The Connect Beyond Festival returns Saturday-Sunday, April 5-6, at a new home: Third Room. Founded in 2018, the convergence of storytelling, art and film seeks to ignite meaningful conversations across creative disciplines.
Events this year include a screening of the documentary A King Like Me, about New Orleans’ first Black Mardi Gras krewe, with a postfilm Q&A with director Matthew O. Henderson; panel discussions “From Climate Haven to Climate Crisis: Rethinking Asheville’s Future” and “Thinking Globally, Acting Locally”; and the interactive art installation Paddling the Same Canoe.
“I want to create space for everyone to express themselves, whether or not they consider themselves an artist,” says festival director Jessica Tomasin. “No experience is needed — just a willingness to engage. Now, more than ever, we need spaces to come together, create and remember what inspires us.”
Tickets are $25 for day passes and $50 for a weekend pass. Sliding scale tickets are also available for day passes. avl.mx/env
