Americans for the Arts today announced that acclaimed novelist and playwright Ayad Akhtar will deliver the 34th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts & Public Policy. Akhtar will be introduced by Rockefeller Brothers Fund President and CEO Stephen Heintz, and the evening will feature a performance by artists Rez Abbassi and Kiran Ahluwalia. The lecture will take place at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The lecture will also be livestreamed for nationwide accessibility with ASL interpretation. Registration to attend is FREE.
“Ayad Akhtar is a fierce free speech advocate and an embodiment of the powerful role of the written word and all forms of the arts as a catalyst for change. I am very pleased that Ayad is our esteemed lecturer this year, building on the impressive legacy of the Nancy Hanks Lecture series. The Nancy Hanks Lecture serves as an opportunity for public discourse at the highest levels on the importance of the arts and culture to our nation’s wellbeing, and I look forward to Ayad contributing to this important dialogue,” said Nolen V. Bivens, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts.
Read the full press release on the Americans for the Arts Website.