Highlights of weekend #2 at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas

Visitors to New Haven this weekend can enjoy the talents of local and international artists — and show off their own skills — during the second weekend of the International Festival of Arts and Ideas, Saturday-Sunday, June 21–22.

Free concerts on the Green

The New Haven Green will once again be the venue for two nights of free music. On Saturday, Grammy-winning vocalist Dianne Reeves and the New Haven Symphony Orchestra (NHSO) will join forces for an evening of jazz and R&B. On Sunday, there will be performances by Brandy Clark and Bronze Radio Return. The former is one of the new generation of Nashville songwriters, and the latter is an indie/roots rock sextet from Hartford. Both concerts begin at 7 p.m.

Also on the Green

The Weekend Showcase, beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, will show artists and talents from the community. See the schedule for Saturday and Sunday

On Saturday at 4:30 p.m., Bated Breath Theatre Company will present “Freedom: In 3 Acts,” a multimedia work exploring American history through slave spirituals and the music of the Jubilee Fisk Singers, a 19th-century African-American a cappella group, and of Marian Anderson, a celebrated singer who played a role in advancing civil rights for people of color. Free.

As a lead-up to the Saturday concert by Dianne Reeves and the NHSO, local musicians are invited to gather for an All-Musicians Play-In at 6 p.m. Download sheet music here.

On Sunday at 4 p.m., members of the breast cancer survivors community group ArtBra New Haven will gather at the flagpole on the Green for “The Great ArtBra Hook-Up,” an ecumenical, non-denomination blessing of the survivors. Participants are encouraged to bring an art bra, special hat, or T-shirt and colorful marker to create messages of support, which will be hooked together to encircle the flagpole.

Ticketed performances

The dance company Reggie Wilson/Fist and Heel Performance Group will present its final performance of “Mose(es),” a look at the migration of people and cultures around the world, at 5 p.m. on Saturday at the University Theater.

The comedic drama “Arguendo,” inspired by a First Amendment case brought before the Supreme Court by a group of exotic dancers, will staged by the Elevator Repair Service at 3 and 8 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday at the Yale Repertory Theatre.

The public is invited to attend these events free of charge.

“Buildings Can Save the Planet,” architects will discuss the potential for regenerative, climate-positive buildings that go beyond sustainability to actually sustaining and healing the environment on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in Kroon Hall, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.

In “The Art of Bibliotherapy, or How to Match-Make Between Books and Readers” on Saturday at 3 p.m., bibliotherapist Susan Elderkin will consider the role of booksellers and librarians in making personalized literary recommendations in the era of Amazon.com and crowd-sourcing. A workshop will follow the talk at the Yale University Art Gallery; registration for the workshop requested.

In “Speech: The First Amendment in the Spotlight,” to be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday in the Yale Art Gallery, Dean Robert Post and lecturer Linda Greenhouse of the Yale Law School will join Slate editor Emily Bazelon to discuss the issues raised in the play “Arguendo” by Elevator Repair Service.

And more

The weekend will also be free walking, bike, and foodie tours. For information about these and other events, visit the International Festival of Arts & Ideas website