SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents its 65th anniversary season of world-class cultural and artistic events, from stimulating lectures and animated conversations with today’s thought leaders to brilliant performances by the world’s most accomplished dancers, singers, musicians and performers. Single (non-subscription) tickets for UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2024-2025 season go on sale Friday, August 2 at 10 a.m.
SANTA BARBARA — A capacity Arlington Theatre audience thrilled to a surprise appearance by Oprah Winfrey at last night’s UCSB Arts & Lectures Speaking with Pico event. Winfrey came out to celebrate the success of her friend Dr. Abraham Verghese, whose novel The Covenant of Water was an Oprah’s Book Club pick in 2023 and has been on the New York Times fiction bestseller list continuously since its release.
Due to the evacuation order issued by the county for parts of Santa Barbara, as well as the warning issued today by the National Weather Service, Mountain Stage with Host Kathy Mattea has been canceled. There is no reschedule date at this time.
As reported by KEYT, “The National Weather Service announced a high risk for life threatening and damaging flash flooding in all of Santa Barbara down to Los Angeles, and stressed the importance of preparation and avoiding flooding roadways.”
Special note:
We regret to announce that, due to circumstances beyond our control, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo’s January 25 performance at The Granada Theatre has been canceled. There is no reschedule date at this time.
Ticket purchasers may apply the value of their tickets toward a ticket exchange for another event in the 2023-2024 season, donate the value of their tickets to Arts & Lectures (tax-deductible), or receive a refund to their original form of payment.
We appreciate your patience as we work through ticket holders’ replies and requests.
Questions? Contact us at (805) 893-3535 or info@artsandlectures.ucsb.edu, Mon-Fri, 10 AM-5 PM.
Sincerely,
Arts & Lectures
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Renée Fleming on Thursday, February 1 at 7 p.m. at The Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St. Santa Barbara. Radiant soprano Renée Fleming’s lustrous voice is the stuff of legends. Affectionately called “America’s Diva,” only she can claim to have sung at the Super Bowl, Buckingham Palace, a Nobel Peace Prize ceremony and a presidential inauguration, in addition to all the world’s major opera houses – not to mention boasting five Grammy wins, an indie rock album and a Tony-nominated Broadway appearance. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear “one of the truly magnificent voices of our time” (Los Angeles Times) lend her trademark warmth and sensitivity to a rare recital program.
Due to the evacuation order issued by the county for parts of Santa Barbara, as well as the warning issued today by the National Weather Service, Mountain Stage with Host Kathy Mattea has been canceled. There is no reschedule date at this time.
As reported by KEYT, “The National Weather Service announced a high risk for life threatening and damaging flash flooding in all of Santa Barbara down to Los Angeles, and stressed the importance of preparation and avoiding flooding roadways.”
Resilience can ripple outward, changing the lives of people, families and communities. A cultural trauma navigator, Resmaa Menakem connects individual and familial experiences to societal processes, helping people find paths forward from intergenerational racial and historical trauma. Known best for his New York Times bestseller My Grandmother’s Hands and his Guerrilla Muse podcast, Menakem helps us apply critical, empathetic and embodied thought to controversial topics. His work sets a course for critical understanding, healing and transformation of our ailing societies.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Abraham Verghese in conversation with Pico Iyer on Wednesday, February 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. Dr. Abraham Verghese’s instant New York Timesbestseller, The Covenant of Water, was released in May to widespread critical acclaim and was named an Oprah’s Book Club pick. One of the most masterful literary novels published in recent years, the book is the long-awaited follow-up to Verghese’s previous novel, Cutting for Stone, which topped the New York Times bestseller list for more than two years, is being adapted for film and was named one of Amazon’s 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime. A distinguished Stanford professor and a prominent voice in medicine, Verghese received the National Humanities Medal from President Obama. Following the conversation and Q&A, both Abraham Verghese and Pico Iyer will be available to sign their most recent books.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Taj Mahal Quintet and Sona Jobarteh on Thursday, February 22 at 8 p.m. at Campbell Hall. Celebrated blues legend Taj Mahal brings his glorious voice and virtuosic multi-instrumentalism to this uniquely powerful evening of new world music. A musical innovator, cultural ambassador and winner of the 2023 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album, Taj Mahal’s long career touches on every imaginable strand in the fabric of roots music.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents climatologist and geophysicist Michael E. Mann on Friday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m. at UCSB Campbell Hall. With more than two decades on the front lines of climate science and policy, Michael E. Mann has become one of our best known and most valuable science communicators. Through six books, including his latest, Our Fragile Moment, Mann explains what the research means, how we should live and what we should demand of our leaders. Using Earth’s deep climate history to reframe the problems that we face today, Mann combines urgency with agency, encouraging people to appreciate the gravity of the unfolding climate crisis while emboldening them to act before it truly does become too late.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Leila Josefowicz, violin on Sunday, February 25 at 4 p.m. at Campbell Hall. An invaluable advocate for living composers, Leila Josefowicz has premiered dozens of new works for violin including concertos written expressly for her by John Adams, Esa Pekka-Salonen and many others. Josefowicz’ program illuminates the path to contemporary music that travels through expressionism. Works by Debussy and Szymanowski transport us to a lush, harmonic fantasy world, while those by Tüür and Stravinsky continue our journey into a more visceral realm that delights us with unexpected humor, excitement and passion.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour – two nights, two programs – on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour returns for two nights of exhilarating mountain adventures at larger-than-life scale. Featuring the world’s best films on subjects ranging from base jumping in Pakistan to freediving the Mara Islands of South Korea, the tour delivers adrenaline-packed thrills alongside profound messages about human potential and the natural world. Curated and hosted by Roman Baratiak, A&L Associate Director Emeritus, an entirely different program of films screens each night.
SANTA BARBARA – UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Meow Meow on Thursday, March 7 at 8 p.m. at Lobero Theatre. Named one of the Top Performers of the Year by The New Yorker, Meow Meow’s award-winning solo works have been curated by David Bowie, Pina Bausch, Mikhail Baryshnikov and numerous international arts festivals. Her new show is a wildly enjoyable tip-of-the-top-hat to the Weimar Republic’s notable “wild women” – both fictional and real – that channels the era’s urgent blend of art, entertainment and winking social commentary.
SANTA BARBARA — ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! (Viva) is back with another exciting free community event. Enjoy three free exhilarating performances from Afro-Latin music group, Quitapenas.
Founded in 2011 and born under the warm California sun, Quitapenas share a love of dance rhythms from the tropical Afro-Latin diaspora.The group is made up of first generation sons of immigrant parents from Guatemala and Mexico. They borrow aesthetics from the radical 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Their songs are a remix of history, and invite one to engage in the liberating evenings of Angola, Peru, Colombia, Brazil and beyond. The name means “to remove worries.” Everybody has a “pena” and the mission of Quitapenas is simple: to make you dance and leave you without a worry.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Tommy Emmanuel, CGP on Saturday, March 9 at 8 p.m. at Campbell Hall. Recognized as one of the best acoustic guitar players on Earth, Tommy Emmanuel brings a sense of palpable joy to every note he plays. Incorporating the sounds of blues, country, rock, classical and Spanish music, his unique style encompasses a multi-dimensional landscape of masterful guitar playing. A four-time winner of Australia’s “Golden Guitar” Award, his long-awaited 2023 album Accomplice Two features scores of musical legends ranging from Michael McDonald to Billy Strings.
