Down to Earth Festival
Event Description
Down to Earth brings world-class international multidisciplinary performances, dance, theatre, in-situ events and contemporary circus — absolutely free!
"In Via Publica: Performance and Public Assembly" Symposium
Wednesday, Sept 3rd from 9am-3pm - Little Theater
Inviting artists, scholars, city officials, and urban planners to explore how performance can activate civic space and community imagination. Featuring global networks like IN SITU (the European commissioning network for artistic creation in public space) and Circostrada (the European network for contemporary circus and outdoor arts), the event marks the official launch of CUNY Stages, a cross-campus consortium committed to expanding access to performance across all boroughs.
SANTÉ! by Cirque Kikasse
Friday, Sept 5th at 6:30pm - Culture Lab LIC
SANTÉ! by Cirque Kikasse (Quebec) is a dynamic circus show with high-level acrobatics, contagious energy, and breathtaking balancing acts… all on their extraordinary food truck! The troupe transforms tables and chairs into a balancing tower 30 feet in the air, creating comic chaos as they clean their truck and trampoline, and flooding the area with popcorn. A light-hearted tour de force sure to tickle your inner child and thrill your kids. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
Presented by DOWN to EARTH International Festival
of Multidisciplinary Performance in Public Spaces.
Elena Siyanko, Festival Director & Executive Producer; Frank Hentschker, Festival Director
Event Date:
September 3-5
Sept. 3 starting @ 9am & Sept. 5 @3pm
Location:
Little Theater, Cobblestone: E-Building Atrium, Mainstage Theater
About Down to Earth
DOWN TO EARTH Festival Director and Executive Producer: Elena Siyanko
DOWN TO EARTH Festival Director: Frank Hentschker
Producer and Associate Director of Programs, Segal Center: Meg Araneo
Producer: Natalie Rine
DOWN TO EARTH, NYC’s First International Festival of Multidisciplinary Creation in Public Spaces, brings world-class international performance, theater, contemporary circus, opera installation, and participatory events—absolutely free—directly to New York City’s vibrant, diverse communities. An initiative that embraces global exchange and democratizes cultural expression, the inaugural festival runs from August 29–September 7, 2025. The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center at The Graduate Center CUNY serves as the festival's producer, organizational and curatorial home, and fiscal agent.
Here in NYC, partnering with parks in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens and collaborating with more than 10 dynamic cultural and community organizations, we’re staging performances and workshops across multiple urban spaces. Citizen expression beats at the heart of the festival’s artistic vision. DOWN TO EARTH affirms art’s critical role in the economic, social, and mental well-being of all New Yorkers. With a focus on how artistic presence transforms the experience of place, and the powerful role of outdoor creation in transforming communities and spaces, DOWN TO EARTH seeks to expand access to cultural expression, privilege public assembly, and combat the injustices inherent in socio-economic exclusion. Central to the festival's mission is our commitment to dismantling cultural barriers by offering free programs for students, youth, immigrant communities, and families. By attracting a diverse public to free outdoor arts and in-situ performances that are accessible and inviting, the festival will redress the shortcomings of an expensive system of cultural dissemination. Downtoearthfestival.org