At LUMA, art meets technology meets storytelling meets big ideas meets wild imagination. In that spirit, we aim to bring you a series of interdisciplinary talks rooted in a whole range of subjects that will entertain and enlighten. LUMA talks are free and casual. They’re held the Saturday evening of the festival in various locations just a few steps from our big features. Get downtown early and learn something truly remarkable. Here are just a few of this year’s talks. More announcements to come.

The Evolution of Storytelling
David Sloan Wilson
Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences & Anthropology
Binghamton University
Sept 7 . TBA . TBA

At the core of every good LUMA feature is a good story. But how can we understand what makes a story ‘good’? And how do we even know until we understand why people tell stories. David Sloan Wilson explores how evolution might offer some answers. What role did evolution play in humanity’s love for a tightly wound narrative. Is storytelling as essential to our survival as so many other instincts we take for granted?

Exploring Rain
Paul Schleuse
Assocaite Professor of Misicology
Binghamton University
Sept 7 . TBA . TBA

Phasing Rain is a world premiere sound and light installation that fully immerses its audience at the very heart of a building rainstorm–using 26 channels of audio to create an incomparable experience. But it was based on the landmark work of famed minimalist composer Steve Reich, It’s Gonna Rain. Reich took two recordings of a street preacher named Brother Walter and allowed them to slowly fall out phase, creating a new musical experience. Professor Schleuse will speak on the significance of “It’s Gonna Rain” and its impact on future works, including Phasing Rain.