With her ravishing vocal presence and extraordinary ability to draw enormous feeling from a single note, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Sierra Ferrell embodies a transcendent eclecticism that utterly defies categorization. Born in West Virginia and based in Nashville, Ferrell has garnered critical acclaim and a dedicated fanbase on the strength of her magnetic live shows. After releasing her debut album, Long Time Coming, in 2021, Ferrell won the coveted Emerging Act of the Year honor at the 2022 Americana Awards. Delightfully unbound by genre or era, Ferrell’s original songs instantly transport her audience to an enchanted world.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Roomful of Teeth with Gabriel Kahane on 4 p.m. Sunday, March 24 at Hahn Hall. Grammy Award winners Roomful of Teeth have carved themselves a niche as one of America’s most interesting contemporary vocal ensembles. Collaborating with artists and thinkers from around the world, the group seeks to amplify voices old and new and expand the capabilities of the human voice. Their engaging new program features works by founding member Caroline Shaw, special guest Gabriel Kahane and other composers known for creating meaningful and adventurous new music.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Robert B. Reich on Wednesday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Hall. Robert B. Reich is one of America’s foremost experts on jobs and the economy. A bestselling author, award-winning documentarian and a respected commentator, Reich is renowned for his ability to present complex issues with warmth and urgency. In the face of growing economic insecurity, lagging wage growth and technologies eliminating jobs, many believe society’s major institutions no longer function in ways that benefit most people. Amid widespread strikes and labor disputes, Reich examines widening inequalities of income, wealth and political power, and expertly shows how restoring equal opportunity is critical for all Americans.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Fatoumata Diawara on Wednesday, April 7 at 7:00 p.m. at Campbell Hall. Combining thrilling vocals with deft guitar work and a flair for fashion, Fatoumata Diawara is a musical sensation out of West Africa. Singing in Bambara, the language of her native Mali, along with French and English, Diawara delivers biting social commentary and plays stinging electric guitar solos that ride on her band’s sinuous funk-influenced beats. Her latest album, London Ko, was produced by Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz) and reflects a boldly eclectic approach that remains firmly rooted in her heritage.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Lauren Groff in conversation with Pico Iyer on Tuesday, April 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Hall. A three-time National Book Award finalist, bestselling novelist and short story writer, Lauren Groff spins highly imaginative fiction out of an acute awareness of the historical forces that shape human behavior. In a six-book oeuvre that spans centuries and embraces a variety of diverse settings, Groff elevates gripping storylines with electrifying prose and startling, unforgettable descriptions. Known for literary masterpieces such as Fates and Furies and Matrix, her latest novel is The Vaster Wilds, a thrilling adventure story set in the wilderness of colonial America. Both Groff and moderator Pico Iyer will be available following the presentation to sign books.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents the Danish String Quartet on Wednesday, April 10 at 7 p.m. at Campbell Hall. The Danish String Quartet is joined by Finnish cellist Johannes Rostamo for the eagerly-anticipated capstone to their international Doppelgänger Project. In part IV, the Danish pairs Schubert’s String Quintet, frequently cited among the greatest of all works of chamber music, with a new piece titled Wreath – For Franz Schubert by renowned British composer Thomas Adès. Part III of the project was heralded by The New York Times as “ensemble music at its purest – a consensus interpretation, rendered selflessly in service of the group as instrument.”
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Herbie Hancock on Wednesday, April 17 at 8 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. Experience a night under the spell of Herbie Hancock, jazz’s most versatile and influential keyboard player. As pianist for Miles Davis in the mid-1960s, Hancock helped pioneer a groundbreaking new sound in jazz. A trained engineer, he was among the first bop players to explore the potential of electric instruments and combine jazz with funk and rock. Hancock has garnered a Kennedy Center Honor, an Academy Award for his Round Midnight film score and 14 Grammys, including a prestigious Album of the Year for his 2007 tribute River: The Joni Letters.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents RuPaul on Thursday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. at The Arlington Theatre. If we’re all born naked and the rest is drag, this is RuPaul stripped bare. Pop culture icon and international drag superstar RuPaul invites you to a spiritual awakening to celebrate the release of his new memoir, The House of Hidden Meanings. Allow your mind, body and soul to be enveloped in RuPaul’s lyrically poignant stories on life, love and finding your voice. During this special event, RuPaul offers fans a manual for living – a personal philosophy that testifies to the value of chosen family, the importance of harnessing what makes you different and the transformational power of facing yourself fearlessly. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear RuPaul’s extraordinary story as told by RuPaul.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Antonio Sánchez Birdman Live on Friday, April 19 at 8 p.m. at The Arlington Theatre. After the success of Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, which won four Academy Awards including Best Picture, drummer/composer Antonio Sánchez performed his dramatic Grammy Award-winning score live around the world.
In his Santa Barbara debut, the acclaimed soloist will perform a rousing program ranging from W. A. Mozart to Florence Price SUMMARY UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Randall Goosby Sat, April 20 | 7 p.m. | Hahn Hall Acclaimed for…
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Rhiannon Giddens on Tuesday, April 23 at 8 p.m. at The Arlington Theatre. Singer and instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens’ iconic brand of folk music spotlights people whose contributions to American musical history have been overlooked or erased, and advocates for a more accurate understanding of the country’s musical origins through art. A two-time Grammy Award winner, MacArthur fellow and composer, she was awarded the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Music for her debut opera Omar. Her highly-anticipated new solo album, You’re the One, was released in August. For this show, Giddens will be joined by opening act Charly Lowry.
Starbucks is opening a new store in China every 15 hours and TikTok is redefining American social media – even as tensions build over Taiwan, cyberhacking and threats to global health. For the first time in a generation, the world has entered an era dominated by two superpowers.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Alonzo King LINES Ballet on Friday, April 26 at 8 p.m. at The Arlington Theatre. Blurring the lines between classical and contemporary, San Francisco-based Alonzo King LINES Ballet is renowned for its impeccable technique, captivating dancers and rich visual works. Alonzo King’s newest creation, Deep River, uses spiritual music from Black and Jewish traditions alongside original compositions by Jason Moran to assert the power of hope in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
SANTA BARBARA – – UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Kronos Quartet | Five Decades on Wednesday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Hall. For 50 years, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet has challenged and reimagined what a string quartet can be, centering its work around the key issues of our time. Kronos has commissioned, performed and recorded works that engage with topics such as war and destruction, the climate crisis, social injustice and spirituality. Now, the multi-Grammy Award-winning quartet marks its anniversary with a program of new commissions, signature works from its vast repertoire and pieces from its Fifty for the Future project.
Heralded as the voice of her generation, poet and activist Amanda Gorman empowers people across the globe with an undeniable message about the power of using your voice to make a difference. Gorman made history as the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States and is celebrated for her commitment to advocating for the environment, racial equality and gender justice.
As the world’s foremost forest ecologist, Suzanne Simard has reshaped the way we understand the life and growth of plants. In her groundbreaking work Finding the Mother Tree, Simard explained how trees interact and communicate using below-ground fungal networks. Her research established the existence of “mother trees” that play an important role in the flow of information and resources in a forest. The concepts she developed have influenced everyone from earth scientists to artists – think James Cameron’s Avatarand Richard Powers’ The Overstory. Join Simard for a dazzling journey through the unseen world going on above our heads and under our feet.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson in conversation with K. Corley Kenna on Tuesday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Hall. Marine biologist, policy advisor and writer Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for the future of coastal cities, and co-creator of the podcast How to Save a Planet. Her forthcoming book, What if We Get It Right? offers answers to the crucial question: What would the future look like if we forged ahead with all the solutions to actually address the climate crisis? With grace and humanity, Johnson encourages us to step away from hopelessness and envision possibility.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Cristina Mittermeier on Friday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Hall. National Geographic photographer Cristina Mittermeier has dedicated her life to safeguarding the world’s oceans and inspiring millions to do the same.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Ephrat Asherie Dance on Wednesday, May 15 at 8 p.m. at Campbell Hall. Ephrat “Bounce” Asherie, a New York-based b-girl with extensive training in ballet and modern dance, returns to reveal and explore the complexities of street and social dance forms. ODEON brings together and remixes street and club dances including breaking, hip hop, house and vogue, set to a mix of early 20th century romantic music and popular Afro-Brazilian rhythms.
Ephrat Asherie Dance | Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2018 (Jacob’s Pillow)
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Bruce Liu on Thursday, May 16 at 7 p.m. at Hahn Hall, Music Academy. Following his win at the Chopin International Piano Competition in 2021, Bruce Liu experienced a star-is-born moment at London’s Royal Festival Hall in March of 2022. Summoned at the last moment to join the Philharmonia Orchestra for an all-Tchaikovsky program, Liu called for the notoriously difficult Concerto No. 2 as a substitute for the more commonly played Concerto No. 1. After an astounding performance and glowing reviews, Liu found himself shifted to an even higher level of demand.
Pulitzer Prize finalist, cultural critic, producer and screenwriter Xochitl Gonzalez is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of its newsletter Brooklyn, Everywhere, about class, gentrification and the American Dream. Her debut novel, Olga Dies Dreaming, was named a Best of 2022 by The New York Times, Timemagazine, The Washington Post and NPR. Her highly-anticipated new book, Anita de Monte Laughs Last, was released in March 2024.
SANTA BARBARA — Due to unforeseen and extenuating circumstances, José Andrés is unable to join the UCSB Arts & Lectures series this Sunday. Mr. Andrés’ ongoing commitments to World Central Kitchen as they mourn the loss of their team members have made his attendance at the event impossible at this time.
We have worked closely with his team to reschedule his appearance for Thursday, May 23 at 5:30 PM at the Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara. We offer our sympathies to José Andrés and the entire World Central Kitchen organization during this incredibly challenging time.
SANTA BARBARA — Make waves this summer with UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2024 FREE summer films line-up: Sun, Surf and Cinema. The program continues with Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves in the classic surf heist film, Point Break, at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden on Friday, July 12 at 8:30 pm. Come early to enjoy the glorious setting and share the night with friends. There will be giveaways and surprises.
