Connect Beyond returns to Asheville April 22 + 23. This homegrown music, art, and film festival uses the power of storytelling to build inclusive and supportive communities — and we can't wait.

Here’s what you need to know about the fest:

It has a mission. Connect Beyond is committed to harnessing the power of multimedia storytelling “to inspire personal growth, to cultivate curiosity, creativity and collaboration, and to drive social change.”
It’s Asheville’s version of SXSW. The schedule is packed with events designed to expand conversation. Founder Jessica Tomasin describes it as “a series of TED Talks meets your favorite podcast meets a Tiny Desk concert series meets Sundance Film Festival.”

There’s still a lot of live music. Jessica manages Echo Mountain Recording, so expect famous and up-and-coming artists. This year features Epic Convergence, a musical event featuring artists like James Nasty, MA-less, and Shana Tucker expanding the possibilities of multi-genre sound.

Prose and productions with a purpose are front and center. Expect a “fireside chat” with award-winning author and journalist Megan Twohey, a reading from Terraform, the debut essay collection from musician + activist Propaganda, a lineup of curated, culture-shifting films, and a presentation from Dr. Benjamin Gilmer, who will be sharing the bizarre true story behind his book (and one of the most popular This American Life episodes ever).

It’s Asheville's connection to the Sundance Institute. Connect Beyond is working with Sundance Collab, a team from the Sundance Institute that helps create learning opportunities for artists all over the world. They’ll present a panel called Storytelling for Impact.

Events will be held at The Orange Peel, Asheville Art Museum and Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. Get tickets ($111+) here.

Love the Connect Beyond experience? Festival organizers created a multimedia club (think book discussions, movie nights + more) so you can keep the conversations going.

This piece was written by former AVLtoday City Editor Ali McGhee, PhD. She is the Culture and Team Development Leader at 6AM City. She's also a freelance journalist, creative writer, and a cheerleader for the Asheville arts scene.