The Festival of New

Join university leadership in kicking off The Festival of New with a lively discussion on The New School's Centennial, hosted by President David Van Zandt and Provost Tim Marshall.

Some of the most costly mistakes people make are the result of forgetfulness.

Every day, we’re sprinting to catch up with new technology, new people, new ideas. We live in a world of constant change — at school, at work, even in our personal lives. You may feel overwhelmed by the growing data overload and the need to learn and recall huge amounts of information. How can you stay on top and deal with it all?

In this session, Jim Kwik, a leading memory and brain performance expert, will share simple proven strategies that will allow you to succeed and thrive in the face of information overload. He will show you how to retain the ideas and insights you will be exposed to at this event.

Develop the ability to:

• Remember the names of everyone you meet 
• Master any subject or skill more quickly
•  Eliminate mental fog, fatigue, and forgetfulness to improve your performance and increase your productivity 

In today's fast-changing knowledge economy, a top competitive advantage is the ability to remember. Get ready to upgrade your brain in a memory training you will never forget.

A conversation with Reshma Saujani and Janaye Ingram about elevating bravery, change-making, and inclusion to drive diversity in tech and transform the workforce of tomorrow.

She set the “ME TOO” movement in motion, making the world aware of the pervasiveness of the sexual harassment, abuse and violence that plagues our society. Tarana J. Burke shares what a new generation needs to do and say, to advocate and create a safer world for everyone. An interactive discussion guided by executive editor of Teen Vogue, Samhita Mukhopadhya.

Miki and Radha Agrawal — identical twins and founders of Wild, THINX, Daybreaker, TUSHY, Museum of Dance, and LiveItUp — share hard-won wisdom on building their brands and creating community using disruptive innovation. They recount childhood stories that shaped them both individually and collectively. Miki and Radha also open up about how they navigated the ups and downs of developing initiatives that make a difference in the world, handle motherhood and hard-charging entrepreneurship, and continue to find inspiration through it all.

Fern Mallis, Derek Lam and Emily Bode will discuss the past, the present and the future of fashion. This conversation will explore how a designer transforms what inspires them in to the designs we see on the runway and in stores.  

Moderated by Hunter Harris of Vulture Magazine, Jenny Han, Sona Charaipotra, and Dhonielle Clayton will discuss how they maintained the integrity of their stories while being adapted to film and television and how they're navigating the world of streaming working with Netflix. 

Climate change is already impacting people and infrastructure in our cities, but unequally. In 2050 and 2080 in New York City and San Juan, Puerto Rico, the future may look dystopian.

This event discusses long-term visions and new ways of thinking about urban resilience and positive futures in the Anthropocene. An expert panel of policy makers, scholars, and climate scientists discuss their approaches to planning a more positive future, one that is more just, more resilient, and more sustainable, featuring a selection of research and data visualization work developed at The New School Urban Systems Lab. In the context of future heat and flood risks in New York City and San Juan, there are discussions of equity and justice challenges, how to facilitate positive visioning with local communities, and science communication challenges.

Panelists Tischa A. Muñoz-Erickson (International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service, PR), Pablo Mendez-Lazaro (University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR), and Amy Chester (Rebuild by Design, NYC) , discuss those challenges, moderated by Timon McPhearson (Urban Systems Lab, The New School).

Following the discussion, Jonathan F.P Rose of Rose Companies an Timon McPhearson will host a conversation on “Pathways to Planetary Health.”

Listen to WSNR New School Radio's feature in the Urban System Lab here!

About The New School Urban Systems Lab:
The Urban Systems Lab’s interdisciplinary scholarship addresses the social, ecological, and technical systems (SETS) that drive persistent challenges in cities. Its goal in studying and visualizing urban system dynamics is to provide new insight into developing more equitable, resilient, and sustainable cities.

Rapidly expanding urbanization, biodiversity loss, and climate change pose dramatic risks for urban residents and the natural systems they depend on. The Urban Systems Lab's research aims to reveal and support the SET system processes that drive everyday experiences in urban areas. The Lab uses empirical and theoretical approaches as well as data visualization to advance urban systems research and practice.

It also addresses a variety of research areas, including: urban resilience; climate change adaptation and nature-based solutions; SETS analysis and modeling; urban land use planning; social equity and environmental justice; scenarios for sustainable urban futures; urban biodiversity and ecosystem services; and urban ecosystem structure and functions.

