City of Asylum
Giving Voice.
To officially kick off the Bridges – City of Asylum Pittsburgh Creative Summit, we’ll welcome guests from across the globe to Alphabet City for a morning of performances, readings, and special presentations from guest speakers from Pittsburgh and all over the world.
Meet and hear the stories of the Cities of Asylum Network representatives from Ithaca, Pittsburgh, and Detroit.
Mohamedou Ould Slahi, Larry Siems, and Adriana Ramirez discuss creativity, resistance, the ongoing dark legacy of the prison camp in Guantánamo, and our never-finished, collective journey to freedom.
Author Colum McCann discusses forgiveness and understanding with Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan, as well as their lives since the release of Colum's "Apeirogon" and the current climate in Israel and Palestine.
Hear experts in publishing literature in translation discuss the possibilities and realities of publishing and literature in translation.
Award-winning author George Packer speaks on what it means to write in a world of increasing authoritarianism.
The director of Casa Refugio, Philippe Ollé-Laprune, joins us to talk about the importance of their work and screen a short documentary about one of their residents.
This half-day program features three panel discussions with leaders of a number of important foundations and corporations from the U.S. and Europe doing life-changing philanthropic work
City of Asylum welcomes Sara Rose, Larry Siems, and Marianne Borgen to discuss the important, front-line work of arts organizations to defend freedom of expression.
Four City of Asylum and ICORN residents highlight their respective and collective journeys and resilience.
Renowned translators compete to see who can produce the best translation from the same source material.
Bosnian-American author Aleksandar Hemon talks about language and exile, his love of football, and the power of music and storytelling.
Musician James Brandon Lewis and poets Huang Xiang, Doralee Brooks, and Haile Bizen present a jazz poetry concert of improvisational and collaborative performance.
Diane Samuels and Rania Mamoun will discuss their collaborative work, in conversation with Sylvia Rhor Samaniego.
Take an optional tour of the Malta Foundation’s extraordinary private collection of international artwork.
Acclaimed American architect and urbanist Teddy Cruz and French writer, documentarian, and cultural activist, Philippe Ollé Laprune discuss their groundbreaking work on the US/Mexico Border.
In celebration of our growing global community, of the many places we learn to call home, and of the first-ever Bridges Creative Summit, we invite all our neighbors to an afternoon of food, music, and conversation.
This evening’s performance from The Happy Lovers will accompany contributions and readings from other City of Asylum writers-in-residence and visiting ICORN residents.
A dynamic DJ set from DJ Cielo (known in the literary scene as Aleksandar Hemon) featuring Afro House and Organic House music.
This June, bring your tales of friends to lovers, golden retriever and black cat friendships, and shockingly supportive grandparents learning about your alternative lifestyle.
For over a decade, City of Asylum has hosted Cave Canem’s annual Faculty Reading each June, coinciding with their week-long retreat at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Pennsylvania. This year’s reading presents esteemed faculty and world-class poets A. Van Jordan, Matthew Shenoda, and Joy Priest.
A writer without a country. A city with no off switch. A memory that keeps looping back at the worst possible time. Don't miss this discussion of Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko's "Nothing Is Under Control."
We are thrilled to welcome La Muchacha, whose discography features bold, fearless tracks that address the sociopolitical crises faced by the Colombian people.
From the award-winning author of 2007’s "The Slave Ship," we celebrate the book launch of Marcus Rediker’s latest work: "Freedom Ship: The Uncharted History of Escaping Slavery by Sea."
Watch a screening of "I never promised you a Jasmine Garden" and seven other short films in this global film event presented by Queer Cinema for Palestine.
Beloved Pittsburgh musicians Hugo Cruz and Roger Humphries communicate through the language of the drums, introducing Cuba to Pittsburgh by way of percussion.
This production will feature the powerhouse vocals of local Pittsburgh divas Anita Levels and Anqwenique paying tribute to the work of Angie Stone.
Teju Cole shares "Tremor," a startling work of realism and invention that engages brilliantly with literature, music, race, and history as it examines the passage of time and how we mark it.
This July, Story Club Pittsburgh (created by the former producers of The Moth Pittsburgh) shares tales from the brink in Story Slam, their monthly nonfiction storytelling series at City of Asylum.
Enjoy a world-class jazz performance, fueled by the passion, knowledge, and immense talent of a man who has been drumming since the age of three.
