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The Folger Institute /

Public Humanities

About

Public Humanities at the Folger bring together anyone with an interest in the early modern world with researchers in order to explore the cultures and legacies of that time (c. 1400-1800). The Folger Institute promotes the humanities by offering programs, resources, and a variety of activities that connect the past with the present in meaningful and engaging ways.

The Folger Institute is committed to platforming many kinds of expertise and supporting work across disciplines that address inequities or marginalized subjects and which point to richer and more inclusive histories. We hope to continue expanding the innovative types of public humanities work we support each year.

Learn more about the Folger Institute

For more information

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Leah Thomas
Public Humanities Program Manager
lthomas@folger.edu

Upcoming Public Humanities Programs

 

What’s on
"Songs from a Medieval Winter" with Muco
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"Songs from a Medieval Winter" with Muco

Experience renditions of ballads and verse around the theme of winter with Muco. Following a presentation, Muco will perform Middle-English secular lyrics and Old-English verse accompanied by the inanga, a zither from East Africa.
Wed, Nov 12, 2025 at 7pm ET
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Virtual
Death Between The Pages
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Death Between The Pages

Are you ready to be a detective? Work in teams to examine clues during this immersive murder mystery event inspired by the Folger collection.
Fri, Nov 14, 2025, 6pm
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Reading Room
Folger Salon with Virginia Burnett, Dorothy Kim, and Mary Beth Long

Folger Salon with Virginia Burnett, Dorothy Kim, and Mary Beth Long

Learn about research happening at the Folger in real time! Each month, Folger Institute scholar and artist fellows will share their most exciting finds and thought-provoking challenges, followed by casual open conversation.
Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 4:30pm
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Great Hall
Gallery Talk: Missy Dunaway
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Gallery Talk: Missy Dunaway

Learn about the holiday associations of three birds mentioned by Shakespeare in this gallery talk with Missy Dunaway as part of "Contemporary Art at the Folger," a rotating series that showcases the work of Folger Artist Fellows.
Fri, Nov 21, 2025, at 6:30pm
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Rose Exhibition Hall

Fellowship Opportunities

The Folger Institute offers two application-based opportunities for public humanities funding. The Long-term Public Humanities Fellowship is designed to support significant, full-time research and public humanities project implementation for Folger audiences. Short-term Artistic Research Fellowships are open to all artists whose work would benefit from significant research related to the histories, concepts, art, and objects of the early modern world and its legacies.

Long-term Public Humanities Fellowships
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Long-term Public Humanities Fellowships

Artistic Research Fellowships
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Artistic Research Fellowships

Featured Initiatives

Folger Institute Mixology
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Mixology

Our series draws on the Folger’s collection of handwritten early modern recipe books to create themed cocktail recipes, trivia nights, and related online content.

Folger Foe-lios
Illustration of Puck on a throne of books

Folger Foe-lios

A series of 5E adventures, set in a fantastical realization of the Folger and featuring objects from our collection. Complete with footnotes.

Shakespeare's Birthday Lecture
Dr. Patricia Akhimie

Shakespeare's Birthday Lecture

Every year, in commemoration of William Shakespeare’s birthday, the Institute invites a scholar to speak about Shakespeare and early modern life.

Critical Race Conversations
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Critical Race Conversations

A series of free online sessions to address an expansive range of topics in the field of early modern critical race studies.

Before 'Farm to Table'
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Before 'Farm to Table'

This Mellon Initiative in Collaborative Research featured a menu developed in partnership with José Andrés, as well as the multisensory dance/theatre performance

Past Programs

Gallery Talk: Elise Ansel
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Gallery Talk: Elise Ansel

Explore a feminist take on the history of Halloween’s most essential themes in this gallery talk with Elise Ansel as part of "Contemporary Art at the Folger," a rotating series that showcases the work of Folger Artist Fellows.
Fri, Oct 10, 2025, at 6:30pm
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Rose Exhibition Hall
The Bard, the Witch, and the Cauldron with Mhara Starling
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The Bard, the Witch, and the Cauldron with Mhara Starling

Join us for a virtual talk on the rich tapestry of Welsh stories preserved in medieval and early modern literature, with Mhara Starling, a Welsh author, folklorist, and modern-day Witch.
Wed, Oct 8, 2025, at 7pm
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Virtual
Antonio!
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Antonio!

