Villa Albertine Atlanta is pleased to announce the release of a three-episode podcast series based on the 2025 edition of Night of Ideas, produced in collaboration with Atlanta’s public radio station WABE.
Held from March 27 through April 6 at the iconic Goat Farm Arts Center, this edition of Night of Ideas brought together artists, thinkers, activists, and community members around the theme “Common Ground,” an invitation to reflect on what we share, and how we can protect and nurture it.
Through late-night discussions, live performances, art installations, and a main stage show designed as a live radio broadcast, the evening invited Atlantans to explore the literal and metaphorical dimensions of our shared spaces in an ever-changing world.
Three Podcast Episodes to Extend the Experience
Co-produced with WABE, this podcast series immerses listeners in key moments from the event, featuring panel discussions, exclusive interviews, and rich sound design to capture the energy of the night.
The three episodes revolve around central questions explored during the evening:
This podcast is the result of a close collaboration between Villa Albertine Atlanta and WABE, most notably through the participation of Rose Scott, WABE’s celebrated journalist, who hosted the live event and contributed to the podcast alongside Kevin Rinker, podcast producer at WABE.
Listen now on your favorite platform:
Night of Ideas 2025 – Atlanta was presented by Villa Albertine and Goat Farm, in partnership with WABE, with support from the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, and in collaboration with ASHA Advisory.
Episode 1: Atlanta as Common Ground
Welcome to Night of Ideas Atlanta 2025! In this episode, we focus on the question: to what extent is Atlanta a common ground for the different communities that call it home? We start with the former director of Villa Albertine, David Ruffel, sharing his ideas on common ground, head to a panel discussion hosted by WABE’s Rose Scott and featuring Illya Davis, Walid Hajar Rachedi, Jacqui Chew, Gigi Pedraza, and Saba Long, and wind things up exploring the visual and sonic landscape of Gyun Hur’s “Our mothers, our water, our peace.” Presented by Villa Albertine and Goat Farm, in partnership with WABE, with the support of the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.
Episode 2: Creating Common Ground
Night of Ideas Atlanta 2025 continues by asking: what common ground can artists, institutions, and cultural communities create today? Allie Bashuk, the creative director at Goat Farm, kicks off the conversation with her answer to that question, followed by Miranda Kyle, curator of indigenous arts of the Americas at Emory’s Michael C Carlos museum, and Miya Bailey, artist and founder of the Walker and Peters Project. Then WABE’s Rose Scott invites Miya Bailey, Miranda Kyle, and Alban Corbier-Labasse to the stage for a panel discussion. That’s followed by a second panel discussion still trying to answer this episode’s question with Fahamu Pecou, Pierre Singaravélou, and TK Smith. (Here’s Fahamu Pecou’s piece “Get Free or Fly Trying.”) And then Mame-Fatou Niang, associate professor of French and Francophone Studies, brings the conversation home by sharing her thoughts on creating common ground. Presented by Villa Albertine and Goat Farm, in partnership with WABE, with the support of the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.
Episode 3: Al, Shared Creativity, and Human Diversity
For the final episode of Night of Ideas Atlanta 2025, we asked: How can we promote Al and a digital world in service of shared creativity and human diversity? And we got answers! First, 2Cubes, a live electronic performance featuring Hyunkyung Shin on the double bass, Henrik von Coler on the synth and two augmented reality interfaces, offers a real-life demonstration of one way people are creating in the digital world. WABE’s Rose Scott is back again with a panel discussion addressing this episode’s question. That features Gil Weinberg, Ifeoma Ajunwa, and Ben Miller. The night winds down with an exploration of two installations that bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds while creating art at the same time: Gil Weinberg’s “medusai,” an Al driven sculpture that may or may not want to play music with you, and Bojana Ginn’s “Pulse,” which takes your heart rate and oxygen levels and turns them into visual art. And that’s all for Night of Ideas Atlanta 2025. Thanks for connecting with us!