Developed and hosted in partnership with 50+ institutions, the nighttime gatherings will enable the public to engage with leading thinkers, scientists, novelists, activists, and artists around the theme Where Are We Going?. Featuring diverse and bespoke programs, Night of Ideas 2022 provides a community-wide exploration of myriad paths forward for a world in crisis: from local movements for climate action, to global perspectives on decolonization, to a reimagination of our democratic institutions, and much, much more.
Night of Ideas is being presented in 100 countries worldwide, including the United States, coordinated by the Institut Français.
Among this year’s 200+ artists, philosophers, researchers, performers, and more are musician, author, and poet Patti Smith, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Goncourt Prize-winning Franco-Moroccan novelist Leïla Slimani, Lenape Center Director Joe Baker, philosopher, anthropologist, and sociologist Bruno Latour, resident musician and composer Sélène Saint-Aimé, author and urban thinker Ryan Gravel, Director of the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center Rama Yade, Poetry Foundation President Michelle Boone, Director of the Umass Energy Transition Initiative Erin Baker, resident numerical analyst Aurélie Jean, Los Angles Chief Sustainability Officer Lauren Faber, political scientist Claire Sagan, food author and chef Adán Medrano, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Erin Harkey, ethologist, neurologist, and psychiatrist Boris Cyrulnik, resident multidisciplinary artists Loo Hui Phang and Joseph d’Anvers, and Yann LeCun, Chief AI Scientist at Meta.
Night of Ideas was first introduced to the US in 2015 by the French Embassy and further developed through an ongoing partnership with the Brooklyn Public Library. Today, Night of Ideas is a nationwide phenomenon, drawing tens of thousands of people to events across the country. Night of Ideas 2022 will take place in:
St. Louis – May 3
Houston – May 5
Boston – May 6
York, PA – May 7
Denver – May 9
Los Angeles – May 9
Phoenix – May 9
Tucson – May 9
Washington, DC – May 11
Chicago – May 12
Milwaukee – May 12
Minneapolis – May 12
San Juan, Puerto Rico – May 12
Atlanta – May 14
Norfolk, VA – May 14
San Francisco – May 17
New Orleans – May 18
Miami – May 19
New York City – May 21
The national program in the US is made possible with major philanthropic support from the Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York.
The program is on the site of Night of Ideas
