A global event, taking place simultaneously in more than 100 countries and 22 cities in the United States, Night of Ideas invites thought leaders, activists, performers, authors, and academics to engage the public in discussions around central questions that address major, contemporary global issues. First introduced in the United States in 2015 by the French Embassy, Night of Ideas is a nationwide phenomenon today, drawing tens of thousands of people to events across the country, for a nocturnal marathon of philosophical debates, performances, readings, and more.

On March 1, 2024, the first official Night of Ideas will be brought to the public in Santa Cruz!

Come think with us on the evening of March 1 at the Institute of the Arts and Sciences building, designed for vibrant possibility. Choose among rooms with synchronic presentations and performances, led by poets, philosophers, scientists, and artists. Muse with us, ponder with us, and talk with one another, as together each of us travels across, moves around and outside the many lines we draw in our world, among us, and between nature and humanity.

This event is brought to the public by the Center for Public Philosophy, the Institute of the Arts and Sciences, The Humanities Institute and Cowell College, partnering with Villa Albertine.

This event is free and open to the public. RSVP is required.

Night of Ideas 2024 Schedule

MAIN HALL
5:15pm: El Sistema/Estrellas de Esperanza – Music and Dance Performance
5:45pm: Welcome Remarks
6:30pm: Exhibition Walkthrough with IAS Director and Curator Rachel Nelson
7:30: Jay Afrisando – Do you think music is only for persons with ‘normal’ ears? I don’t.
8:20: Kalie Granier – Manji’o Cho’o

CONFERENCE ROOM (Room 1)
6pm: Ed Shanken – Technoshamanism: Towards Hybrid Techniques of Aesthetics and Healing
7pm: Terri Peszle – Outside the Lines: The Bhagavad Gita
8pm: Ana Pedroso – Breaching Faultlines: Playfulness with M. Lugones and F. Schiller

WEST ROOM (Room 2)
6pm: Juan Ruiz Cortes – Undocumented-everything, everywhere, all at once!
7pm: Luna HighJohn-Bey – Imagination, Liberation, & AI
8pm: Somreeta Paul – You are in my Mind – A Cartesian Nightmare

ONGOING
“Ask a philosopher a question” booth
Engage in conversation with other participants, guest speakers of members of the public.
Screening of Manji’o Cho’o, by Kalie Granier, in IAS Gallery Screening Room

Guest Speakers and Performers

El Sistema Santa Cruz/Pajaro Valley and Estrellas de Esperanza are two organizations giving the children of Watsonville/Pajaro Valley the keys to claim their cultural heritage and the tools to build their creative and social legacy through music and dance education.

Jay Afrisando is a composer, multimedia artist, researcher, and educator. He works on aural diversity, acoustic ecology, and cultural identity, focusing on disability and environmental justice, arts and accessibility, and decolonizing arts practices. He shares vital experiences and disseminates knowledge through various media and methods. He is an Assistant Professor of Music at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

To read more about all guests and performers visit: Night of Ideas — Institute of the Arts and Sciences