FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | March 25, 2015 CONTACTS: Art Priromprintr, Marketing & Communications (203) 498-3712, [email protected] Sean Layton, Lou Hammond & Associates (212) 891-0238, [email protected] Artwork & images at artidea.org/media
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS & IDEAS ANNOUNCES COMPLETE LINE-UP FOR FESTIVAL 2015, JUNE 12-27
Premieres, commissions, and exclusive presentations highlight the 20th annual festival, launching the Festival’s third decade with great art and big ideas of the past, present, and future
NEW HAVEN, CT—The International Festival of Arts & Ideas today announced the full schedule for its 20th annual festival, occurring June 12 to 27, 2015. The Festival will include world premieres, commissions, and exclusive presentations from internationally renowned artists and speakers, ranging from previously announced artists such as Mark Morris Dance Group and Taylor Mac to Lucinda Williams, Darlene Love, and much more. A full list of 2015 events follows on page 3.
“Festival 20 is a celebration of the bright future we see ahead of us,” said Mary Lou Aleskie, the Festival’s Executive Director. “We are celebrating great art and big ideas that are influencing today’s world, as well as twenty years of great accomplishments that have brought us to this milestone year.”
“In programming this year, we asked ourselves three important questions,” said Aleskie. “Where are we—as people, artists, and a society—now? Where are we headed? And where have we been? Our past informs our future, and the present day gives us an important opportunity to examine our past. We’ve put together a Festival that examines these questions through performance, art, ideas, and most importantly: big, smart fun.”
Highlights include:
Free Headline Concerts on the New Haven Green, featuring Lucinda Williams, Darelene Love, Angélique Kidjo, Ibeyi, and Kurt Elling with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra
The exclusive 2015 East Coast engagement of Mark Morris Dance Group’s Acis and Galatea; a world premiere commission from Taylor Mac; legendary dancer Carmen de Lavallade; Roger Guenveur Smith’s topical one-man play Rodney King; the new Quebec circus troupe Machine de Cirque, and the Festival co-commission of a new performance work from Imani Winds, Passion for Bach and Coltrane.
Free talks and conversations on our Ideas program, including New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast, poet Claudia Rankine, journalist Jelani Cobb, and topical conversations on water and the environment, art and politics, race and civil liberties today, and more.
PAGE 1 OF 16 An exploration of Frank Sinatra at 100, in collaboration with The GRAMMY Museum, The New York Public Library, and the Sinatra Family, featuring a special exhibition of historic photographs, a New Haven-exclusive panel conversation with members of the family and historians, and a concert performance from Kurt Elling with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra.
Thematic explorations of today’s major topics, including: race and civil liberties through the presentation of Roger Guenveur Smith’s Rodney King, journalist Jelani Cobb’s talk “Contingent Citizenship,” about race and democracy in the age of Ferguson; water and environmental issues in the presentation of Mondo Bizzarro/ArtSpot Productions’ Cry You One, about South Louisiana’s disappearing coastline, with an Ideas talk on environmental issues hosted by WNPR’s John Dankosky; and more.
Film throughout the Festival—more than the Festival has presented in the past—including screenings of feature films, documentaries, and exploration of their subjects, with: a retrospective series on filmmakers John Sayles and Maggie Renzie, presented in collaboration with the Yale Summer Film Institute; acclaimed director Mike Leigh in conversation, with screenings of his recent film Mr. Turner, presented with the Yale University Art Gallery and Yale Center for British Art; and screenings and discussions of recent documentaries on New Haven legend Angela Bowen and Capturing Grace, on the Mark Morris Dance Group’s Dance for PD® project.
Ticketed Events go on sale to the general public on April 15, and to Festival Members on March 25. Most free events, including Headline Concerts on the New Haven Green, do not require tickets or reservations. Convenience options for Headline Concerts on the New Haven Green are available, including premium seating and hospitality tent access, and go on sale April 15. Free reservations for tours and master classes are available starting June 12, and from April 15 for purchasers of the Advance Pass. More information is available at the Festival’s website.
New this year—no handling fees for tickets purchased online through the Festival’s website, at artidea.org.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS & IDEAS The International Festival of Arts & Ideas is a 15-day festival of performing arts, lectures, and conversations that celebrates the greatest artists and thinkers from around the world. Each June, the Festival takes over the theaters, open spaces, and courtyards of New Haven, Connecticut, with performances and dialogues that tickle the senses, engage the mind, and inspire the soul.
