Posted: Wednesday 7 April, 2021

Adelaide Festival of Ideas Returns in 2021

Illuminate Adelaide in partnership with the University of Adelaide presents a new iteration of the Adelaide Festival of Ideas in 2021. 

Ideas matter. They define how we see the world, and provide a sense of what the future could look like. In 2020 they were more important than ever as scientists raced to find vaccines, mass social movements mobilised millions of citizens and environmental crises threatened our very existence. 2021 is the perfect moment to reinvigorate the Adelaide Festival of Ideas in partnership with University of Adelaide and unpack the notion: Bright Future. 

University of Adelaide Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Høj AC said: “The University of Adelaide is delighted to be hosting and curating this year’s Adelaide Festival of Ideas. 

“Our University has been a supporter of the Adelaide Festival of Ideas since it began more than 20 years ago. As the leading institution in South Australia for the creation of new knowledge, ideas and innovation, our campus is a natural home for the festival.”

For this year’s special program as part of Illuminate Adelaide, guest curators are Yuwallarai journalist and activist Kirstie Parker, social entrepreneur and 2021 Young Australian of the Year Isobel Marshall and Head of Humanities at the South Australian Museum Professor John Carty.

Professor Peter Høj AC said “I am proud to see that among the guest curators for this event are a current student who is also a socially minded innovator, Isobel Marshall, and a current staff member who is a professor of anthropology, Professor John Carty. They will make a unique contribution to this event.”

“We look forward to welcoming many visitors from the community onto our beautiful campus, to engage with leading thinkers on issues that are critical to our world’s future and our society’s prosperity.”

Together, they will invite great minds from around Australia and the world to explore a range of ideas vital to capturing this moment in history. A socially, culturally and environmentally inspiring program of panel discussions, debates and keynote speeches will be scheduled across four days, with many of the sessions free.

The full program will be announced in May.