Friday nights under the stars! Arts & Lectures’ annual FREE summer film series continues for 2024 with Sun, Surf and Cinema, seven nights of beach-inspired movies under the stars SUMMARY UCSB Arts & Lectures’ Sun, Surf and Cinema FREE summer…
SANTA BARBARA — Get ready to make waves this summer with UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2024 FREE summer films line-up: Sun, Surf and Cinema. The program continues with Hawaiian surf and romance in Blue Crush at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden on Friday, July 26 at 8:30 pm. Enjoy pre-screening festivities including a live set by DJ Darla Bea, raffle prizes and more.
SANTA BARBARA — Get ready to make waves this summer with UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2024 FREE summer films line-up: Sun, Surf and Cinema. The program continues with Wes Anderson’s 2004 film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou starring Bill Murray and an all-star cast at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden on Friday, August 9 at 8:30 pm. Enjoy pre-screening fun including a live DJ set from Val Mar Records, raffle prizes and more.
SANTA BARBARA — Get ready to make waves this summer with UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2024 FREE summer films line-up: Sun, Surf and Cinema. The program continues with the smash hit ABBA musical Mamma Mia! at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden on Friday, August 16 at 8:30 pm. Enjoy pre-screening festivities with KLITE’s Catherine Remak, enter to win raffle prizes, and more. Costumes are encouraged.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures and the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture present the FREE outdoor summer film series, Sun, Surf and Cinema, seven classic flicks celebrating the thrills and delights of beach and ocean life, Friday evenings under the stars through Fri. Aug 23 at 8:30 p.m. at the County Courthouse Sunken Garden. This year’s totally tubular lineup includes: Jaws, Point Break, 50 First Dates, Blue Crush, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Mamma Mia! and Crazy Rich Asians. Bring breathable blankets, low chairs, a picnic and your friends!
SANTA BARBARA — Get ready to make waves this summer with UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2024 FREE summer films line-up: Sun, Surf and Cinema. The program concludes with the 2018 romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden on Friday, August 23 at 8:30 pm. Arrive early for pre-screening festivities, giveaways and a playlist curated by DJ Darla Bea.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Snarky Puppy on Tuesday, October 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. Rousing solos set amidst a deep rolling groove will give the audience plenty to shout about as this powerhouse ensemble shows what has made them a festival favorite worldwide. Known for forging a new path through the thickets of the music industry, Snarky Puppy has earned a reputation as one of the hardest working and most sophisticated proponents of jazz and funk. Dueling drummers and a rotating roster of elite soloists keep the rhythmic fires burning whenever these imaginative musicians come to town.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Olivier Messiaen’s HARAWI produced in collaboration with Ojai Music Festival on Friday, October 4 at 8 p.m. at Campbell Hall. HARAWI, an American Modern Opera Company (AMOC*) production, realizes Olivier Messiaen’s deeply-affecting song cycle for voice and piano in a newly physicalized and dramatized version directed by Zack Winokur that features acclaimed soprano, Julia Bullock; pianist Conor Hanick; and dancers Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Salman Khan, Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That’s a Good Thing) on Saturday, October 5 at 4 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. The visionary behind educational nonprofit Khan Academy, Salman Khan seeks to remove the barriers to education that leave over 600 million children lacking basic math and reading skills. His free, world-class curriculum – available to anyone, anywhere – has made a massive impact, with its videos reaching over a billion views. Now, Khan is using the power of AI to make education even more accessible. With the introduction of the revolutionary Khanmigo, he’s giving every student around the world an AI-powered personal tutor that The Washington Post calls “the best model we have for how to develop and implement AI for the public good.” Author of the new book Brave New Words, Khan offers a uniquely prescient and practical look into how we can use AI to enhance HI: “human intelligence, human potential and human purpose.”
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Mavis Staples and The War and Treaty on Tuesday, October 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. A chart-topping soul/gospel/R&B pioneer, civil rights icon, National Arts Awards Lifetime Achievement recipient and Kennedy Center honoree, Mavis Staples delivers roof-raising performances with youthful vigor and commanding maturity. Called “one of America’s defining voices of freedom and peace” by NPR, she marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., performed at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration and sang in Barack Obama’s White House. Combining traditional folk, country, R&B and spirituals into a dynamic blend that’s all their own, The War and Treaty (Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter) were the first Black artists ever nominated for Duo of the Year by the Country Music Association. Taking the stage separately, Staples and The War and Treaty promise an unforgettable evening of deep soul and heart-wrenching gospel passion.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents the London Philharmonic Orchestra on Saturday, October 12 at 7 p.m. at the Granada Theatre. Uniquely groundbreaking and exhilarating to watch, the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) has been recognized as one of the world’s great orchestras since its founding in 1932. Heard by millions on the soundtracks for The Lord of the Rings and other films, the ensemble performs a rare Santa Barbara concert with violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Fight Night by Ontroerend Goed on Tuesday, October 15 at 8 p.m. at Campbell Hall. In the leadup to the 2024 presidential election, innovative Belgian theater company Ontroerend Goed offers a fun and thought-provoking night of interactive theater. A critically-acclaimed hit of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Fight Night puts digital voting devices – and the fate of its candidates – into the hands of the audience. With no political ideology or mention of politics, this production is a sharp, impartial and completely entertaining analysis of how democracy works. Make your vote count!
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Aida Cuevas, Canta a Juan Gabriel 40 años después on Sunday, October 20 at 7 p.m. at The Arlington Theatre. A Grammy and Latin Grammy-winning icon of Mexican music, Aida Cuevas is beloved for her devotion to traditional mariachi and for her mastery of its demanding vocal forms. An impassioned performer with a striking voice that evokes life’s greatest joys and most profound longings, Cuevas was the first female singer of the genre to win both Grammy and Latin Grammy awards. In her return to Santa Barbara, the “Queen of Ranchera Music” will lead a mariachi spectacular celebrating her late mentor and friend, pop legend Juan Gabriel.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures and the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara co-present Dr. Jennifer Doudna, CRISPR Gene Editing and the Future of Human Health on Tuesday, October 22 at 7:30 p.m. at The Granada Theatre. The world stands on the edge of an era when gene editing can address many serious ills plaguing humankind, says biochemist Jennifer Doudna, who earned the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for co-developing CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering technology.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents An Evening with Lil Buck and Jon Boogz on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. at Campbell Hall. An award-winning performing artist and advocate for the arts, Charles “Lil Buck” Riley defies gravity with a repertoire that spans Memphis Jookin’, hip hop, ballet and contemporary dance, to name just a few.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents An Evening with Percival Everett on Friday, October 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Hall.Percival Everett is one of the most prolific and innovative writers of our time. The author of more than 30 books, including novels, poetry and short story collections, he has won numerous awards and been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His most recent novel, James, a retelling of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of a very different, highly literate version of the fugitive slave Jim, is currently a finalist for the National Book Award and shortlisted for the Booker Prize. In 2024, American Fiction, the film based on Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure, won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. With sharp observations and biting wit, Everett explores race, politics, gender and family from a uniquely contemporary American perspective.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Yung Pueblo in Conversation with Pico Iyer on Tuesday, October 29 at 7:30 p.m. at UCSB Campbell Hall. Yung Pueblo – pen name of Diego Perez – is an author and poet whose focus on self-knowledge and radical self-acceptance has made him a source of inspiration and wisdom to millions. He is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of Lighter as well as the Inward Trilogy, a collection of three bestselling books of poetry including Inward, Clarity & Connection and the final installment, 2023’s The Way Forward.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Mandé Sila: Habib Koité, Aly Keïta and Lamine Cissokho on Wednesday, October 30 at 8 p.m. at UCSB Campbell Hall. Named the biggest pop star of the West African nation of Mali by Rolling Stone, Habib Koité’s sophisticated acoustic guitar technique brings the pentatonic tuning of the griot’s traditional kora to the slashing solos of classic rock. Koité’s soulful voice and magnetic personality have made him an international star of contemporary world music and inspired collaborations with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Eric Bibb. In this all-star ensemble, two other standard bearers of West African musical traditions join Koité: kora player Lamine Cissokho and balafon master Aly Keïta.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan’s 13 Tongues on Saturday, November 2 at 7:30 p.m. at The Granada Theatre. In 13 Tongues, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan brings the sights and sounds of Taiwan’s legendary night markets to life in all their human and spiritual dimensions. Mixing traditional storytelling with futuristic imagery and shifting between folk, classical and electronic music sources, 13 Tongues delivers an unforgettable experience of contemporary dance at its most innovative and spectacular. Drawing on childhood memories of a famous street performer from 1980s Taipei, Artistic Director Cheng Tsung-lung and the Cloud Gate dancers weave a brilliant tapestry of ancient and modern images set to a dazzling range of musical idioms.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents reigning violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman and Friends on Thursday, November 7 at 7 p.m. at The Granada Theatre. Two of the world’s most distinguished pianists – Emanuel Ax and Jean-Yves Thibaudet – join the reigning virtuoso of the violin Itzhak Perlman and the “endlessly agile” (The New York Times) Juilliard String Quartet for an evening of exceptional chamber music. Each member of this remarkable all-star lineup is fully capable of commanding a rapt audience on their own. In this lush and thrilling program of works spanning three centuries, they explore textures and nuances of expression only available to an extended ensemble.
