The Charlotte Center is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. We are supported by individual donors, grants, sponsorships, and revenue from our programs. We are as strong as the community that supports us. Our programming begins early 2021. Join us as a founding member and sponsor.
The Charlotte Center
for the humanities & civic imagination
where the curious engage for good.
We’re here to rehumanize our world. The Charlotte Center accomplishes its mission by bringing people together to explore human flourishing through the lens of the humanities and civic imagination. We seek to deepen insight and human connection so we might live good and fulfilling lives.
The more we know about ourselves and each other, the wiser we are in what we do.
2026 Charlotte Ideas Festival
Save the Date: Thursday, April 9 through Tuesday, April 14, 2026
The Charlotte Ideas Festival returns this spring for four days of big ideas, bold conversation, and community connection through the lens of the humanities and civic imagination. Building on the energy and inspiration of past festivals — from explorations of artificial intelligence and creativity to deep conversations about culture, community, and the future — we’re thrilled to bring another season of thoughtful programming to Charlotte.
The Charlotte Ideas Festival is a celebration of curiosity, connection, and imagination — bringing together thinkers, creators, and community members to explore ideas worth sharing. Whether you attend a single event or immerse yourself in the full four days, we’re grateful to have you as part of this community of thinkers and doers.
the 2026 Lineup
Here’s a look at confirmed events to get you excited. Don’t miss out! Join the conversation! Click on each detail page to learn more and register today!
The Abundance Agenda
Join us on Thursday, April 9 for an Evening with Derek Thompson at the Carolina Theatre. Thompson is a tech, culture, and political writer who cuts through the noise and headlines that matter. He is a former staff writer at The Atlantic, and co-author, along with Ezra Klein, of the New York Times bestseller, “Abundance,” which discusses factors impeding progress on development in the United States. In moderated format, Thompson will explore strategies to unlock extraordinary growth and possibility, and the pressing issues of our time from AI, war, culture, and politics.
Panel Discussions
Join us on Saturday, April 11 for an afternoon of panel discussions on key topics shaping Charlotte’s future. Hear diverse perspectives from thought leaders, engage in meaningful dialogue, and gain insights on different emerging and defining aspects of the city. Topics will range from the Charlotte NeuroArts Coalition, a new initiative on bringing art and science together; to the shape and future of our urban environment; to who is telling what story about Charlotte to whom. and the lasting consequences of what gets remembered and erased.
How the Cities We Build
Shape How We Live
Join us on Monday, April 13 for a an evening with Charles Montgomery, award-winning urbanist and researcher known for exploring the intersection of city design, psychology, and social well-being. Montgomery is the author of Happy City and founder of Happy Cities consultancy. He explores how urban design influences the way we think, feel, and act, and how the places we inhabit quietly shape our happiness, health, and sense of belonging—often more than we realize. Montgomery will offer insights on Charlotte and choices we might make.
The Trout Who Found The River
Join us on Tuesday, April 14 as we partner with 7th Street Concerts to present an imaginative new ecological musical production. Built around music from composer Jonathan Woody, the performance unfolds as a story told from multiple perspectives—water, wildlife, and human alike—inviting audiences of all ages to experience the river as a living, remembering presence. Part fable, part concert, and part play, the work creates space for imagination, reflection, and wonder. The evening will include a panel discussion with the composer and producer of the show.
RECENT Events
Thank you for joining us at the 2025 Charlotte Ideas Festival!
Thank you for being part of the 2025 Charlotte Ideas Festival community! Whether you joined us in person or cheered us on from afar, we’re so grateful for your interest in big ideas and bold conversations. This year’s festival was filled with energy—from our SHOUT! opening event featuring Noelle Russell on the ethics of AI, to an inspiring talk by Jamie Brown on food and historic renovation, to a full day of discussions with authors, community leaders, and UNC Charlotte faculty. We were also thrilled to host a candid lunchtime conversation with Rick Schnall, co-chairman of the Charlotte Hornets, on the business of sports.
A heartfelt thank-you to our festival partners, Charlotte Center City Partners and UNC Charlotte, and to all our generous sponsors and donors who made it possible. Supporting the humanities—and showing up for thoughtful public dialogue—is how we help our community flourish. We hope you’ll join us again soon, including at our next Forum with bestselling author and educator Michelle Icard on modern parenting, coming up June 24th!
“vision is not enough. It must be combined with venture. it is not enough to stare up the steps, we must step up the stairs.”
-vaclav havel
WE COMBINE THE HUMANITIES AND CIVIC IMAGINATION
The Humanities
The humanities explore and express the human experience. Poetry, literature, history, philosophy, religion, and the arts help us make sense of our lives. They ask questions about what is good. How should we live. And what is the right thing to do. We find answers in stories. In what we believe. In the things we create. The humanities offer a basis for a different kind of conversation: one that seeks to understand who we are and who we can be.
Civic Imagination
Civic imagination is a process by which citizens envision a better tomorrow and ways to make it happen. It is exercises and prompts that unlock creativity for a more optimum future. Civic imagination helps turn questions into answers and ideas into action.
“AND NOW,” CRIED MAX, “LET THE WILD RUMPUS START.”
- maurice sendak
Where the Curious Engage for Good
The Charlotte Ideas Festival is a 6-day festival within the 3-week Charlotte SHOUT! festival that celebrates Food-Art-Music-Ideas. Encounter leading thinkers discussing the most compelling and timely topics. Meet fellow curious people. Participate in great nights of connection and conversation!
Our programs
Our programs are integrated and holistic, moving from experience to action. The Forum is a speaker series that brings people together to build relationships and spur ideas for more flourishing lives; our Civic Reflection program helps people be more engaged; the Charlotte Ideas Festival is a celebration of the humanities and civic imagination; all designed to help people and communities live their best lives.
