An event planned for this coming weekend in central Iowa will feature nationally-known speakers, a film premiere, a live podcast recording, an “ideas contest,” and more — all designed to inspire conversation.
Nathan Beacom, executive director of The Lyceum Movement, says “Tallgrass: The Des Moines Festival of Ideas” is planned for Sunday, focused on things like history, art, and philosophy.
“The Festival of Ideas is a revival of something that used to happen in Iowa over a hundred years ago,” Beacom says. “At that time, they were called chautauquas and they’d be these summer festivals where they’d have interesting speakers and thinkers and culture and food.”
In recent years, several Iowa cities have hosted what are known as TED Talks, which is in the ballpark, but Beacom says this festival takes it several steps further.
“There’s a similarity to that but with more participation,” Beacom says. “It’s not just listening to a speaker. It’s also getting the chance to engage with the speaker and with other people and join those conversations as well.”
We’re living in a time where many people are consumed by the anxiousness of online life, and Beacom says this will be a space where neighbors can slow down and meet face to face.
“We have to be intentional about rebuilding friendships and relationships in our community and understanding people who are different from us,” Beacom says, “Also, just having the chance to enjoy a real conversation over a beer or over food rather than reading through tweets or whatever it may be.”
Some Iowans might shy away from this type of venture, fearing that voicing opinions on key subjects might lead to heated arguments, but Beacom says they’re focused on eliminating confrontations — by having conversations.
“We don’t really do the hot-button issues,” Beacom says. “We like to talk about deeper, philosophical subjects or about history or these questions that are more universal than the political questions of our moment, where we can find where we might have experiences or ideas in common.”
The list of speakers includes longtime broadcaster Dave Price, filmmaker Pete Davis, author Shadi Hamid, philosophers Scott Samuelson and Kate Padgett-Walsh, and chef Nadia Ahissou. Click here for information about tickets.