SANTA BARBARA – UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Anne Lamott in a talk titled Somehow: Thoughts on Love on Wednesday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. An enchanting, lyrical writer, Anne Lamott takes on the most complex, intimate parts of life with grace and precision. Her novels and memoirs have won the most sought-after literary prizes and her latest book, Somehow: Thoughts on Love, explores the struggles of love and the transformative power of intimacy. Lamott’s trademark honesty and humor will be on full display as she discusses finding love late in life, the changing ways we love our children and the ways love can keep us going in a painful world.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Disney’s Encanto: The Sing-Along Film Concert on Thursday, November 14 at 6:30 p.m. at The Arlington Theatre. Sing along with Disney’s Academy Award-winning film Encanto as the magical tale of the extraordinary Madrigal family unfolds on the big screen.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Dr. Uché Blackstock in a talk titled Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons With Racism in Medicine on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. at UCSB Campbell Hall. FREE copies of Blackstock’s new book, Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons With Racism in Medicine, will be available while supplies last (pick up at event; one per household).
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Father Gregory Boyle speaking on the topic of Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times on Tuesday, December 3 at 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Hall.Over the past 30 years, Father Gregory Boyle has transformed thousands of lives through his work as the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention program in the world.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Dorrance Dance’s The Nutcracker Suite on Thursday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m. at The Arlington Theatre. Tap and jazz take on Tchaikovsky in Dorrance Dance’s vibrant version of this beloved holiday classic. The renowned tap company boogies, slides, struts and dives through the magical story of a young girl and her fantastical Christmas adventure. Taking their cue from Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s extraordinary reinterpretation of The Nutcracker Suite, Michelle Dorrance and co-choreographers Hannah Heller and Josette Wiggan transform the Sugar Plum Fairy into a slinky Sugar Rum Cherry, while the “March of the Toy Soldiers” becomes a swinging “Peanut Brittle Brigade,” featuring live music.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway on Friday, December 6 at 8:00 p.m. at UCSB Campbell Hall. A multi-talented songwriter and vocalist, Molly Tuttle’s spellbinding lyrics and exquisitely-crafted sound have garnered her a Best New Artist Grammy nomination and unprecedented back-to-back wins for Best Bluegrass Album in 2023 and 2024. She is lauded as “one of the world’s best guitar players” by American Songwriter and is the first woman ever named Guitar Player of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. Together with her band Golden Highway, Tuttle weaves modern folk, bluegrass and Americana into an eclectic yet seamless musical fabric that stretches from Del McCoury to Jefferson Airplane and beyond.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Portland’s “little orchestra” Pink Martini featuring China Forbes performing a joyful Holiday Show on Tuesday, December 17 at 7:30 p.m. at The Arlington Theatre. Pink Martini brings its signature blend of jazz, classical and pop music. With a dozen musicians and songs in more than a dozen languages, “this multi-denominational, multicultural jubilee overflows with enough holiday spirit to warm your entire family” (NPR). Performing classics like “White Christmas” alongside Chinese New Year tunes and a samba-inspired version of “Auld Lang Syne,” as well as fan favorites from the band’s 11 studio albums, this joyous, globetrotting concert is sure to make you merry.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures and United Way of Santa Barbara County are teaming up this holiday season to help you provide gifts for young people in need.
Audiences for Arts & Lectures’ two big holiday shows –Mariachi Sol de México in José Hernández’ Merry-Achi Christmas at the Arlington Theatre on December 6 andSamara Joy’s A Joyful Holiday at The Granada Theatre on December 8 – are invited to donate to United Way’s annual Holiday Gift Drive. Tickets to both shows are available now from UCSB Arts & Lectures (805) 893-3535 and via the Arlington and Granada box offices.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents its 2023-2034 season of world-class cultural and artistic events, from stimulating lectures and animated conversations with today’s thought leaders to brilliant performances by the world’s most accomplished dancers, singers, musicians and performers. Single (non-subscription) tickets for UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2023-2024 season go on sale Friday, August 4 at 10 a.m.
The 2023-2024 season begins on Sunday, October 1 with a concert and opening night festivities featuring the Santa Barbara debut of five-time Grammy-winner Jacob Collier. The spectacular opening week continues with the Martha Graham Dance Company on October 4 and Americana heroes Nickel Creek and special guest Hawktail on October 8. The classical super trio of Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Lisa Batiashvili and Gautier Capuçon arrive on October 10 to kick off another extraordinary season of the Great Performances series.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures welcomes Jenna Hamilton-Rolle as Director of Education & Community Engagement. Hamilton-Rolle was the Director of Education at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and Sea Center, and brings substantial experience with community outreach, K-12 field trips, hands-on educational programming, and site-specific experiential learning to her new role with Arts & Lectures.
“I believe everyone in our community deserves access to engaging, high-quality educational opportunities. In alignment with UCSB Arts & Lectures mission, my career goals revolve around inspiring, educating, and engaging an increasingly diverse public” said Hamilton-Rolle. She also said that she has “admired A&L’s commitment to excellence, cogent programming, and dedication to accessibility” since her time as a graduate student at UCSB.
We are excited to announce several added events and opportunities this spring. From National Poetry Month to Mother’s Day, there are many opportunities to gather, to share, to laugh, to reexamine and to rejoice.
Please also note that masks are no longer required in the auditorium, however they are strongly recommended for all guests. Read more about our health and safety policies.
Calling all poets! In the spirit of National Poetry Month, you are invited to submit an original poem in one of two categories: K-12 or age 18+.
Instructions: Read U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón’s poem “Instructions on Not Giving Up,” which describes the growth of green leaves in spring as “a return to the strange idea of continuous living despite the mess of us, the hurt, the empty.” Then write a poem on A&L’s 2023 Thematic Learning Initiative theme of Leadership and Vision that’s about something that inspires you to move forward with strength, determination and hope.
Prizes include having your poem published in the Santa Barbara Independent, a copy of Ada Limón’s book The Hurting Kind, a $50 gift certificate to Chaucer’s Books and a $500 A&L ticket voucher good through 2024. One winner in each of the K-12 and 18+ categories will receive all of the prizes.
Editor’s note: UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) announces that Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa has postponed her January 19 Santa Barbara appearance in order to appear in court in Manila, Philippines. The event is currently being rescheduled and the new date will be announced in the coming weeks.
Named one of Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Stand-up Comics of All Time, Tig Notaro is an Emmy and Grammy nominated comedian, writer, radio contributor and actor. She wrote and starred in the groundbreaking TV show One Mississippi and just released her second HBO special, Tig Notaro: Drawn. In 2021, Notaro co-directed the feature film Am I OK?, which debuted at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. She hosts the critically-acclaimed advice podcast Don’t Ask Tig and co-hosts the hilarious documentary film podcast Tig and Cheryl: True Story.
UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents Joyce DiDonato in EDEN, Tuesday, January 24 at 7:00 p.m. at Granada Theatre. Fusing music, movement and theater, EDEN is a breathtaking, through-performed tour de force from the multi-award-winning Joyce DiDonato. EDEN explores our individual connection to nature and its impact on our world. By traveling seamlessly through four centuries of music, including a new commission from Academy Award-winning composer Rachel Portman, a searing and singular experience of hope unfolds. To ensure that the EDEN experience continues to grow outside of the concert hall, each audience member receives seeds to plant as DiDonato asks: “In this time of upheaval, which seed wIll you plant today?”
Praised for its remarkable ensemble cohesion and immaculately refined interpretations, this musical dream team reunites in Santa Barbara for an unforgettable evening of chamber music. Get tickets for Emanuel Ax – Leonidas Kavakos – Yo-Yo Ma on Jan 27, 2023 at The Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara. Presented by UC Santa Barbara Arts & Lectures.
Regarded as the world’s leading contemporary music group, Ensemble Intercontemporain make a rare appearance to present Olga Neuwirth’s score for the 1924 satirical silent filmDie Stadt ohne Juden (The City Without Jews). Under music director Matthias Pintscher, the French musicians will accompany the movie directed by Hans Karl Breslauer for which Neuwirth wrote music “both touching and harsh, warm-hearted and open, amusing and furious, involved and distanced, humorous and sad all at once.”
