2027 Being Human Festival (US)

Theme: Crossroads

The Center for Ideas and Society (CIS) invites CHASS scholars, practitioners, and cultural collaborators to submit proposals for the 2027 Being Human Festival (US), hosted nationwide by the National Humanities Center (NHC).

To expand the reach of UCR research and support public-facing scholarship in the Inland Empire and beyond, CIS will provide a 50% matching grant for all successful CHASS awardees. The initiative is funded through a partnership with the CHASS Dean’s Office.

About the Festival & 2027 Theme

Staged from April 17 to May 1, 2027, the Being Human Festival celebrates public humanities programming tailored for non-academic, community-centered audiences.

The 2027 theme, Crossroads, asks humanists to examine spaces of encounter, divergence, decision, and consequence:

• Ecological & Technological Inflection Points: Urgent choices surrounding climate resilience, environmental justice, and artificial intelligence.
• Geographical & Civic Intersections: Encounters along trade routes, borders, waterways, and urban neighborhood corridors.
• Cultural & Historical Turning Points: The meeting grounds of art, music, communal memory, and evolving democratic institutions.

Rather than traditional academic lectures or symposia, Being Human events are public-facing, interactive, and community-engaged. Formats may include walking tours, craft and maker workshops, communal storytelling, live performances, oral history pop-ups, and interactive exhibits.

NHC Grant Range: $500 – $5,000 (deferring direct, concrete project costs; indirect/overhead costs are excluded).

CIS Matching Commitment: The Center for Ideas and Society will match 50% of the NHC grant amount awarded to successful CHASS applicants

Eligibility & Criteria:

• Free and open to the public without admission or registration fees.
• Held during festival dates: April 17 – May 1, 2027 (lead-in and culminating activities are welcome).
• Firmly grounded in humanities methodologies, while remaining engaging and accessible to non-specialists.
• Designed with robust consideration for physical, digital, and programmatic accessibility, as well as community representation.

1. Submit to the National Humanities Center:
   Read the full call for proposal and complete the online application on the National Humanities Center Application Portal by October 30, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. PT).
2. Submit a Copy to CIS:
   Forward a copy of your submitted application and budget to the Center for Ideas and Society concurrently through the CIS submission link [LINK}to register your eligibility for the 50% matching fund upon award notification.