Fall of Freedom

October 2, 2026; 6:00 – 7:30 PM

Free & Open to the Public. Refreshments provided.

Join us for an evening of creative expression and connection exploring themes of freedom, activism, protest, and collective expression through visual art, sound, performance, conversation, and theater.

Fall of Freedom is a nationwide initiative bringing arts and cultural organizations together to explore and celebrate freedom of expression through creative programming. At Wake Forest, Fall for Freedom invites our community to consider the role of art, performance, and dialogue in engaging with questions of freedom, democracy, activism, and civic life.

Beginning at 6:00 PM in Hanes Art Gallery, guests are invited to explore Hank Willis Thomas: High Visibility with student docents and our Assistant Director, Rachael Hayes, who will share context about Thomas’s work and its connections to the themes of Fall for Freedom.

Dr. Claire Crawford, Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics and International Affairs and the Program of African American Studies, and Jonathan Herbert, Professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, will then lead a participatory experience bringing together sound, freedom songs, and student performances and readings inspired by themes of freedom, activism, and protest.

Dr. Brook Davis, Professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, will connect the evening’s conversations to The Firebugs, Wake Forest University Theatre’s production of Max Frisch’s political satire exploring complacency in the face of danger.

Following the Fall for Freedom program, guests are encouraged to stay for the 7:30 PM performance of The Firebugs on the Tedford Stage in Scales Fine Arts Center.

The Fall for Freedom program is free and open to the public. A separate ticket is required to attend The Firebugs.

Presented as part of Fall for Freedom, with support from Wake the Arts.

Scales Fine Arts Center, 1775 Wake Forest Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27109