Celebrating 65 years of great jazz in Monterey with an all-star lineup including Dee Dee Bridgewater and Kurt Elling SUMMARY UCSB Arts & Lectures presents the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour Sunday, January 29 | 7:00 p.m. | Campbell Hall…
UCSB Arts & Lectures will present “Hiding in Plain Sight (two-part documentary)” at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 1 at UCSB’s Campbell Hall.
Amor Towles is heir to the American literary tradition of thrilling narratives that follow memorable young men on intricate journeys of risk, discovery and redemption. Through his evocative, absorbing novels including Rules of Civility, A Gentleman in Moscow and The Lincoln Highway, Towles has become a critical favorite and a popular success.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Pink Martini featuring China Forbes at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3 at The Granada Theatre.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Cirque FLIP Fabrique at 7 pm. Sunday, Feb. 5 at The Granada Theatre.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Nina Totenberg Dinners with Ruth: The Power of Friendships at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7 at the Granada Theatre.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Step Afrika! at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16 at Campbell Hall.
An award-winning scientist, science communicator and author, Ramirez promotes a love of exploration, making complex scientific processes clear and mesmerizing to just about everyone. In her recent book The Alchemy of Us, Ramirez showcases little-known inventors – particularly people of color and women – who had a significant impact but whose accomplishments have been hidden by mythmaking, bias and convention. Doing so shows us the power of telling inclusive stories about technology. She also reveals that innovation is universal – whether it’s splicing beats with two turntables and a microphone or splicing genes with two test tubes and CRISPR.
UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents Preljocaj’s Swan Lake, Saturday, February 25 at 8:00 p.m and Sunday, February 26 at 3:00 p.m. at the Granada Theatre. France’s contemporary dance superstar Angelin Preljocaj tackles the Mount Everest of the ballet world, Swan Lake. Combining Tchaikovsky’s musical masterpiece with new arrangements, Preljocaj reinvents the timeless tale of love, betrayal, seduction and remorse into a modern ecological tragedy. With 26 dancers, this beautiful tribute takes flight as an ingenious adaptation in which “the excellent performers… move with nuanced, fragile physical poetry, and a sense of the wounded souls they have become” (The New York Times).
UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour on Tuesday, Feb. 28 and Wednesday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. A Santa Barbara institution, the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour is a perennial fan favorite. Featuring the world’s best films and videos on mountain subjects, the tour awes viewers with thrills and grandeur captured in exotic locations the world over. The show’s wide variety of film subjects – from extreme sports to mountain culture and environment – will amaze audiences. An entirely different program of films screens each night.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Dr. Thema Bryant on Friday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Hall. One of the foundational scholars on the topic of the trauma of racism, Dr. Thema Bryant provides tools to meaningfully connect with a larger community, even in the face of racism, sexism, heartbreak, grief and trauma. As a survivor of sexual assault, racism and evacuation from a civil war in Liberia, she knows intimately the work involved in healing. Having made the journey herself, in addition to guiding others as a clinical psychologist and ordained minister, Dr. Thema shows how to reconnect with your authentic self and reclaim your time, your voice and your life.
UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents Tracy Kidder in conversation with Pico Iyer Tuesday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m at The New Vic. Pulitzer Prize-winner Tracy Kidder stands at the forefront of American letters as a champion of the heroism of everyday life. With a reputation for faultless prose and profound insights, his mesmerizing profiles include Mountains Beyond Mountains, which brought the world’s attention to Dr. Paul Farmer, and the Pulitzer Prize-winner The Soul of a New Machine. In his newest work, Rough Sleepers: Dr. Jim O’Connell’s Urgent Mission to Bring Healing to Homeless People, Kidder continues to amplify the efforts of unique individuals who transcend cynicism and create hope.
The Thematic Learning Initiative provides opportunities for anyone interested in delving deeper into the issues raised by A&L artists and speakers. Connect with others at intimate salon-style discussions, film screenings and added special public events. Receive online educational resources, sign up for book giveaways and more!
UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents the Wynton Marsalis Septet Tuesday, April 4 at 7 p.m at the Granada Theatre. In this intimate performance, Wynton Marsalis will lead an exciting new edition of the Wynton Marsalis Septet as they present his latest original compositions as well as standards spanning the vast historical landscape of jazz music. Originally formed in the spring of 1989, the Wynton Marsalis Septet has featured such acclaimed musicians as Wycliffe Gordon and Wess “Warmdaddy” Anderson. 34 years later, this special group has taken new form, garnering some of jazz’s biggest rising stars. As Douglas Hall of Glide Magazine describes it, the Wynton Marsalis Septet “combines familiar musical friendships and his passion for discovering new talent.”
On screen, Danny Trejo is a baddie who has been killed at least a hundred times. Off screen, the actor, producer and entrepreneur is a hero beloved by recovery communities and obsessed fans alike. But the real Danny Trejo is much more complicated than the legend. With more than 400 film credits including Heat, From Dusk Till Dawnand the Spy Kids and Machete franchises, along with his burgeoning Trejo’s Tacos empire, Danny Trejo’s story is “enough to make you believe in the possibility of a Hollywood ending” (The New York Times). Discover the full, fascinating and inspirational story of his journey from prison, addiction and loss to artistic expression and personal happiness.
UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents the Danish String Quartet on Thursday, April 13 at 7 p.m. at Campbell Hall. “One of the best quartets before the public today” (The Washington Post), the Danish returns with the third concert in its Doppelgänger Project, pairing Schubert’s “Rosamunde” and “Quartettsatz” quartets with a newly commissioned work by Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdóttir. One of the most original voices of her generation, Thorvaldsdóttir wields a “seemingly boundless textural imagination” (The New York Times) to create captivating musical landscapes at once grand and personal.
UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents S? Percussion with Caroline Shaw on Friday, April 21 at 8 p.m. at Campbell Hall. Pulitzer Prize-winner Caroline Shaw joins S? Percussion as vocalist for ten songs she co-composed with the quartet members. Let the Soil Play Its Simple Part explores soil cultivation as a metaphor for creativity and collaboration. Shaw’s remarkable ear for melody and harmony and S?’s playful sense of rhythmic invention come together in this strikingly original music. Taking inspiration from James Joyce, ABBA, American roots music, plainchant, Christian hymns and stories from the Old Testament, S? Percussion and Caroline Shaw dissolve the boundaries between classical and pop. In the first half of the program, S? Percussion will perform works in its repertoire from a trio of young composers including ensemble member Eric Cha-Beach, Angélica Negrón and Nathalie Joachim.
Lady Gaga. Wagner. Talking Heads. No repertoire is safe from the artistry and insanity of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. With punk rock sensibilities and restrained British humor, this eight-piece band of expert strummers and singers has charmed audiences the world over. Devilishly irreverent and shockingly eclectic, the orchestra is a bona fide U.K. national treasure, inspiring an international love affair with its humble four-string namesake.
UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents ARTEMIS on Sunday, April 23 at 7 p.m. at Campbell Hall. ARTEMIS is an international ensemble of modern jazz masters named for the ancient Greek goddess of the hunt. Founded in 2017 under the banner of International Women’s Day, it made a memorable splash at the 2018 Newport Jazz Festival, followed by a debut recording on Blue Note in 2020. Each member is a composer and bandleader in their own right, and the collective’s repertoire draws from new compositions written expressly for them, to classics by Lee Morgan, Thelonious Monk and Wayne Shorter.
UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents Ada Limón on Tuesday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Hall. For Ada Limón, poetry is elemental, necessary and deeply human. Known for “clear storytelling, vivid visuals, and a final turn that snaps you like a twig” (Guernica Magazine), Limón is the author of six books of poetry. The Carrying won the National Book Critics Circle Award. Bright Dead Thingswas nominated for the National Book Award. Her newest book of poetry, The Hurting Kind, was named one of The New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2022. The first woman of Mexican ancestry to be named U.S. poet laureate, Limón views identity – and poetry – as an avenue to greater possibilities.
A storied model and movie star, Isabella Rossellini represents a startling example of self reinvention. Born into European film royalty as the daughter of director Roberto Rossellini and actor Ingrid Bergman, her own performances are some of the definitive images in film. After a successful career in acting and modeling, she earned a master’s degree in animal behavior and now creates unique and humorous works of performance art based on her research. Known for her philanthropic efforts in animal conservation among other areas, Rossellini runs an organic farm in Bellport, New York. As former muse and partner to artists like David Lynch, Martin Scorsese and Gary Oldman, Rossellini has stories to share and ideas of her own about the trials and tribulations of a life lived almost entirely in the public eye.
Mark Morris Dance Group’s evening-length work, The Look of Love, is the newest collaboration from choreographer Mark Morris and arranger Ethan Iverson. An homage to the chart-topping songs of Burt Bacharach – including popular compositions for Dionne Warwick such as “Walk on By” and “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” – the piece features original choreography, a live musical ensemble and lush new arrangements of more than a dozen legendary hits by the multi-award-winning composer.