The New School's College of Performing Arts in partnership with the Philip Glass Institute presents the first-ever live performance/screening of The Fog of War by Errol Morris with music by Philip Glass. Under the direction of Michael Riesman, Music Director of the Philip Glass Ensemble, students from Mannes School of Music and the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, perform Philip Glass's original score to The Fog of War.

Described as “Brilliant! A wrenching and provocative work” by Newsweek, The Fog of War is an Oscar-winning documentary film by Errol Morris about the life and times of former US Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, illustrating his observations of the nature of modern warfare. The title derives from the military concept of the "fog of war," depicting the difficulty of making decisions in the midst of conflict.

(Un)Silent Film Night events celebrate the breaking down of barriers between art forms to create an evening of artistic excellence and entertainment. Previous editions of (Un)Silent Film Night have drawn capacity crowds to the 400-seat Tishman Auditorium and have featured screenings of Buster Keaton’s Sherlock Jr. with the NYC premiere of a score by Craig Marks; Charlie Chaplin’s The Immigrant with a world premiere of a score by Alexis Cuadrado; Chaplin’s original score for the films, Gold Rush and City Lights; Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, with a world premiere of a score by Nathan Kamal; and Harold Lloyd’s films Speedy and Safety Last!, with their beloved Carl Davis scores. The event has previously been hosted by Matthew Broderick, Bill Irwin, Rob Bartlett, and Ed Rothstein. The Theater Orchestra has been led by an impressive roster of guest conductors, including Charles Neidich, Alexis Cuadrado, Gary Fagin, David Hayes, and Mark Gould.

In 2008, Tina Roth Eisenberg (Swissmiss) started CreativeMornings out of a desire for an ongoing, accessible event for New York’s creative community. The concept was simple: breakfast and a short talk one Friday morning a month. Every event would be free of charge and open to anyone.

Today, attendees gather in cities around the world to enjoy fresh coffee, friendly people, and an international array of breakfast foods. Volunteer hosts and their team members organize local chapters that not only celebrate a city’s creative talent, but also promote an open space to connect with like-minded individuals.

The growing archive of past breakfast talks is humbling. From design legends to hometown heroes, speakers are selected by each chapter based on a global theme. CreativeMornings remains free thanks to the support of local sponsors, generous venues, and longterm partners.

Anyone can attend. Just register beforehand to reserve your spot. And if you need a little help convincing your boss to let you attend, we’ve got you covered.

Remember to set your alarm, and we’ll see you in the morning!

Presented by Parsons School of Design. 

Join twelve-year-old social justice and youth activist Naomi Wadler in conversation with award-winning journalist Elaine Welteroth, as they discuss the power of youth advocacy, the future of social justice leadership, and attempt to answer the question – what can each of us do to make a difference?

According to activist Shaun King, it's hard to understand an historical moment when you're in it—even a dark one like the period we’re in now. The age of information is overwhelming; the tweets and the headlines are ever present. Yet if we educate ourselves and focus our efforts and creativity, we can make the digital age a time of powerful connection and change. King and social impact creative professional Michael Skolnik are friends who individually and together employ social media platforms and tech tools for far-reaching impact. In conversation, they share ways to use today's technology in new ways to effect lasting change.

Thought leaders from a diverse array of industries and expertise are on-stage in The New School during its celebratory week. These short, inspiring dialogues mingle with audience participation in a design tool, What is the NOW/What is the NEW, on different needs in society today—and these ideas spark the debate and discussion from our invited leaders.

Alumna Anna Sui has a seat at the table, granting critical insights into her creative process.

“The Women’s Legacy Project” recognizes women – scholars, artists, educators, philanthropists – who have been erased from the official history of The New School:

The Founding Mothers, ten eminent women who helped to establish this progressive institution in 1919; Women creators of other schools and programs that now form part of the university, ranging from the Mannes School of Music (Clara Damrosch Mannes) to Eugene Lang College (Elizabeth Coleman);Visionary feminists who have worked consistently at the cutting edge, both in the humanities (as anthropologists, social scientists, philosophers) and in the arts (as actors and playwrights, musicians and composers, photographers and fashion designers).

We honor the achievements of these extraordinary, all-but-forgotten women with a joyous, raucous, roof-raising celebration.

The event will feature staged readings, live music, dance, video installations and taped interviews.

Listen to WNSR New School Radio's feature on Women's Legacy at The New School here!

The world-famous sexpert and alumna Dr. Ruth Westheimer, MA Sociology '59, discusses her new documentary with Bill Ritter, BA Liberal Arts '16, anchor at Eyewitness News in New York City.