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Join us for a cozy evening of creativity at our Knitting Workshop on Friday, December 13th, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm in the beautiful EE Makerspace.

This workshop is open to beginners and those who want to polish their knitting skills. Instructor Yuprak Gulcan will cover the essentials to help you start creating your own projects.

Everyone will receive a set of knitting needles and a ball of yarn to take home, so you can keep knitting long after the workshop ends.

Space is limited, so sign up today.

Open to adults ages 13 and up.

Catch an electrifying evening with Water Tower on Saturday, January 11, 7PM, at Namba Performing Arts Space. Known for their explosive fusion of bluegrass roots and punk rock energy, Water Tower is a dynamic force in contemporary music. Their genre-bending style and viral performances have captivated audiences worldwide, earning admiration from music legends like Black Flag’s Ron Reyes and Katy Perry.

Secure your tickets online at NambaArts.com for $20 or $25 at the door.

This two-hour lecture is a follow-up to the fall lecture series, Pompeii: Life, Death, and the Legacy of an Ancient Roman City. We will examine several new finds in a previously unexplored area of ancient Pompeii. Key discoveries include the ‘Black Room’ with its stunning frescoes depicting Greek mythology, evidence of unfinished renovations, and the tragic stories of residents who perished under collapsing roofs. We will explore newly uncovered areas such as a bakery, a blue shrine, and children’s drawings, providing insights into the daily lives and social strata of Pompeii’s inhabitants. Whether or not you attended the fall class, in this lecture we will gain a deeper understanding of the archaeological methods and the significance of these new finds in reconstructing life in ancient Pompeii.

Scott Jones is a retired naval officer and businessman with broad experience in national security, foreign relations, and politics. Scott is also a docent at the J. Paul Getty Museum (Getty Villa) where he leads tours in the Greek and Roman Galleries, special exhibitions, Roman architecture, and Roan gardens. He teaches for a few lifelong learning programs in the area.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 years of age and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university-level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.

In the early 1970s, a young Jewish summer camp and youth choir leader burst onto the scene of formal synagogue music and introduced a new way of singing Jewish songs that would eventually result in a revolution in Jewish music. Debbie Friedman (1951-2011), starting out first in St. Paul, Minnesota and then moving to Chicago, gained a foothold among synagogue audiences first as an arranger and composer of Jewish music for young people in which she took traditional songs, often using both Hebrew and English lyrics, and set them to original and very contemporary folk-rock compositions. In establishing her new approach to synagogue music, Friedman fought against both gender and musical stereotypes and ended up revolutionizing the way music is used in contemporary Jewish services. This lecture will provide a brief biographical sketch of Debbie Friedman and explore both her musical and social/gender contributions to Jewish practices in the late-20th and early 21st centuries.

Clifford Wilcox, Ph.D., is a historian who focuses on American intellectual and cultural history and Jewish Studies. His courses concentrate on the intersection of culture, ideas, politics, and religion in American history.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 years of age and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university-level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.

My opinion: few have accomplished the amazing feats that Linda Ronstadt did as one of the most talented and dynamic singers in every genre of popular music! Beginning with the group “The Stone Poneys”, Linda set the stage for having more recorded hits from various genres of popular music than anyone else. Better singers? Perhaps, but no one compares to the way she “knocked it out of the park” producing her recordings. She was not a songwriter, but nonetheless she surrounded herself with exceptionally-talented songwriting friends who supplied her with songs she turned into hits. She also exceled with her own version of cover songs (e.g. “You’re No Good”). All this enveloped in a fascinating off-stage life in Los Angeles. In this lecture, rediscover Linda Ronstadt’s interpretations of Rock, Pop, Soul, Country, Folk, and The Great American Songbook! We’ll cover it all! There’s no doubt – Linda rules!

Tony Moon has spent 60 successful years in the music business. Tony began playing on recording sessions and was Nashville's first rock independent music producer, working with five major labels. His songs have been released by artists as diverse as Porter Wagoner, Willie Nelson, Vickie Carr, Pearl Jam, and The Beatles.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 years of age and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university-level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.