Woman. Life. Freedom. is a public art projection featuring 30 artworks by anonymous international artists. These monumental digital images, which will be projected onto the façade of the UCSB Art, Design & Architecture Museum, respond to systemic gender inequity and discrimination in Iran.
The city you live in has a powerful effect on how you behave. How, then, do we design happy cities? Urban design consultant, award-winning journalist and author of Happy City, Charles Montgomery looks for answers in psychology, neuroscience, behavioral economics and cityscapes from Disneyland to Dubai.
Proclaimed a “standout” by The New York Times, multidisciplinary artist Nicholas Galanin explores conceptions and misconceptions surrounding Indigenous identity.
SANTA BARBARA — Get ready to explore the galaxy this summer with UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2023 FREE Summer Cinema line-up: “Out of This World.” The series continues with Ridley Scott’s feminist space horror classic, Alien, at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden on Friday, July 14 at 8:30 pm.
SANTA BARBARA — Get ready to explore the galaxy this summer with UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2023 FREE Summer Cinema line-up: “Out of This World.” The series continues with Tim Burton’s send-up of vintage sci-fi invasion flicks, Mars Attacks! at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden on Friday, July 21 at 8:30 pm.
Get ready to explore the galaxy this summer with UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2023 FREE Summer Cinema line-up: Out of This World. The series continues with J. J. Abrams’ thrilling 2009 resurrection of the Star Trek franchise.
SANTA BARBARA — Get ready to meet a galaxy of interstellar adventurers this summer with UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2023 FREE Summer Cinema line-up: Out of This World. The series continues with Guardians of the Galaxyon Friday, August 18.
Costumes are encouraged at this weeks event! Metro Entertainment will be on hand with special rewards for those who dress up. DJ Darla Bea will present an in-person music set.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents the 2023 FREE Summer Cinema line-up: Out of This World, seven nights of space-inspired movies under the stars at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden, Friday nights from July 7 through August 25. (No screening Friday, August 4 due to Fiesta)
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents Jacob Collier on Sunday, October 1 at 7 p.m. at Campbell Hall. Moving fluidly across jazz, pop and R&B, Jacob Collier creates mesmerizing soundscapes using layered vocal tracks and sophisticated digital editing techniques. His multi-frame, multi-instrumental viral videos and five Grammy wins have earned him a devoted international following and a roster of collaborators that ranges from Coldplay and SZA to Hans Zimmer. An energetic and engaging live performer, Collier is known for conducting his audiences in multi-part harmonies and beats.
Pre-concert festivities on the plaza in front of Campbell Hall begin at 6 p.m. Enjoy food trucks and a live DJ set by KCRW Program Director Anne Litt.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents the Martha Graham Dance Company’s Graham100 on Wednesday, October 4 at the Granada Theatre. Recognized as a primal artistic force of the 20th century, Martha Graham single-handedly defined contemporary dance as a uniquely American art form. In this evening of new and reimagined works framing a Graham classic, the company performs Hofesh Shechter’s high-energy CAVEand Graham’s Dark Meadow Suite, an abstract work about life’s journey and the search for connection with one’s self and one’s community. A reconstruction of Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo rounds out the program, with a reorchestration of Aaron Copland’s score performed by a live bluegrass ensemble led by Punch Brother Gabe Witcher.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Nickel Creek with special guest Hawktail on Sunday, October 8 at 7 p.m. at the Granada Theatre. Nickel Creek is the platinum-selling, internationally renowned roots trio featuring mandolinist Chris Thile, violinist Sara Watkins and guitarist Sean Watkins. The Grammy Award-winning band has revolutionized bluegrass and roots music since they captured the world’s attention with their self-titled LP, which showcased their instrumental virtuosity and songwriting prowess. All solo artists in their own right, the beloved trio’s 2023 album Celebrants represents a triumphant return to form after a nine-year break from recording and touring together. Special guest Hawktail are an acoustic instrumental quartet featuring Punch Brothers bassist Paul Kowert, fiddler Brittany Haas, guitarist Jordan Tice and mandolinist Dominick Leslie.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano, Lisa Batiashvili, violin and Gautier Capuçon, cello, on Tuesday, October 10 at 7 p.m. at the Granada Theatre.Three friends and award-winning classical stars come together for an evening of chamber music at the highest level of cohesion and artistic insight. Gautier Capuçon’s powerful cello blends with the warm, brilliant tone of violinist Lisa Batiashvili and the finesse of Jean-Yves Thibaudet in a program of masterpieces that showcases their individual and collaborative gifts. “When you have the possibility to play incredible music with great friends onstage, this is just pure luxury,” Capuçon says. “There is nothing better than that.”
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Jill Lepore delivering a public lecture titled Amend: Rewriting the Constitution on Tuesday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m. at UCSB Campbell Hall. Award-winning historian and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Jill Lepore brings her panoptic range and razor-sharp style to a discussion of the Supreme Court’s role in the U.S. Constitution’s unamendability. The U.S. Constitution was always meant to be added to and improved – amending is what makes the Constitution everyone’s, says Lepore. How has the U.S. Constitution become one of the most difficult in the world to change? And what are the consequences for a society whose constitution is frozen in time?
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Turn it Out with Tiler Peck & Friends on Wednesday, October 25 at 8:00 p.m. at The Granada Theatre. Award-winning New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck embraces the role of director for Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends, turning up the heat with an innovative, handpicked repertoire by some of today’s most exciting choreographers. The virtuosic program includes Thousandth Orange, set to live music composed by Pulitzer Prize-winner Caroline Shaw; an electric pas de deux choreographed by Alonzo King; a collaboration with tap star and Santa Barbara favorite Michelle Dorrance; and a dynamic finale reflecting Peck’s creative partnership with choreographer William Forsythe, set to music by James Blake.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Walter Isaacson in conversation with Pico Iyer on Thursday, October 26 at 7:30 p.m. at UCSB Campbell Hall. Walter Isaacson occupies a unique position in contemporary American culture. His many bestselling works include biographies of CRISPR’s Jennifer Doudna, Benjamin Franklin and Steve Jobs. His new book on Elon Musk is the astonishingly intimate story of one of the most fascinating and controversial innovators of our era. An immediate bestseller upon its release in September of 2023, Isaacson’s Elon Musk takes its place alongside his other monumental biographies as an essential document of the complex factors that come together in men and women of rare genius.
Walter Isaacson talks about his new biography of Elon Musk on the Today Show
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents disability rights advocate Eddie Ndopu delivering a FREE public lecture titled Sipping Dom Perignon Through a Straw: Reimagining Success as a Disabled Achiever on Thursday, November 2 at UCSB Campbell Hall. Called “one of the most powerful disabled people on the planet” by TIME magazine, Eddie Ndopu is an award-winning global humanitarian and disability justice advocate. Diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy at age 2 and given only five years to live, he has gone on to become a beacon of hope and possibility for people with disabilities around the world. His debut memoir, Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw, captures his effervescent, indefatigable spirit. As a UN Global Changemaker, Ndopu actively demands equity for the most marginalized segments of global society and is a vital voice at the intersection of disability, sustainability and how we can best work together to make meaningful change for our planet’s future. Attend the event and receive a free copy of Ndopu’s new book.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents David Sedarison Saturday, November 4 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. One of today’s most observant writers addressing the human condition, satirist and bestselling author David Sedaris returns with his acerbic humor, social commentary and outlandish stories. Cutting through cultural euphemisms and political correctness, he delights audiences with twists of humor and perspicacity as he shares both published stories and works-in-progress. Stick around after the event for one of Sedaris’ legendary book signings.
David Sedaris on storytelling, humor and chatting with strangers (Jimmy Kimmel Live)
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth on Sunday, November 5 at 7:00 p.m. at The Granada Theatre. In this rollicking cabaret-style revue, Chenoweth presents an evening of unforgettable songs made famous by her heroes and friends. The Tony and Emmy award-winning actress pays tribute to the great women singers who have inspired her with classics like Doris Day’s “When I Fall In Love,” Barbra Streisand’s “The Way We Were,” Peggy Lee’s “I’m a Woman” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” With her charming and conspiratorial style, Chenoweth cultivates a warm and intimate atmosphere, telling stories and joking with her band and backup singers. “For the Girls… exudes the snuggly promise of a slumber party” (The New York Times).