More than 80% of Festival programs are completely free to the public, including events that feature some of the most prestigious jazz, classical, dance, and theater artists in the world. The Festival’s programs have an impact throughout the year, including engagement and educational programming such as the Festival Fellowship Program for underserved youth, and the Visionary Leadership Award held in winter each year.
The International Festival of Arts & Ideas was established in 1996 by Anne Calabresi, Jean Handley, and Roslyn Meyer. The founders envisioned an annual celebration in New Haven—a small city rich with diversity and steeped in strong cultural and educational traditions— distinguished from established arts festivals by its fusion of ideas events. Their aim was to gather world-class artists and pre-eminent thinkers from around the globe, showcasing the city and the state as a major arts destination.
Festival 2015 is presented with major support from the State of Connecticut, the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, the City of New Haven, the Eucalyptus Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, First Niagara, and Yale University.
PAGE 2 OF 16 SHOWS AND EVENTS
HEADLINE CONCERTS ON THE NEW HAVEN GREEN
Darlene Love Saturday, June 13 at 7pm First Niagara Stage, New Haven Green (Free)
In a remarkable career that has stretched from the 60s through Motown and rock-n-roll history, Darlene Love has continued to captivate audiences worldwide with her warm, gracious stage presence and sensational performances. Her resonant and soulful voice has been featured in some of rock's most iconic records, and her remarkable story is featured at the center of the recent documentary film 20 Feet from Stardom.
Family Day Sunday, June 14 from 2pm-8pm First Niagara Stage & environs, New Haven Green (Free)
The New Haven Green becomes the most exciting place in town for all ages on this special Sunday filled with activities and performances. Family shows on the First Niagara Stage will occur throughout the afternoon, featuring Magmanus, Moona Luna, and special guest Dan Zanes. Activities include Box City, an interactive crafts activity in which young city planners imagine and build a metropolis of the future. The day ends with a dance party, featuring Pistolera on the First Niagara Stage.
Kurt Elling with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra Saturday, June 20 at 7pm First Niagara Stage, New Haven Green (Free)
Presented as part of the Festival’s celebration of Sinatra: An American Icon (see page 10).
Kurt Elling‘s Passion World is a tour-de-force concert of songs of love collected from throughout the world. Said The New York Times, “Elling is the standout male vocalist of our time,” and here Elling brings his arsenal of talents to songs of love and loss as performed in their native languages. Elling also tells the rich background stories for each of the carefully selected songs, one is swept away on a grand, multicultural, tour of exotic places, cultures and times.
At the Festival, he is joined by the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, one of the region's premiere symphonic ensembles.
Angelique Kidjo with Ibeyi Sunday, June 21 at 7pm First Niagara Stage, New Haven Green (Free)
Afropop superstar Angélique Kidjo is a Grammy-winning singer and songwriter whose powerfully uplifting music has audiences on their feet, dancing and clapping with her in the aisles at her energetic performances. Her newest album, Eve, won a Grammy for Best World Music Album, and in January, she was honored by the Festival with the Visionary Leadership Award.
Opening the program is Ibeyi, a French-Cuban duo of twin sisters, Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz. Their music combines a love of two very different worlds: the Yoruba chants of their Nigerian ancestors and the electronic, hip hop and jazz influences of growing up in Paris.
PAGE 3 OF 16
Lucinda Williams Friday, June 26 at 7pm First Niagara Stage, New Haven Green (Free)
Lucinda Williams’ delta-infused blend of rock and folk overflows in her most ambitious project to date, Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone. Rooted in the here and now while conjuring up the spirit of classic ‘70s country soul, this is her first release on her own label.
The Carrie Ashton Band opens the evening at 6pm, performing as part of the Festival’s Noon to Night series.
Plena Libre Saturday, June 27 at 7pm First Niagara Stage, New Haven Green (Free)
Plena Libre is a 12-piece Puerto Rican ensemble of virtuoso musicians that has captivated and moved audiences around the world throughout its eighteen-year Grammy-nominated history. Plena Libre stays true to the Puerto Rico's unique African-based plena and bomba pulse while flirting unabashedly and engagingly with sounds from across the Caribbean and Latin world, keeping the rhythmic core of Puerto Rican music and adding layers of complex, good-spirited brass, string and hard-hitting hand percussion.
Local favorite Carlos Santiago y Su Momento Musical opens the night with salsa, merengue, and bachata.
