Night of Ideas: Department of Transformation

With Andros Zins-Browne, Asad Raza, Naoco Wowsugi, and others
Hosted by Prem Krishnamurthy

How can art be transformative for individuals, groups, and society? What are ways to move beyond discourse and towards practice? And what, if anything, does karaoke have to do with this?!

Department of Transformation’s Prem Krishnamurthy and artists Andros Zins-Browne, Asad Raza, and Naoco Wowsugi explore these and other questions in an experimental, participatory event that unfolds over several hours. The multipurpose space at Hudson County Community College transforms to allow for different formats: interactive talk, sound healing bath, soil-making workshop, and experimental vocal practice—plus a session for practicing karaoke! Through conversation, mindfulness, small-group activity, singing, and more, the program intends to open up a dialogue around polyvocal ways of working in and on the world.

This event is presented by Villa Albertine, Centre Pompidou, and Hudson County Community College (HCCC). For the first time, this free and open-to-all event comes to Jersey City, one of the fastest growing and most diverse urban centers in the US, as well as the future home of the Centre Pompidou’s first American branch. Interactive, celebratory, and content-rich, the Night of Ideas invites thought leaders and the public to engage together around major global issues through a festival of debate, performances, readings, and more.

Schedule
7–8pm Prem Krishnamurthy: Participatory talk
8–9pm Naoco Wowsugi: Collective gong healing
9–10pm Asad Raza: Soil-making workshop
10–11pm Andros Zins-Browne: Chaos opera (vocal workshop)
11–12pm Karaoke Practice!