SANTA BARBARA – UCSB Arts & Lectures presents American Railroad by Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens on Thursday, November 9 at 8:00 p.m. at The Granada Theatre. Under the leadership of 2023 Pulitzer Prize-winner Rhiannon Giddens, the genre-defying Silkroad Ensemble embarks on a new initiative that amplifies the untold stories of African American, Chinese, Indigenous, Irish and other communities in the creation of North America’s railroads. Chinese traditional music on the suona and pipa is contrasted with the fiddle and banjo of Black musical traditions, and their Indigenous and Celtic counterparts. These cultural intersections reveal a thread of commonality despite their varied origins, and remind us of the intricately rich American story.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures announces two exciting new additions to the 2023-2024 season: Mustafa Suleyman, author of The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century’s Greatest Dilemma on Thursday, October 5 and Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants on November 14.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents a conversation with Adam Grant on Thursday, November 16 at 7:30 p.m. at The Arlington Theatre. In this paradigm-shifting conversation, organizational psychologist and Penn Wharton School of Business professor Adam Grant offers a new framework for raising aspirations and exceeding expectations from his new book Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things (just released on Oct 24, 2023).
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Audra McDonald in Concert on Thursday, November 30 at 7 p.m. at UCSB Campbell Hall. The winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards and an Emmy, Audra McDonald is as stunningly eloquent in song as she is acting a role. She’s been named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people and received a National Medal of Arts for “her rich, soulful voice [that] continues to take her audiences to new heights.” Enjoy an intimate evening with a national treasure as McDonald performs works from Broadway, the Great American Songbook and more.
SANTA BARBARA – UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Seong-Jin Cho on Friday, December 1 at 7 p.m. at UCSB Campbell Hall. Pianist Seong-Jin Cho returns with an eclectic program demonstrating his remarkable range and subtle approach to the repertoire. Cho captured the world’s attention in 2015 when his flawless performances earned First Prize at the Chopin International Competition in Warsaw. His thoughtful yet assertive style drives an impressive natural sense of balance. His latest solo album, The Handel Project, was released in February 2023.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Mariachi Sol de México on Wednesday, December 6 at 7 p.m. at The Arlington Theatre.Led by one of the foremost masters of mariachi music, José Hernández, Mariachi Sol de México returns for a festive celebration of Mexico’s Christmas traditions. Experience holiday magic in a performance that includes elements of Las Posadas alongside traditional Christmas carols. Mariachi Sol de México has performed for five U.S. presidents and shared the stage with artists ranging from the Beach Boys to Lady Gaga.
SANTA BARBARA — ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! (Viva) is back in 2023 for the first time since 2020! Since its establishment as a free community arts program in 2006, Viva has brought together people of diverse backgrounds from across Santa Barbara County to celebrate the music and dance of Latin America. The program, which has been on hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, returns in 2023 with FREE performances and community outreach events from four stellar ensembles, including Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar (Jan. 13-15), Grandeza Mexicana (Mar. 17-19), Tres Souls (Apr. 14-16), and Las Cafeteras (May 19-21).
“At Arts & Lectures, we are thrilled to resume the exciting and deeply rooted ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! program at multiple locations throughout the region,” says Miller McCune Executive Director Celesta M. Billeci. “These free community events wouldn’t be possible without our partners The Marjorie Luke Theatre, the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center, and the Isla Vista School Parent Teacher Association, and the many community coordinators and volunteers. From Carpinteria and Santa Barbara to Isla Vista, Lompoc, Guadalupe and New Cuyama, people will again enjoy the best ensembles from Latin America and the rich traditions they represent.”
UCSB Arts & Lectures, the Central Coast’s premier arts presenting organization, proudly announces its 2022-2023 season, featuring more than 45 engaging new events. Included are 12 Santa Barbara debuts, three new series and four commissioned performances.
UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) offers a wide range of phenomenal cultural and artistic experiences in 2022-2023 – from fascinating talks by today’s thought leaders to command performances by some of the world’s premier dance companies, actors and musicians – at venues from UCSB to downtown Santa Barbara and beyond. Additional events, including performances, films and public lectures, will be announced throughout the season. In particular, look for another exciting season of Speaking with Pico and more thought leaders in the Race to Justice series.
UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) is pleased to announce four new additions to the Justice for All event series that features public figures, organizers, thinkers and doers who expose deeply embedded injustices and call for a more equitable future.
Just added:
Thursday, April 7th, Manzanar, Diverted, film screening & discussion with Director/Producer Ann Kaneko;
Monday, April 18th, Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries on The Power of Extravagant Tenderness;
Friday, April 22, Director of the MIT Media Lab’s Space Enabled Program, scientist Danielle Wood on Space Enabled Earth Justice: Using Space Technology to Improve Life;
Tuesday, May 3rd: Data scientist Cathy O’Neil who explores how to cultivate dignity in an age of social media and hyper-partisan politics in her book The Shame Machine: Who Profits in the New Age of Humiliation.
The major gift to UCSB Arts & Lectures from UCSB alumnus John and his wife Jody Arnhold will support residencies with world-renowned artists, which in the 2021-2022 season include Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Ballet Hispánico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and more
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents New York Times and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Andrea Elliott on Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival and Hope in an American City, Wednesday, March 9 at 7:30 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall. The presentation is part of the Justice For All series, featured in the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.
Andrea Elliott puts a human face to topics ranging from child poverty to Muslim life in the U.S. Her recent five-part series,Invisible Child, examined homelessness through the lens of an 11-year-old Brooklyn girl. The series won a George Polk Award, helped reignite a conversation about the dire state of poverty in America and inspired a bestselling book of the same name. Previously, Elliott’s coverage of Islam in America broke new ground in the study of radicalization and earned her a Pulitzer Prize for feature writing.
Join UCSB Arts & Lectures as they present Celebrated Violin Virtuoso Joshua Bell, violin and Peter Dugan, piano on Thursday, February 3rd at 7:00 p.m. at The Granada Theatre.
With a career spanning almost four decades, Grammy-winning violinist Joshua Bell is one of the most celebrated artists of his era. Named Musical America’s 2010 Instrumentalist of the Year and an Indiana Living Legend, Bell also serves as music director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. He appears in recital with Peter Dugan, the “fearlessly athletic” (San Francisco Chronicle) pianist and host of NPR’s From the Top.
Join UCSB Arts & Lectures as they present UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis on Friday, February 4th at 8:00 p.m. Pacific at The Granada Theatre.
International jazz ambassador, nine-time Grammy winner and Pulitzer Prize recipient Wynton Marsalis returns with the legendary Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO), comprising 15 of the nation’s finest soloists, ensemble players and arrangers. The remarkably versatile orchestra performs a vast repertoire ranging from original compositions to rare historic gems and masterworks by jazz greats including Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and many others. Delight in the full vigor and vision of America’s music in this evening awash with Marsalis’ and JLCO’s infinite charm and warmth.
Join UCSB Arts & Lectures as they present Contemporary Nordic Folk Trio Dreamers’ Circus on Tuesday, February 8th at 8:00 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall.
Featuring Danish String Quartet violinist Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, Nikolaj Busk on piano and accordion and Ale Carr on cittern, Dreamers’ Circus performs a thrilling blend of contemporary and traditional folk music from Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Finland and the far reaches of the windswept Faroe Islands. Through their adventurous attitude and their outstanding musicianship, what began as a chance meeting of three musicians at a bar in Copenhagen has brought them to the forefront of the Nordic folk and world music scene and earned them five prestigious Danish Music Awards.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents A.I.M by Kyle Abraham’s An Untitled Love featuring the Music of D’Angelo on Sunday, February 13th at 7:00 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.
One of today’s most in-demand choreographers, A.I.M. Artistic Director Kyle Abraham mixes modern, contemporary, ballet and hip-hop dance.
Join UCSB Arts & Lectures as they present Amanda Nguyen “Hopeanomics” and How Social Entrepreneurs are Transforming Grassroots Activism on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Hall.
Harvard graduate Amanda Nguyen is the CEO and founder of Rise, a social movement accelerator that teaches grassroots organizing. She helped draft the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights – one of just a handful of bills in U.S. history to pass unanimously through Congress – following her painful experience navigating the justice system as a rape survivor. Nguyen has been recognized on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and Time magazine’s 100 Next lists, and was named one of InStyle’s 50 Badass Women of 2020 and Foreign Policy’s leading global thinkers of 2016.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists and authors Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn for Tales of Hope on the American Landscape onThursday, February 17th at 7:30 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.
Renowned for their relentless chronicling of human rights abuses and giving a voice to the voiceless, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn have co-written the bestselling books Half the Sky, A Path Appears, China Wakes, Thunder From the East and most recently, Tightrope. Together, they won a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of China’s Tiananmen Square democracy movement. Their work is the subject of two full programs created by Oprah Winfrey and has inspired multiple PBS documentary series. More recently, Kristof left The New York Times to run for governor of Oregon to address pragmatic problems like homelessness and addiction that afflict his hometown. The husband-wife team will discuss what they learned while researching Tightrope and their reflections on the political landscape in Oregon and America today.
UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, Celebrating 30 Years in Santa Barbara on Tuesday, February 22nd and Wednesday, February 23rd at 7:30 p.m. Pacific at the Arlington Theatre. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.
