What does your story say about you?
Find out at the 26th Festival of Faiths, Nov. 9-12 at the Kentucky Center, 501 W. Main St. This year’s theme is “Sacred Stories: Contemplation and Connection,” a look at how stories define our lives, give us purpose and make us feel part of something bigger.
“It is through stories and the sharing of stories that we experience our humanity,” said Sarah Riggs Reed, managing director of the Center for Interfaith Relations, which sponsors the event. “And this year at the festival we explore the power of narratives to change people, to move people, to deepen their sense of value, purpose, worth. Stories shape our identities and shared stories shape our communities.”
Here’s what to know about the 2022 Festival of Faiths:
What is the Festival of Faiths?
Since its inception in 1996, the Festival of Faiths “has promoted interfaith understanding, cooperation and action while celebrating the timeless wisdom contained in the diversity of the world’s faith traditions. The nationally acclaimed festival features meaningful dialogue with renowned spiritual leaders, thinkers, practitioners and artists,” according to a news release announcing the event.
To better understand a person’s association with religion, culture, politics, heritage and other things that influence our identities, the festival investigates ancient and modern stories through the lens of faith. During the Festival of Faith sessions over three days, participants take part in storytelling activities that highlight individuality, while establishing a common bond with the rest of the group.
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Najeeba Syeed, a professor of interfaith studies, Muslim scholar and activist who will be presenting at the festival, said there is a constant overlap between religion and aspects of our identity.
“I think religion can be a part of someone’s identity formation, one of many factors that form a whole human being,” she said. “It’s not the only factor. Culture, national origin, even which neighborhood you grew up in form your identity. It is helpful to hear from people how religion played a role in their identity, instead of defining that for them.”
Who organized the Festival of Faiths?
The Center for Interfaith Relations, one of the most distinctive religious organizations in the country, sponsors recurring events throughout the United States, including the Festival of Faiths.
This Louisville-based festival attracts visitors from various religious backgrounds, promoting conversation and the acceptance of the religious beliefs of others.
“The work of the Center (for Interfaith Relations) here in Louisville attempts to expand and deepen our understanding of religious neighbors near and far,” said Dr. Lewis Brogdon, director of the Institute for Black Church Studies and associate professor of preaching and Black church studies. “The center also creates a space to celebrate the ways we are both similar and different.”
What is the 2022 theme of the Festival of Faiths?
According to Riggs Reed, the “Sacred Stories: Contemplation and Connection,” theme arose from the pandemic and the murder of Breonna Taylor. Riggs Reed believes the turmoil Louisville experienced in 2020 led a lot of people to examine their life stories and ask what narratives they accept and which ones they reject.
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“This year’s [Festival of Faiths] starts the day after midterm elections,” she said. “My hope is that this year, in particular, people will come together at the festival, celebrating the fact that we have so much more in common than what separates us. … My hope is that people leave the festival convinced of the value of their own sacred story, ready to exchange stories with neighbors in new ways. …”
What events are taking place at the Festival of Faiths?
Numerous events are taking place over the course of the three-day festival. It begins with the free Interfaith Opening Celebration on Nov. 9 from 5:30-7 p.m at the Cathedral of the Assumption, 433 S. 5th St. Reverend Shelton J. Fabre, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Louisville, will speak and singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer will perform.
From Nov. 10-12, a variety of ticketedworkshops will be held that include a diverse group of nearly 24 participants, including an expert in meditation, an Indigenous community organizer, an Old Testament scholar to a media analyst, Afrofuturist performer storäe michele and a priest.
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Here is the list of events:
- Diverse Spiritual Practices
- Lessons of Old Stories in a New Context
- Changing Story Keepers: Millennials and Gen Zers
- An Evening of Sacred Storytelling
- Thy Neighbor: Faith, Politics and Radical Acceptance
- The Sacred Stories That Connect Us
- Significant Stories for Our Times: A Workshop with Matthew Fox
- Shifting the Narrative: Transforming Hearts and Minds to Deepen Spiritual Life
- Faith and a New Louisville Think-In
A blood drive will also take place on Nov. 11 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Muhammad Ali Center, 144 N. 6th St.
“I am honored to be presenting with Lyla June and Najeeba Syeed, as we explore important and radical shifts in storytelling,” michele told the Courier Journal. “More specifically, we will discuss the ways these stories transform our lens of social justice and are connected to rising and future generations of communities for change.”
During the session titled “Changing Story Keepers: Millennials and Gen Zers,” michele will perform a portion of her choreopoem and solo performance titled mama [rose.], which tells the experiences of a non-binary individual named Sid. Sid and their trans grandmother, Mama Rose, an archaeologist, embark on a journey seeking to heal intergenerational trauma.
How much are tickets to the Festival of Faiths?
Festival of Faith passes and individual session tickets can be purchased online at kentuckyperformingarts.org, by phone at 502-584-7777, or at the Kentucky Center box office.
Passes for the entire festival are $200. Tickets for individual events are $29.95, which includes taxes and fees.
The festival will also be live-streamed on theFestival of Faiths YouTube channel.
COVID-19 restrictions will be in place and masks will be required when not actively eating or drinking.
For more information, visit FestivalofFaiths.org.
You can reach Culture and Diversity Reporter Jason Gonzalez at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JayGon15NYC.
