Bringing together residents, artists, activists and passers-by, inPUBLIC is a 2-day festival that highlights the importance of “public-making”—the collective creation of opportunities for interaction, laughter, dialogue, learning and surprise. inPUBLIC will be a dynamic platform for demonstrating the connections between public space and public discourse, outdoor play and collective healing, pop-up performances and shared food, comedy nights and performance art. inPUBLIC aims to create a multi-textured and joyous counter-atmosphere to this moment of increased isolation, tension and repression.

On Friday, September 13th, inPUBLIC will bring the Downtown Crossing Steps to life with dozens of local artists, healers, activists and makers. Interactive activities include capoeira, percussion, yoga, dance, button-making, games, flag-making, costume-making, reiki, health talks and public-making panels. (A full list of events and artists is coming soon.) The night will be topped off by the 1491s, a world-renowned indigenous comedy troupe. (The 1491s are performing during both days of the festival.) Here’s a sampling of the interactive, family-friendly events:

On Saturday, September 14th, inPUBLIC brings its own style of public-making to Upham’s Corner, uniting with Nick Cave’s amazing Augment Project and Parade and the Annual Upham’s Corner Arts & Health Festival with local merchants, performers and community organizations. It will be a day dedicated to celebrating the people, art, partnerships, cultures and community of Upham’s Corner and beyond.

None of this would be possible without our fabulous local partners—Now + There, Company One, DSNI, Upham's Corner Main Street, Upham's Corner Health Center and BAMS Fest, our amazing partnering artists, healers, activists and makers, and the generous support of our local and national funders: the Barr Foundation, The Hyams Foundation, New England Foundation for the Arts, the Kresge Foundation and Surdna Foundation.