TICKETED EVENTS
Taylor Mac The 1990s FESTIVAL COMMISSION—WORLD PREMIERE Friday, June 12 at 8pm Saturday, June 13 at 8pm University Theater, 222 York St ($35/$55)
To celebrate Festival 20, the Festival has commissioned The 1990s from award-winning performance artist Taylor Mac. Taylor Mac is a New York-based performance artist who brings an irreverent, playful, and fabulous style to his theater pieces and performances. He performs in dazzling costume creations in shows that have had audiences from Sydney to London and New York laughing, thinking, and cheering.
Mac will perform as a bedazzled creature, accompanied by a live band, to present a performative ritual featuring music popular in the 1990s, the Festival’s founding decade. Eventually, this work will be part of a 24-hour performance of Taylor Mac’s subjective history of the 240 years since the founding of America in 1776.
A dance party to kick-off Festival 20 will follow the June 12 performance, available as an add-on event with performance tickets.
“Fabulousness can come in many forms, and Taylor Mac seems intent on assuming every one of them.”—The New York Times
PAGE 4 OF 16 Cry You One Mondo Bizarro & ArtSpot Productions Saturday, June 13 at 2pm Sunday, June 14 at 2pm Tuesday, June 16 at 2pm Wednesday, June 17 at 4pm Thursday, June 18 at 4pm Friday, June 19 at 4pm Saturday, June 20 at 2pm Sunday, June 21 at 2pm Maltby Lakes, 841 Derby Turnpike (Route 34 Westbound), West Haven (starting at $45 Weekday/$55 Weekend)
Cry You One is an outdoor processional performance with music, dances, and stories from the heart of south Louisiana's disappearing wetlands. Conceived by the New Orleans-based companies Mondo Bizarro and ArtSpot Productions, the piece celebrates the people and cultures of south Louisiana while turning clear eyes toward the crisis of our vanishing waterways.
At the Festival, Cry You One will be sited at West Haven's Maltby Lakes, with an experience specially crafted for this unique landscape. Patrons must be able to walk and stand for extended periods of time.
Magmanus Saturday, June 13 at 1pm & 5:30pm Sunday, June 14 at 3pm & 6pm New Haven Green ($35 advance, pay-what-you-wish on site)
This Swedish street circus arts duo charm the audience with wild and fun tricks for all to enjoy, featuring juggling, a teeterboard, acrobatics, and comedy.
Ragamala Dance Company with Rudresh Mahanthappa Song of the Jasmine Tuesday, June 16 at 8pm Wednesday, June 17 at 8pm University Theater, 222 York St ($35/$55)
Created by Aparna Ramaswamy, Ranee Ramaswamy, and Rudresh Mahanthappa
Song of the Jasmine is a new work that spans cultures and traditions, combining the beauty of bharatanatyam—a classical dance from south India—with a musical soundscape that brings together jazz and Carnatic music. A quintet led by celebrated saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa performs live on stage with the dancers.
PAGE 5 OF 16 Yale International Choral Festival Morse Recital Hall in Sprague Hall, 470 College St ($35)
With: Yale Choral Artists (United States) Voces Nordicae (Sweden) Tuesday June 16 at 8pm Thursday, June 18 at 8pm
YMCA Jerusalem Youth Chorus National University of Singapore Choir (Israel & Palestine) (Singapore) Wednesday, June 17 at 5pm Friday, June 19 at 5pm
Entre Voces (Cuba) Yale Alumni Chorus & Guest Choruses* Wednesday, June 17 at 8pm Saturday, June 20 at 6pm
Choirs from around the world gather in New Haven for a cross-cultural exploration of music and choral singing around the world. Performances open to the public show the remarkable variety of the world's choral traditions: these performances were among the favorite performances of audiences who attended the inaugural Choral Festival at Festival 2012.
*The Yale Alumni Chorus concert will be presented FREE at Woolsey Hall, 168 Grove St
Acis and Galatea EAST COAST EXCLUSIVE FOR 2015 Mark Morris Dance Group June 18 & 19, 2015—Shubert Theater Thursday, June 18 at 8pm Friday, June 20 at 8pm Shubert Theater, 247 College St ($25/$45/$85/$125)
Opera by George Frideric Handel Arrangement by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Conducted by Nicholas McGegan, with Yulia Van Doren, soprano (Galatea) Thomas Cooley, tenor (Acis) Isaiah Bell, tenor (Damon) Alexander Dobson, baritone (Polyphemus) Yale Collegium Yale Choral Artists, Jeffrey Douma, director
Costumes by Isaac Mizrahi Lighting by Michael Chybowski Sets by Adrianne Lobel
Mark Morris brings wit and musicality to his new staging of George Frideric Handel's English opera Acis and Galatea, which The New Yorker calls, "a jewel in Morris' crown." This story of love and tragedy is brought to vivid contemporary life using dance, music, costumes by fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi, lighting by Michael Chybowski, and sets by acclaimed visual artist and designer Adrianne Lobel.
