Civics 101

Civics 101

Author: International Festival of Arts & Ideas October 8, 2025 Duration: 57:54

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 Branch, Judge Clifton Graves draws powerful connections between Ray Bradbury's 1953 vision of censorship and book burning in Fahrenheit 451  and contemporary concerns about democratic institutions, media manipulation, and civic engagement.

What You'll Hear
In this candid and wide-ranging conversation, Judge Graves explores how dystopian themes from literature have become reality for many Americans throughout history—from the suppression of literacy during slavery to the McCarthy Era's political persecution to today's ongoing struggles with book banning and institutional control. He shares personal family history, including stories of his great-grandfather, one of the first African American U.S. Deputy Marshals, while connecting historical patterns to present-day challenges

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From the vibrant stages and conversations of New Haven's International Festival of Arts & Ideas comes Great Art, Big Ideas, a podcast that captures the festival's spirit of curious collision. Here, a choreographer might explain the geometry of movement alongside a physicist, or a playwright's process illuminates a community's untold history. This isn't a lecture series; it's a collection of dialogues where artistic practice and intellectual inquiry are inseparable, exploring everything from the deeply serious to the delightfully whimsical. Each episode is built on the belief that a novel and a scientific hypothesis can spark similar wonder, and that a performance can challenge assumptions as powerfully as a debate. You'll hear artists, thinkers, and innovators discuss the pressing topics that shape our local communities and the wider world, offering perspectives that often subvert expectations. Tuning into this podcast means accessing the festival's eclectic programming year-round, discovering how a single idea, examined through different lenses, can fundamentally shift your point of view. The conversations are designed to linger, prompting new connections long after the episode ends. It’s for anyone who finds fuel in the space where disciplines meet, where a big idea gives art its resonance and great art makes an idea tangible.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 37

Great Art, Big Ideas
Podcast Episodes
REDEFINING AGING: EMBRACING A NEW PARADIGM [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:31
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 stra…
SOCIAL CONNECTIONS TO END LONELINESS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:54
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 healt…
DR. AYANA ELIZABETH JOHNSON IN CONVERSATION WITH JOHN DANKOSKY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:42
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…
CLIMATE DISPLACEMENT [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:05
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 Sov…
CLIMATE ACTIVISM AND OPTIMISM [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:58
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…
VOTING RIGHTS – CITYWIDE YOUTH COALITION [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:44
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-o…
In Conversation with Ana María Álvarez [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:32
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 & I…