Join us for the inaugural Counterpublic Convening, a free festival bringing together leading artists, thinkers, and advocates to imagine new ways of being in the world together. Organized by New York-based writer and curator Laura Raicovich, alongside Ringleaders Kenneth Bailey, Galen Gritts, Nontsikelelo Mutiti, and Jeanne van Heeswijk, CIRCUS OF LIFE cultivates connections and shared experiences during a time when locating what we hold in common is urgent and necessary. Hosted in the Grand Center Arts District at the Big Top, an iconic circus tent, and the new Counterpublic House, the program expands imaginations and engages participants through joy, delight, and creative expression.

Act I: Speaking Truth to Power

Kick-off the CIRCUS OF LIFE with a celebratory parade and performance with Bread & Puppet Theater and poet and cultural leader, Marc Bamuthi Joseph. Circus grounds open with artist booths by Finnegan Shannon, Hilma’s Ghost, Tania El Khoury, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Lauren Bon, Bread & Roses Missouri, Galen Gritts, NEU ER WORLD, and more.