In New Haven, Mark Morris Dance Group is joined by acclaimed baroque conductor Nicholas McGegan, vocal soloists, the Yale Collegium orchestra, and the Yale Choral Artists, Jeffrey Douma, director.
PAGE 6 OF 16 Rodney King Written and performed by Roger Guenveur Smith Thursday, June 18 at 8pm Friday, June 19 at 8pm Saturday, June 20 at 8pm Sunday, June 21 at 2pm Long Wharf Theatre, Claire Tow Stage in the C. Newton Scheneck III Theatre, 222 Sargent Dr ($45/$65)
History, poetry and tragedy collide when Roger Guenveur Smith tackles the thorny odyssey of Rodney King—deemed “the first reality TV star”—from the harsh initial glare of the national spotlight as the victim of police brutality to his involuntary martyrdom that ignited the L.A. riots to his lonely death at the bottom of a swimming pool.
Smith seamlessly fuses facts and friction, motion and emotion into a gripping narrative that poses impossible questions while illuminating his subject with grace and empathy.
"Roger Guenveur Smith gets it all and gets it brilliantly." —The New York Times
Perfect Catch Saturday, June 20 at 1pm & 6pm Sunday, June 21 at 3pm & 6pm New Haven Green ($35 advance, pay-what-you-wish on site)
This heart-warming comedy features the expert juggling team of Michael Karas and Jen Slaw. Says Backstage, “Charming… a delight for all ages!”
Passion for Bach and Coltrane With Imani Winds and special guests Tuesday, June 23 at 8pm Long Wharf Theatre, Claire Tow Stage in the C. Newton Scheneck III Theatre, 222 Sargent Dr ($35/$55)
Imani Winds has established itself as one of the most successful chamber music ensembles in the United States. Performing everything from classical to jazz to contemporary music, this five- member wind ensemble has earned acclaimed for its bold musical explorations and dynamic performances.
Passion for Bach and Coltrane is a work for wind quintet, string quartet, jazz trio and orator. It was inspired by the poetry of A.B. Spellman from his book of poems "Things I Must Have Known". The poetry speaks to the musical mastery of J.S. Bach, John Coltrane as well as religion and mortality.
This a 45 minute, 7 movement work by Jeff Scott.
PAGE 7 OF 16 Employee of the Year 600 HIGHWAYMEN Saturday, June 20 at 2pm Sunday, June 21 at 7pm Friday, June 26 at 8pm Saturday, June 27 at 2pm Saturday, June 27 at 8pm Long Wharf Theatre, Claire Tow Stage in the C. Newton Schenck III Theatre, 222 Sargent Dr ($45/$65)
A child's house burns down, leaving everyone and everything she has behind. From this moment, a singular journey begins. Performed by five young girls, Employee of the Year combines 600 HIGHWAYMEN's arresting theatrical style with original songs by David Cale in an intimate investigation of the process of transformation over a lifetime.
Under the name 600 HIGHWAYMEN, Abigail Browde and Michael Silverstone construct expansive performances that illuminate the inherent poignancy and theatricality of people together. The company was formed in 2009 and is based in Brooklyn, and the company's performances have been awarded distinctions by the New Yorker, New York Times, Village Voice, Flavorpill, and Time Out New York.
Carmen de Lavallade As I Remember It Thursday, June 25 at 8pm Saturday, June 27 at 2pm Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St ($35/$55)
As I Remember It is an intimate portrait of the legendary artist Carmen de Lavallade told through dance, film and her personal writings. Created by Ms. de Lavallade in collaboration with director Joe Grifasi and co-writer/dramaturg Talvin Wilks, this hour-long original work traces a career that spans over six decades.
Stories of her years in California dancing with Lester Horton, in New York with Alvin Ailey and her time spent as a member of the Yale Repertory Theatre frame the evening.