Join us for a musical showcase of Antonio! a queer, punk, pirate musical starring Shakespeare's ultimate dramatic love interest. Antonio! reimagines all of Shakespeare's Antonios as one proudly queer pirate stealing hearts and booty on the high seas.
Sat, Sep 13, 2025 at 5pm
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Reading Room
Cocktails and Conversation: "Cultural Cadences" with Nakeisha Daniel and JaMeeka Holloway
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Cocktails and Conversation: "Cultural Cadences" with Nakeisha Daniel and JaMeeka Holloway

Join our fellows for an engaging and layered exploration of heightened language through the historical, linguistic, and performative intersections of Shakespearean English and the Gullah Geechee tradition.
Fri, Aug 15, 2025, 7pm
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Cocktails and Conversation with Michael W. Twitty
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Cocktails and Conversation with Michael W. Twitty

Join us for our next evening of "Cocktails and Conversation," with writer, culinary historian, and educator Michael W. Twitty! Arrive early for food and drink purchases from our café, and stay after the talk for a book signing.
Sat, Jul 26, 2025, 7pm
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Cocktails and Conversation with John Douglas Thompson and Daniela Varon

Cocktails and Conversation with John Douglas Thompson and Daniela Varon

Leading American Shakespearean actor John Douglas Thompson and theater director and Shakespearean acting specialist Daniela Varon will speak on the solo performance piece they are co-creating.
Fri, Jul 11, 2025, 7:30pm
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Reading Room
Queer Dramaturgy with Alexa Alice Joubin
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Queer Dramaturgy with Alexa Alice Joubin

Join Professor Alexa Alice Joubin for a workshop on queer dramaturgy before seeing the Folger Theatre production of Twelfth Night.
Fri, May 30, 2025, 6:30pm
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Foraged Mixology

Foraged Mixology

Join us for trivia and drinks made with several easy-to-forage plants, including the dandelion and elderflower. We’ll also be jamming out with DJ and past Artist Fellow Amy Reid, whose unique music is made from plant vibrations.
Fri, May 9, 2025, 6pm
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Cocktails and Conversation: "A Springtime Revival" with Douglas Clark
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Cocktails and Conversation: "A Springtime Revival" with Douglas Clark

Help the Folger bring a “lost play” back to life! Short-term Fellow Douglas Clark will share his exciting recent discovery—a handwritten English translation of a pastoral comedy set on a Greek island.
Thu, May 8, 2025, 7pm
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Shakespeare's Birthday Lecture: "Shakespeare Beyond Relevance" with Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper
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Shakespeare's Birthday Lecture: "Shakespeare Beyond Relevance" with Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper

Join us for the Folger Institute’s annual Shakespeare’s Birthday Lecture with Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper, Director of the Folger Shakespeare Library, who will be accompanied by a special guest. Free registration is required to attend.
Sat, Apr 19, 2025, 7pm
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Mixology: Game Night
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Mixology: Game Night

Join special guest Luis Carazo and our neighbors at Labyrinth Games and Puzzles for a truly unique evening of RPG, board games, and, of course, cocktails. Tickets will be available on Feb 6.
Fri, Feb 28, 2025 at 6pm
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Cocktails and Conversation with Luis Carazo
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Cocktails and Conversation with Luis Carazo

Engage your imagination and take a walk along the hero’s path with Luis Carazo! Learn about the world of role-playing games, its place within the broader spectrum of storytelling, and its impact as a community and empathy building tool.
Thu, Feb 27, 2025 at 7pm
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Workshop and Community Read: "Sweet Blood" with Camille Simone Thomas
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Workshop and Community Read: "Sweet Blood" with Camille Simone Thomas

Join Whose Democracy? Artist Fellow Camille Simone Thomas for a workshop and community read of her speculative historical fiction play "Sweet Blood," set in 1727 Jamaica.
Sat, Feb 08, 2025 at 3:30pm
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Author Talk and Reading: "The Girls of Godzilla, Illinois" with Jami Nakamura Lin

Author Talk and Reading: "The Girls of Godzilla, Illinois" with Jami Nakamura Lin

How do we live with the things that haunt us? Join us online for a virtual talk with Jami Nakamura Lin and a reading from her current book project, which sets folklore—from both Edo period Japan and early modern Europe—against a suburban Chicago community.
Thu, Jan 16, 2025 at 6:30pm ET
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Coded Threads: Translating Shakespeare Through Art

Coded Threads: Translating Shakespeare Through Art

Leading Maryland fiber artists, including Folger Institute Artist Fellow Suzanne Coley, will present modern needlework designs inspired by Shakespeare.
Sat, Nov 16, 2024, at 11:30am
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Support our Work

If you would like to make a special gift to The Dr. Kathleen Lynch Fund, supporting the Folger Institute and public humanities, please visit the Support Us page, select “Folger Research,” and make a note in the “In honor of” or “Comments” section. Through this Fund, the Folger Institute will be better positioned to not only support and further advance research, but also invite broader and more public audiences into the Institute’s work.

Make a Donation