Special Appearance by Roman Baratiak, A&L Associate Director Emeritus
A Santa Barbara institution, the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour is a perennial fan favorite. Featuring the world’s best films and videos on mountain subjects, the tour awes viewers with thrills and grandeur captured in exotic locations the world over. The show’s wide variety of film subjects – from extreme sports to mountain culture and environment – will amaze audiences. An entirely different program of films screens each night.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents author and social commentator Roxane Gay for Roxane with One N on Friday, February 25th at 7:30 p.m. Pacific at The Granada Theatre. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.
Roxane Gay brilliantly critiques the ebb and flow of modern culture with wit and ferocity. Her collection of essays, Bad Feminist, is a quintessential exploration of modern feminism, and her books – including An Untamed State, Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body, Graceful Burdens and Difficult Women – are celebrated for their honesty and humor. Gay also co-hosts the podcast Hear to Slay, pens the Work Friend column for The New York Times and was the first black woman to write for Marvel Comics. Her new podcast The Roxane Gay Agenda premiered on Luminary in partnership with iHeartMedia on January 25, 2022.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Nashville-based Singer-songwriterJason Isbell and the 400 Unit with special guest Shawn Colvin onSaturday, February 26th at 8:00 p.m. Pacific at The Arlington Theatre. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.
Four-time Grammy winner Jason Isbell is at the top of his game. His music – whether solo, with former band the Drive-By Truckers or fronting the 400 Unit – shows his Alabama soul as he drifts between rock, country and roots. Georgia Blue, Isbell’s latest album with the 400 Unit, is a charity covers collection celebrating music from the state of Georgia.
UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents the free virtual Thematic Learning Initiative event: Meet-the-Artists Talk with Jennifer Koh, Davóne Tines, and their creative team titled Why Everything Rises Wednesday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. Pacific. The meet-the-artist talk will be moderated by Lisa Sun-Hee Park, Department Chair and Professor of Asian American Studies at UC Santa Barbara. Panelists will include Jennifer Koh, Violin and Co-Creator; Davóne Tines, Bass-Baritone and Co-Creator; Ken Ueno, Composer; Kee-Yoon Nahm, Narrative Structure and Dramaturgy. Register for the free webinar at https://bit.ly/rises-ucsb-2022.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents New York Times bestselling author Erik Larson in conversation with Pico Iyer on Wednesday, March 2nd at 7:30 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.
Erik Larson is a wizard of narrative non-fiction whose many bestsellers include Thunderstruck, Dead Wake, Isaac’s Storm and National Book Award-nominee Devil in the White City, which remained on the New York Times bestseller lists for a combined total of over six years. The Splendid and the Vile, his biography of Winston Churchill’s first year as prime minister, is a New York Times Notable Book of 2020 and a Kirkus Best Book of 2020. Larson’s first foray into fiction, the audio-only No One Goes Alone, is a suspenseful ghost story underpinned with actual people and events.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Memphis Jookin’: The Show featuring street dance phenomenon Lil Buck on Tuesday, March 8th at 8:00 p.m. Pacific at The Granada Theatre. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.
An ode to the birthplace of the singular dance style known as Memphis Jookin’, this evening-length show chronicles how the art form grew from local street dance to an international phenomenon. Starring renowned dance artist Lil Buck (who also conceived and choreographed the piece) alongside ten highly-skilled dancers and a DJ, Memphis Jookin’: The Show transports audiences to the streets and the clubs where the style originated.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents New York Times and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Andrea Elliott on Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival and Hope in an American City, Wednesday, March 9th at 7:30 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022CREATING HOPE programming initiative.
Andrea Elliott puts a human face to topics ranging from child poverty to Muslim life in the U.S. Her recent five-part series, Invisible Child, examined homelessness through the lens of an 11-year-old Brooklyn girl. The series won a George Polk Award, helped reignite a conversation about the dire state of poverty in America and inspired a bestselling book of the same name. Previously, Elliott’s coverage of
Islam in America broke new ground in the study of radicalization and earned her a Pulitzer Prize for feature writing.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Silkroad, Home Within, Kinan Azmeh, composer, clarinet, Kevork Mourad, live illustrations, visuals, Thursday, March 31st at 8:00 p.m. at Campbell Hall.
Join UCSB Arts & Lectures as they present Punch Brothers on Tuesday, April 5 at 8:00 p.m. at Campbell Hall.
Comprised of mandolinist Chris Thile, guitarist Chris Eldridge, bassist Paul Kowert, banjoist Noam Pikelny and violinist Gabe Witcher, Punch Brothers is a “ridiculously eclectic” (The Guardian, U.K.) quintet known for its experimentation, straight-up poignancy and subversive humor. Mixing bluegrass, pop and classical music, the all-star group – which derives its name from Mark Twain’s short story “Punch, Brothers, Punch!” – “typifies the new-grass brigade, updating the genre’s instrumentation with a progressive mentality” (NPR)
UCSB Arts & Lectures to present FREE film screening and conversation of “Manzanar, Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust,” featuring Director/Producer Ann Kaneko on Thursday, April 7th at 7:00 p.m. at Pollack Theater.
An inspired and poetic portrait of a place and its people, Manzanar, Diverted explores the rich yet painful history of California’s Owens Valley, from colonization to water rights. Capturing the intersectionality of the region, the award-winning film chronicles the efforts of an unexpected alliance of Indigenous, environmental activist and Japanese-American World War II incarceree women as they defend their water, history and culture against Los Angeles’ endless thirst. (Ann Kaneko, 2021, 84 min.)
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents the world premiere of Everything Rises, a commission featuring Jennifer Koh and Davóne Tines, Tuesday, April 12th at 8:00 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall.
Recognized for her dazzling virtuosity and technical assurance, violinist Jennifer Koh is a forward-thinking artist dedicated to exploring an eclectic repertoire while promoting diversity in classical music. Davóne Tines, lauded as a “depths-plumbing bass-baritone” byThe New York Times, is building an international career commanding a broad spectrum of opera and concert performance. Everything Rises is a multimedia collaboration born from the artists’ desire to understand themselves as the descendants of refugees and slaves and reveal a universal history shared by immigrants and minority Americans.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents performances by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater on Thursday, April 14th at 8:00 p.m. at the Granada Theatre. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater featuring Robert Battle, Artistic Director and Matthew Rushing, Associate Artistic Director on Wednesday, April 13th and Thursday, April 14th at 8:00 p.m. Pacific at the Granada Theatre.
Celebrating over 60 years of unparalleled artistry, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater stands tall as an enduring cultural touchstone, reminding us of the power of dance to bring people together. The Ailey company has cultivated the best and brightest choreographers working today – gifted artists exploring themes of hope, sorrow, joy and resilience – and its dancers dazzle with their trademark technical brilliance and passionate energy. The groundbreaking company returns to Santa Barbara with new and classic works, including founder Alvin Ailey’s masterpiece Revelations.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Founder of Homeboy Industries Father Gregory Boyle The Power of Extravagant Tenderness on Monday, April 18th at 7:30 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative and Justice For All series.
Father Gregory Boyle has transformed thousands of lives as the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest and most successful gang intervention and rehabilitation program in the world.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Britain’s breakout stars Sheku Kanneh-Mason, cello, Isata Kanneh-Mason, piano on Tuesday, April 19th at 7:00 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.
Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason first gained renown as winner of the 2016 BBC Young Musician competition (the first Black musician to take the title), soon launching to stardom after his performance at the 2018 wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Join UCSB Arts & Lectures as they present Michael Steele How to Win Elections and Lose the Country on (Rescheduled to April 21, 2022) at Campbell Hall.
To paraphrase Friedrich Nietzsche, madness is rare in individuals – but in political parties it’s the rule. Yet how do political activism and the rise of grassroots movements impact policymakers and the status quo? MSNBC analyst and former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele examines our political parties and the systems they create in the fight for electoral success. And how the emergence of Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders and future presidential contenders may signal not just a profound transformation of both political parties but their eventual end.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Director of the MIT Media Lab’s Space Enabled Program, Danielle Wood, Space Enabled Earth Justice: Using Space Technology to Improve Life on Friday, April 22nd at 7:30 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall.
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Danish String Quartet The Doppelgänger Project, Part II on Wednesday, April 27th at 7:00 p.m. at Campbell Hall.
This season, the Danish String Quartet introducesDoppelgänger, an ambitious four-year project supported by Arts & Lectures and a variety of international partners. The project pairs world premieres from four renowned composers with chamber music masterpieces by Schubert, including “Death and the Maiden” and the “Rosamunde” quartet. The quartet, featuring violinists Frederik Øland and Rune Tonsgaard Sørenson, violist Asbjørn Nørgaard and cellist Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin will perform a premiere with its doppelgänger – the Schubert quartet or quintet that inspired it.