Yale Institute for Music Theatre Open Rehearsal Readings Reading A: Friday, June 26 at 1pm & Saturday, June 27 at 5pm Reading B: Friday, June 26 at 5pm & Saturday, June 27 at 1pm Off-Broadway Theater, 41 Broadway ($25)
This is an exciting chance for theater and music lovers to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the creation of new music theater. The Yale Institute for Music Theatre offers emerging composers, book writers, and lyricists the opportunity to develop their work in an intensive lab setting with a company of professional directors, music directors, actors, and singers. The two-week residency at Yale School of Drama culminates in open rehearsal readings of each project, presented as part of the Festival.
The two shows selected for readings will be announced in the spring.
PAGE 8 OF 16 Machine de Cirque Tuesday, June 23 at 8pm Wednesday, June 24 at 8pm Thursday, June 25 at 8pm Friday, June 26 at 8pm Saturday, June 27 at 1pm Saturday, June 27 at 5pm University Theatre, 222 York St ($35/$65)
Machine de Cirque is an exciting new ensemble of young acrobats out of Montreal's vibrant and innovative circus arts scene. The company brings to New Haven a thrilling new show, featuring gravity-defying stunts, jugglers, and hilarious antics.
The team includes artistic director Vincent Dubé and acrobats Yohann Trépannier, Raphael Dubé, Ugo Dario, and Maxim Laurin—Ugo and Maxim were both seen at the Festival as part of Sequence 8 in 2013.
A Silent Movie Concert with Orchestra New England Sunday, June 21 at 4pm Sunday, June 21 at 5:30pm Co-Op High School Theatre, 177 College Street (enter at Crown and George St) ($25)
Orchestra New England presents a Silent Movie concert event for the whole family to enjoy, with Maestro James Sinclair directing a delightful live accompaniment to classic films of the 1920s: Buster Keaton's The Play House, perhaps the most jaw-droppingly great entertainment of the silent era, and a Charlie Chaplin masterpiece to be announced.
IDEAS: Talks and Lectures
Roz Chast: Cartoons as Family Memoir Saturday, June 13 at 3pm Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St (FREE)
Award-winning cartoonist Roz Chast discusses and shows her drawings from The New Yorker and from her acclaimed graphic novel, Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? Told primarily through Chast’s hallmark cartoons, this unflinchingly honest memoir captures an only child’s experience coping with her elderly parents’ decline, in all its absurdity, grimness, and poignancy.
Jelani Cobb: Contingent Citizenship Race and Democracy in the Age of Ferguson Sunday, June 14 at 3pm Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St (FREE)
From the NSA’s mining of citizens’ personal data to the police’s use of lethal force in Ferguson, Cleveland, and Staten Island, recent events have called into question U.S. authorities' exercise of power. In this talk, journalist and University of Connecticut history professor Jelani Cobb discusses citizenship in an age of expanded state authority. How much power should we afford those who keep us safe? How have strained relationships between minorities and governing authorities defined the nation's first black presidency?
PAGE 9 OF 16 From Artist to Activist: A New Haven Legend Tuesday, June 16 at 5:30pm Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel St (FREE)
From star dancer to founder of New Haven’s beloved Bowen-Peters dance school to black feminist activist to distinguished professor, Angela Bowen has had many influential identities, and in each one, she has encouraged all around her—particularly here in New Haven—to reach their fullest potentials and embrace their true selves. This panel discussion honors not only Angela’s legacy in New Haven and beyond, but also the conviction threading through her multifaceted journey: self expression at any price.
Related activities: June 18, 2pm: Master Class with Caldwell Dance Center, on West African contemporary dance June 18, 4pm: Screening of a new documentary film on Angela Bowen’s life and work Activities will occur at the Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel St (FREE)
Make It New: Cultural Preservation and Artistic Evolution Wednesday, June 17 at 12:30pm Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel St (FREE)
In today’s era of increasing globalization, what is the proper balance between retaining one’s cultural heritage and evolving along with the changing tides? Is there one? In a conversation moderated by historian and journalist Vijay Prashad, saxophonist and composer Rudresh Mahanthappa, and dancer-choreographers Aparna and Ranee Ramaswamy discuss how they negotiate preservation and evolution in their innovative work with classical Indian music and dance.
