Arts & Lectures kicks off 65th season

Setting the stage for another season of world-class performances and compelling films and speakers, UC Santa Barbara's Arts & Lectures programming for 2024-25 begins in October with a kickoff concert by a Grammy-winning ensemble.

Dubbed "a quintessential live band" by the New York Times, the quasi-jazz collective Snarky Puppy plays the 2,000-seat Arlington Theatre in downtown Santa Barbara on October 1. Presented in collaboration with the ARTS District of Santa Barbara, the evening opens at 6 p.m. with a "Jazz & Gelato" live DJ set by KCRW's Nassir Nassirzadeh, plus installations, prizes and gelato and ice cream from nearby shops. Snarky Puppy goes on at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices vary, with discount pricing for UCSB students.

Also at the Arlington, at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, tech and education pioneer Salman Khan will discuss his new book, "Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That's a Good Thing)" (Penguin Random House, 2024).

In 2006, Khan founded the nonprofit Khan Academy, a free online resource where students can view short video lessons in a variety of subjects and educators have access to practice exercises and other materials. Today the platform has more than 62 million registered users in 190 countries.

With the explosion of AI in recent years, students can get a leg up, says Khan, who holds three degrees from MIT in mathematics, electrical engineering and computer science, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. "(AI) could take your average student and turn them into an exceptional student (and) it can take your below-average student and turn them into an above-average student," he said. The eventis free for UCSB students.

A schedule of the entire 2024-25 A&L season is available here.

About UC Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.