining acrobatics, theater, dance, multimedia, music, and storytelling; they will perform “Dual Reality” an interpretation of Romeo and Juliet, at the University Theater from June 21 to June 23,” said Rev. Kevin G. Ewing, Chair of the Board of IFAI.
Of its over 150 events, including a curated series of films, exhibitions, food events, and tours. Program highlights include:
GRAMMY-Nominated and Award-Winning Artists:
- Vocalist Samara Joy, bringing old-school jazz to College Street Music Hall on Wednesday, June 26.
- Stokley Williams, former frontman of Mint Condition and current star of Super Freak – The Rick James Musical will perform on Friday, June 21st on the New Haven Green.
- Brazilian bossa nova artist Caro Pierotto is slated for the New Haven Green for Thursday, June 27.
- Afro-Pop sensation Dobet Gnahoré will play the Green on Friday, June 28.
Dazzling Performances:
- CONTRA-TIEMPO’s activist dance theater will perform “Azúcar” at the University Theater on June 27 and 28, paying homage to the late Celia Cruz, La Reina de la Salsa, while exploring the effect of sugarcane farming on migration.
- Music and artistic director of the Navarra Symphony Orchestra Perry So, will conduct his first concert as the new music director for the New Haven Symphony Orchestra for a free event at the Green on Saturday, June 15.
- Celebrated director Karin Coonrod with a world premiere of Compagnia Colombari’s King Lear at the University Theater June 14-16.
- Street performances around the Green and Downtown New Haven during events by Anne Cubberly’s Giant Puppets and The Red Trouser Show.
Renowned Speakers & Idea-Generators:
- Renowned author and National Humanities Medal winner Amy Tan, best known for the novel The Joy Luck Club, which was adapted into a 1993 film, will talk with WTNH’s Ann Nyberg about her new book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles, at the Peabody Museum on June 18.
- Scholar and founder of the Urban Ocean Lab, Dr Ayana Johnson.
- Celebrated philosopher and Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences at Yale University, Tamar Gendler, and National Endowment for the Humanities Chair Shelly Lowe in conversation with CT Humanities Director Jason Mancini, who is celebrating the organization’s 50th anniversary.
- Screening of Farming While Black, a film dedicated to the 2023 Visionary Leadership Award Winner, Leah Penniman, and a food event led by James Beard Awardee, Sherry Pocknett.
- Dr. Lori Santos and Dr. Tamar Gendler, renowned speakers and educators who will decode the science of happiness on June 22nd.
- A conversation with State Treasurer Erik Russell moderated by CT Mirror’s John Dankowsky.
Re-energizing New Haven
This year’s Festival also continues its commitment to New Haven cultural leaders through partnerships with A Broken Umbrella Theater, Elm Shakespeare, the New Haven Juneteenth Coalition, and the New Haven Caribbean Heritage Festival, which will round out the last weekend, closing the season with a celebration of Caribbean Heritage Month.
“For 29 years, Arts & Ideas has shown its commitment to New Haven, Connecticut, its neighborhoods, and the historic New Haven Green by adding vibrancy, attracting visitors out of state, and incorporating local culture to create a sense of belonging and ownership among residents. Their work continues to generate positive economic impact for New Haven and the state as a whole, driving millions in economic impact each year,” adds Adriane Jefferson, Director of Arts, Culture and Tourism for the City of New Haven, and Executive Director of New Haven Festivals.
The organization welcomes all to join the celebration together, achieving a nearly three-decade milestone. 85 percent of the events will be free to the public and tickets are on sale now at www.artidea.org.