Waterways and our Changing Environment Presented in association with WNPR Wednesday, June 17 at 5:30pm Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel St (FREE)
As a significant part of Connecticut’s landscape, our waterways and coasts quietly shape the lives of the state’s inhabitants. In this discussion, participants will take an honest look at the current conditions of Connecticut’s waterways and environment, predict what’s to come, and suggest the stakes for all of us. WNPR will broadcast this talk as an episode of Where We Live, moderated by John Dankosky. Panelists will include Connecticut State Senator Edward M. Kennedy Jr. and local scientists, activists, and journalists focused on the health of our coastlines.
Cooperation Amidst Crisis: May Day 1970 and Its Lessons Thursday, June 18 at 12:30pm Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel St (FREE)
On May 1, 1970, a crowd of nearly 30,000 radicals descended on Yale to protest the murder trial of nine Black Panthers. Henry Chauncey, then assistant to Yale’s president, will discuss how Yale’s leaders and the New Haven police averted crisis by welcoming, rather than fighting, the protesters, and will show photographs featured in his new book May Day at Yale, 1970: Recollections.
PAGE 10 OF 16 A Conversation with Mike Leigh Thursday, June 18 at 5:30pm Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St (FREE)
Presented in partnership with the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art, as part of the Andrew Carnduff Ritchie lecture program.
Mike Leigh, director of acclaimed recent film Mr. Turner, will discuss the film with Jackie Riding, independent art historian and advisor on the film. The discussion will be moderated by Tim Barringer, Paul Mellon Professor of the History of Art at Yale University.
Free screenings of Mr. Turner will also take place on June 17 and 18 at 7:30pm, at the Whitney Humanities Center, 53 Wall St.
Established to honor the memory of Andrew Carnduff Ritchie (Yale University Art Gallery director from 1957 to 1971) the annual Ritchie Lectures, which are jointly sponsored by the Yale Center for British Art and Yale University Art Gallery, bring to the University distinguished members of the international visual arts community. These lectures are FREE and open to the public, honoring Ritchie’s belief that the art museum serves as a gathering place for all members of the community.
Presented in conjunction with the exhibition The Critique of Reason: Romantic Art, 1760-1860, a collaborative exhibition organized by the Yale Center for British Art and Yale University Art Gallery.
Artists in the Kitchen Friday, June 19 at 12:30pm Café Vincenzo, Gateway Community College, 20 Church St ($45)
For the past twenty years, the Festival has shown what world-class dancers, singers, actors, musicians, and acrobats can do on the stage—now see what they can do in the kitchen! In this session, Festival artists and local chefs come together to reveal how the act of cooking is not only a creative art form but a powerful means by which to access cultural, ethnic, and geographical roots.
Africa and Global Health Equity Saturday, June 20 at 1pm Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St (FREE)
In celebration of Angélique Kidjo’s performance at the Festival and her work on Ebola and health in Africa, this panel discussion considers health equity in Africa, medical research, social and economic infrastructure, and media coverage of these issues, foregrounding the local perspective to which we in the West often do not have access. Gregg Gonsalves, co-director of the Yale Global Health Justice Partnership, will moderate.
Claudia Rankine: How Art Teaches a Poet to See Saturday, June 20 at 3pm Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St (FREE)
Renowned poet Claudia Rankine will discuss her lauded book Citizen: An American Lyric, an archival and curatorial project that makes present race in American life and fixes our gaze on the network of concrete and abstract forces threatening black bodies. Presenting the visual art employed throughout Citizen as “text” in and of itself, as well as the book’s accompanying video
PAGE 11 OF 16 project, Rankine will discuss how her use of mixed media has enriched her poetry on these pressing issues—and catalyzed deeper dialogue across the nation.
Sinatra at 100: Cultural Influences, Back and Forward Sunday, June 21 at 3pm Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St (FREE)
Presented in association with The GRAMMY Museum and The New York Public Library
This celebration of the life and work of Frank Sinatra will explore his influence on American music and art. Presented in association with The GRAMMY Museum and The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, this talk features a panel of Sinatra experts, former collaborators, and family members, and is accompanied by an exhibition at 1156 Chapel Street. Participants include Grammy Museum executive director Bob Santelli, Sinatra’s daughter Tina Sinatra, Sinatra’s granddaughter Amanda Erlinger, Sinatra family archivist and author Charles Pignone, and jazz vocalist Kurt Elling.
