Great Art, Big Ideas
Introducing Great Art, Big Ideas Podcast from the International Festival of Arts & Ideas in New Haven, CT. This series delves into the most pressing topics in our local community and around the world. Our eclectic program offers a mix of serious, controversial, and whimsical topics, all designed to inspire new ways of thinking.
Episodes
37 episodes
Making Memories: Neurons, Quantum Computing, and Art
In this fascinating talk, we explore the unexpected connections between neuroscience, quantum computing, and visual art through a unique interdisciplinary collaboration at Yale University.This talk features a panel discussion following ...
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36:04
Theater as Resistance
Join us for an illuminating conversation about the transformative power of theater as a form of resistance and social change. In this compelling Ideas Talk, three distinguished theater artists explore how live performance challenges conventions...
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Season 4
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Episode 6
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48:48
Keynote: Martyna Martok
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Martyna Majok delivers a stirring keynote weaving together Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, and her own immigrant story to explore how art serves as resistance against cult...
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Season 4
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Episode 6
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37:27
Sensation vs. Thinking
Join us as Mercy Quay, founder and CEO of Connecticut's only anti-racist public relations agency, The Narrative Project, guides us through the complex world of news consumption and media literacy. With over a decade of experience as both a jour...
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Season 4
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Episode 5
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1:15:12
Science Fiction: The Truth Telling Genre
In this thought-provoking discussion, hosts Juanita Sunday and New London Poet Laureate AnUrbanNerd explore how science fiction serves as a powerful lens for understanding our present and predicting our future. Using Ray Bradbury's ...
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Season 4
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Episode 4
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59:35
Civics 101
Join The Honorable Clifton Graves for a thought-provoking discussion that bridges Ray Bradbury's classic dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 with the urgent civic challenges facing America today. Speaking at New Haven Public Library - Stetson ...
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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57:54
Savor the Legacy - Jacques Pépin
In this intimate and inspiring conversation, legendary Chef Jacques Pépin reflects on his extraordinary culinary journey spanning nearly eight decades. From his wartime childhood in Lyon, France, to becoming one of America's most beloved cookin...
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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42:02
A Tribute to Denise
This deeply moving special episode honors Denise Santisteban, the festival's beloved curator of ideas and storytelling events, who passed away in April 2025. Host Tiffany Hopkins shares four of Denise's most powerful personal stories, performed...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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35:36
Freedom of Expression
In this episode we tackle the critical issue of book bans and restrictions impacting libraries and schools across the United States. Our expert panel, including Lauren Anderson, Sam Lee, and Harold Steward, will explore the cultural battles ove...
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Season 3
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Episode 14
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45:34
Perspectives on Cultural Preservation
In this episode we bring together a distinguished panel to explore the crucial role of preserving cultural identities in our changing world. Featuring Sandy Grande, Chris Newell, Nakai Clearwater Northup, and Dana Jackson-Washington, the discus...
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Season 3
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Episode 13
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53:00
Turning to the Humanities in Challenging Times with Shelly Lowe and Jason Mancini
Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo), Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Jason Mancini, Executive Director of Connecticut Humanities, discuss the critical role the humanities play in tackling society’s toughest contempo...
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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45:20
Tempests of the Mind: Exploring Climate Change, Shakespeare, and the Human Experience
Step into the tempestuous world of Shakespeare's King Lear and explore its profound relevance to our modern climate challenges! No work of English literature speaks more directly to human vulnerability in the face of climate disruption th...
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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52:50
DECODING THE SCIENCE OF HAPPINESS WITH LAURIE SANTOS AND TAMAR GENDLER
Join Laurie Santos, host of the Happiness Lab Podcast, and Tamar Gendler, Yale Professor of Philosophy and the Science of Human Nature, for an enlightening discussion on the science, history, and philosophy of happiness. Learn useful tips and i...
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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54:52
REDEFINING AGING: EMBRACING A NEW PARADIGM
Join author and activist Ashton Applewhite and Donna Fedus from Borrow My Glasses for an enlightening conversation on aging and inclusivity. Discover how aging can be a period of growth and vitality, while exploring strategies to combat ageism ...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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42:31
SOCIAL CONNECTIONS TO END LONELINESS
Join host Catherine Shen on CT Public's "Where We Live" as she moderates an engaging discussion with Deb Bibbins, founder of For All Ages. Discover why social connection is the foundation of our mental and physical health, who the loneliest age...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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51:54
Arts & Ideas Presents CT MIRROR’S “IN THE ROOM” WITH ERICK RUSSELL
Enjoy this unforgettable evening with John Dankosky, CT Mirror's Director of Events, and Erick Russell, Connecticut’s 84th State Treasurer! With John's charm and expertise as a renowned radio personality and moderator, and Erick's historic achi...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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53:23
DR. AYANA ELIZABETH JOHNSON IN CONVERSATION WITH JOHN DANKOSKY
Can science save us? Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson of Urban Ocean Lab and John Dankosky from Science Friday, discussing Dr. Johnson's latest book, "What If We Get It Right?" Explore the bold notion of envisioning a future where we act out of love...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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51:42
CLIMATE DISPLACEMENT
Enjoy this enlightening discussion on climate displacement, featuring speaker Tabitha Sookdeo from IRIS, Maya Prabhu from Law at Yale Law School and Yale School of Medicine, and Keshia "Talking Waters" De Freece from Sovere...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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54:05
CLIMATE ACTIVISM AND OPTIMISM
Lucy Nalpathanchil moderates a powerful conversation on Activism and Optimism that features LGBTQ BIPOC activists Adrian Huq, co-founder of the New Haven Climate Movement Youth Action Team, and Kwolanne Felix, Fellowship an...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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53:58
VOTING RIGHTS – CITYWIDE YOUTH COALITION
Enjoy this invigorating community conversation hosted by the Citywide Youth Coalition Inc! In this Ideas event, recorded live on the New Haven Green, we tackle a transformative topic: expanding voting rights to 16-year-olds for local state elec...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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52:44
In Conversation with Ana María Álvarez
This week Ana María Álvarez, Founding Artistic Director of CONTRA-TIEMPO Activist Dance Theater joins us in the studio to talk about their upcoming production of ¡AZÚCAR! playing at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas on June 2...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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22:32
In Conversation with Thi Bui
Keynote by Thi Bui, author and artist of the graphic memoir "The Best We Could Do".Introduction by President Dr. Elsa Nunez, Eastern Connecticut State UniversityModerated by Dr. Jason O. Chang, Associate Professor of History and Asian A...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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1:30:22
VOICES OF SOCIAL EQUITY
How we tell the stories about ourselves, traumatic or otherwise, can be used to categorize us in ways that are not always equitable. Are marginalized groups expected to share traumatic experiences when dealing with institutions of power? Join s...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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1:03:40
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UNDERSTANDING HOUSING INSECURITY
A world without housing insecurity. A realistic goal? Only if we better understand the inter-related array of steps that can lead to its elimination. Deepen your understanding and broaden your perspectives of this critical issue with the help o...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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1:04:10
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THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Artificial intelligence has been both idolized and demonized. Some have welcomed it into their businesses. Others fear it will destroy our lives. This lively presentation will help you take a fresh, informed, balanced look at how AI is impactin...
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1:02:38
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