“To say the performers are spectacular and technical musical wizards is an understatement.” Charleston Today on Boston Brass

“There is certainly no group out there quite like Imani Winds. The virtuosic quintet finds ways to combine the sounds of the past with futuristic innovations in a manner that makes it impossible to put them in a box.” The Oberlin Review

Two powerhouse ensembles join forces to create an all-star collaboration featuring a new piece by the iconic, multi-Grammy-winning musician and composer, Arturo Sandoval. In this night of rollicking musical entertainment, woodwind quintet Imani Winds, winner of the 2023 Grammy Award for Best Classical Compendium, meets Boston Brass, the one-of-a-kind quintet expert at blowing away genre boundaries. The program will also include popular favorites like Aram Khachaturian’s Sabre Dance, along with music by J.S. Bach, Manuel de Falla, Astor Piazzolla and modern masters Paquito D’Rivera and Lalo Shifrin.

“Between explosive drumming and dance routines, the group delivered mind-blowing acrobatic sequences with extraordinary precision.” VICE magazine

"High-flying, jaw-dropping performances that will amaze the whole family.”
The Georgia Straight

Get ready for an unforgettable journey with Afrique en Cirque, created by Guinean artist and former Cirque du Soleil and Cirque Éloize performer Yamoussa Bangoura. With spectacular strength and agility, the acrobats of Cirque Kalabanté execute gravity-defying moves and human pyramids accompanied by the sounds of live kora, percussion and Afro-jazz music. Filled with colorful costumes and impressive scenery, this joyful evening of dazzling circus arts is fun for the whole family.

“Lakecia Benjamin plays jazz that is sprinkled with the rich flavors of funk and soul – she’s a crafty traditionalist who remains in step with the rhythms of the young generation.” The New Yorker

Saxophonist, composer and arranger Lakecia Benjamin fuses soul and hip-hop with a strong foundation in the canon of modern jazz. The Manhattan native has worked with an impressive roster of jazz greats, including Clark Terry, Reggie Workman, Gregory Porter and Christian McBride. Her 2023 release, Phoenix, earned Grammy nominations in two categories – Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Jazz Performance for her original composition “Basquiat.” Fans of John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter and Ornette Coleman, listen up – there’s a new horn in town, and she’s ready to roar.

“[Ferguson has a] knack for making long-ago events as vivid and visceral as the evening news, for weaving anecdotes and small telling details together with a wide-angled retrospective vision.” The New York Times

“Ferguson’s grasp of economic history is admired even by his critics.”
The Guardian (U.K.)

One of the world’s foremost historians and provocative commentators on global politics and economics, Sir Niall Ferguson is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and a senior faculty fellow of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard. He is the author of 16 books chronicling a wide range of political and socio-economic topics, from how the West handles disasters to the life of Henry Kissinger. With erudition, eloquence and humor, Ferguson puts today’s economic shifts, social changes and political disruptions into historical perspective, using the past as a roadmap to the future.

“Tharp is America’s crossover dance queen… She melds classical ballet with modern dance, avant-garde experiment with Broadway pizzazz, technical rigor with off-the-cuff attitude, uptown glamor with downtown grit.” The Guardian(U.K.)

“What invigorates about Tharp is her restless and unceasing quest to reveal truth in human movement.” The Washington Post

Twyla Tharp is an American dance legend renowned for crafting accessible, impeccable, startlingly original works that expand the boundaries of ballet and modern dance. Celebrating her 60th anniversary as a choreographer, this Diamond Jubilee program features Tharp’s Olivier-nominated triumph, Diabelli, set to Beethoven’s masterpiece of the same name. Rounding out the evening is Tharp’s first partnership with Philip Glass in nearly 40 years, a new collaboration inspired by the composer’s Aguas da Amazonia and performed to live music by Grammy-winning Third Coast Percussion. An Arts & Lectures co-commission.