Surveillance and Civil Liberties in the United States Tuesday, June 23 at 5:30pm Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel St (FREE)
In the wake of the September 11th attacks, the U.S. government expanded its surveillance programs, collecting more electronic communications in an attempt to better protect against future attacks. The outcry about these programs due to privacy and civil liberties concerns, particularly after the Edward Snowden leaks, has been—and continues to be—tremendous. In a conversation moderated by The New York Times Washington correspondent Charlie Savage, David Medine, Chairman of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, and Laura Donahue, Professor of Law at Georgetown University discuss the ongoing legal and policy issues relating to national surveillance programs and the potential repercussions on all of our lives.
21st Century Art and Politics Wednesday, June 24 at 5:30pm Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel St (FREE)
Art and politics have a long history of complex entanglement, but in the new millennium, the global artistic scene has exploded with political controversy. From the Mariinsky Ballet to Brett Bailey's Exhibit B, from Tania Bruguera to Charlie Hebdo, via El Sistema and other social experiments, artists and their work appear more and more entwined with surrounding political issues and volatility. Drawing on his own extensive career, Graham Sheffield CBE, Global Director Arts for the British Council, offers reflections on the current situation, examining issues of conscience, freedom of expression, social action and identity in an international context. A debate with other thought leaders will follow.
Gina Kolata: The New Age Thursday, June 25 at 5:30pm Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St (FREE)
Population aging in the 21st century doesn’t just affect the elderly—in fact, it is changing major aspects of our society for people of all ages. While much of the U.S. is getting older, the ways of aging today are brand new. Author and The New York Times senior health and science reporter Gina Kolata will look at new cultural, medical and social perspectives on longevity and aging in our contemporary era.
PAGE 12 OF 16
Carmen De Lavallade in conversation Friday, June 26 at 5:30pm Onstage at the Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St (FREE)
This conversation will focus on Carmen de Lavallade’s fascinating life and creative legacy. Given Ms. De Lavallade’s years performing at Yale Repertory Theater and teaching at the Yale School of Drama, this will also be an opportunity to reflect on New Haven’s rich artistic history. Moderated by Yale School of Drama alumni and director of As I Remember It Joe Grifasi and featuring other well known graduates, this event promises to be a joyful celebration of our city’s artists through the years.
New Art, New Cities, New Living Saturday, June 27 at 3:00pm Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St (FREE)
It has been twenty years since the Festival began its annual artistic takeover of New Haven. Both here and around the world, the expansion of arts and culture beyond the walls of theaters and traditional institutions has made the city itself “the stage” and often the workplace. Graham Sheffield moderates a panel discussion that addresses the intertwined destinies of cities and their cultures. How have uniquely urban platforms for art changed our cities, our audiences, our very lives? How might they continue to do so in the future?
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
Sinatra: An American Icon Celebrating the 2015 Centennial of Frank Sinatra
Exhibition Open daily June 13-27 (closed Mondays) Galleries at Holcombe T. Green, Jr. Hall, Yale School of Art 1156 Chapel Street, New Haven (FREE)
A traveling exhibition of photographs from the Sinatra family’s personal archive will be presented in New Haven, open to the public for viewing daily throughout the Festival.
Ideas Talk—Sinatra at 100: Cultural Influences, Back and Forward Sunday, June 21 at 3pm Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St (FREE)
Celebrating Sinatra’s life and work with a panel including GRAMMY Museum executive director Bob Santelli, Sinatra’s daughter Tina Sinatra, Sinatra’s granddaughter Amanda Erlinger, Sinatra family archivist and author Charles Pignone, and jazz vocalist Kurt Elling.
Concert—Kurt Elling with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra Saturday, June 20 at 7pm First Niagara Stage, New Haven Green (FREE)
Acclaimed three-time Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Kurt Elling will sings songs from Passion World, his latest project that also includes music paying tribute to Sinatra’s legacy.
PAGE 13 OF 16 Engaging Storytellers: The Independent Cinema of John Sayles and Maggie Renzi Whitney Humanities Center, Yale 53 Wall St, New Haven (Free)
Presented in partnership with the Yale Summer Film Institute
Writer/director John Sayles and producer Maggie Renzi are not only America's preeminent independent fiction filmmaking team but the longest standing one, have made almost twenty feature films over a span of four decades. From this repertoire, they have chosen four pictures that foreground stories in African American communities across the United States.
Screenings include: The Brother from Another Planet (1984) Friday, June 12, 7pm City of Hope (1991) Saturday, June 13, 12:30pm Sunshine State (2002) Saturday, June 13, 4pm Go For Sisters (2013) Sunday, June 14, 1pm
A panel conversation with John Sayles and Maggie Renzi occurs on Saturday, June 13 at 3pm, and a Q&A with John Sayles follows the Sunday June 14 screening of Go For Sisters.
Connecticut Critic’s Circle Awards Monday, June 22 at 5:30pm Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel St (FREE)
The Connecticut Critics Circle’s annual ceremony recognizes the best of professional theater in the state. The ceremony, which has become a celebration of the Connecticut’s diverse and renowned theater community, is free and open to the public.
Dance, Parkinson’s and Mark Morris Dance Group Master Class & Documentary Film Screening Friday, June 19 Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel St (FREE)
Co-presented with Neighborhood Music School
In conjunction with the presentation of Mark Morris Dance Group’s Acis and Galatea, the Festival will screen the award-winning documentary Capturing Grace and host a Dance for PD® master class for adults with Parkinson’s Disease.
10am: DANCE FOR PD® Master Class For adults with Parkinson’s Disease, their care partners, friends and families. Dancers, teachers and health professionals are welcome to attend.
12:30pm: Documentary film screening, Capturing Grace (2015, 60 min) Capturing Grace is an inside look at a unique dance program for adults with Parkinson’s Disease, led by former Mark Morris Dance Company members. Filmed over the course of one year, Dave Iverson's remarkable documentary reveals the hopes, fears, and triumphs of this newly forged community as they work together to create a unique, life-changing performance. Discussion with filmmaker David Iverson and Dance for PD® program director David Leventhal to follow.
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TOURS, ACTIVITIES, AND MORE
Walking Tours Dozens of tours and talks at sites, buildings, and neighborhoods throughout New Haven. FREE reservations required for all tours. For a complete list, go to http://artidea.org/walkingtours June 13-27
Exhibition & Gallery Tours Art and exhibit tours led by experts and curators at the Yale University Art Gallery, Yale Center for British Art, Knights of Columbus Museum, Yale Peabody Museum, and more. FREE For a complete list, go to http://artidea.org/gallerytalkstours June 13-27
Bike Tours Explore the New Haven area and Southern Connecticut coastline with Elm City Cycling. FREE. For a complete list, go to http://artidea.org/biketours June 13-27
Food Experiences Three experiences at foodie locations in New Haven. Tickets must be purchased in advance. For a complete list, go to http://artidea.org/foodexperiences June 13-27
Noon to Night: Weekday Concerts Tuesday to Friday at 12pm and 6pm on the New Haven Green, FREE For a complete list of acts & events, go to http://artidea.org/noontonight June 16-26
Family Stage: Shows for All Ages Tuesday to Friday at 1:15pm on the New Haven Green, FREE For a complete list of events, go to http://artidea.org/familystage June 16-26
Master Classes & Workshops Dive deeper into the performances on stage in these classes and workshops with Festival performing artists. FREE reservations available for all classes. For a complete schedule, go to http://artidea.org/masterclasses June 14-28
Weekend Showcase Talents from the New Haven community take the main stages of the New Haven Green on weekend afternoons. FREE For a complete list, go to http://artidea.org/weekendshowcase after June 1
PizzaFest Enjoy pizza from pizzerias throughout New Haven, proceeds benefitting New Haven’s ConnectionFund. June 19-20, 26-27, 12pm
Pop-Up Celebrations Community celebrations in New Haven’s neighborhoods, pre-ambles to the main Festival Celebrate Our Fair Haven: May 30 Celebrate The Hill: May 31 Celebrate Our Dixwell: June 6
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Additional activities Box City, June 13 & 14 from 1pm-5pm Music Haven’s String Quartet Truck, June 15-19, various locations and schedule TBA
2015 SPECIAL EVENTS
Kicking-Off the 90s Friday, June 12 Pre-show at 6pm, Show & Dance Party at 8pm Various locations
Kick-off Festival 20 with a pre-show cocktail party, enjoy the world premiere of Taylor Mac’s The 1990s, then dance the night away at a party celebrating the Festival’s founding decade. Packages available to purchase with Taylor Mac performance tickets.
Design & Dance: 20th Anniversary Celebration Event Friday, June 19 at 5:30pm Various locations
Celebrate 20 years of Arts & Ideas: event packages include gold seating at Mark Morris Dance Group’s Acis and Galatea, a pre-performance gala dinner with Mark Morris and other special guests, and exclusive access to insider events with the show’s artists, designers and musicians. For tickets, contact Patrick J Dunn, Development Manager, at [email protected], (203) 498- 3704.
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