A feature in The Times of Israel explores how Israeli musician Noga Erez and her partner and collaborator, Ori Rousso, navigated the professional and personal upheaval following the October 7, 2023 attacks and ensuing war. Facing canceled performances, online abuse and cultural boycotts, the pair feared their international career might be over—but chose to keep creating and performing. The Times of Israel Their perseverance brought renewed momentum, with most shows across North America and Europe selling out. A performance at Coachella in April 2026 marked a significant milestone, and the pair are preparing to bring their expanded production to larger venues on their spring 2027 tour. Noga, a documentary supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, with Len Blavatnik serving as an executive producer premiered at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival and explores the intersection of Erez’s music, identity, and personal responsibilities. Through a close look at her creative partnership with Rousso, their relationship and their journey into parenthood, the documentary offers an intimate portrait of the life behind the performances.
A new feature in The Past explores Becoming America: How Science Shaped a Nation, a free exhibition at London’s Science Museum supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation as a major funder. Opening on October 23, 2026, the exhibition examines how science and technology shaped the land, peoples, and emerging identity of the United States during the decisive decades from the 1760s to the 1790s. The feature highlights the knowledge and experiences of Anglo-American colonists, Indigenous nations, and enslaved and free people of African descent, and the ways their distinct scientific practices intersected amid colonization and political change. Examples range from Indigenous navigation and canoe-making and African expertise in rice cultivation to Benjamin Franklin’s mapping of the Gulf Stream and the surveying of the Mason-Dixon Line. It also considers scientific influences on the Declaration of Independence and the role of agriculture and natural history in shaping national identity. Running through April 25, 2027, the exhibition offers free public access to a multifaceted account of how science both shaped—and was changed by—the emergence of the United States.
New York City Ballet’s 2026 Fall Season will bring together landmark works, new commissions and significant revivals across four weeks of performances beginning September 22. The season opens with George Balanchine’s Jewels and continues with repertory by Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Christopher Wheeldon, and Alexei Ratmansky. At the annual Fall Fashion Gala on October 1, the Company will present three world premieres by Jennifer Archibald, Justin Peck, and Alysa Pires, created in collaboration with leading fashion designers. Support from Emily Blavatnik and the Blavatnik Family Foundation is making possible Peck’s new pas de deux, featuring costumes by Simone Rocha and an original score by Gabriel Kahane. The season will also mark the return of Balanchine’s rarely performed Pithoprakta, staged by Suzanne Farrell for its first New York City Ballet performances since 1969. It concludes on October 18 with a farewell performance honoring Principal Dancer Adrian Danchig-Waring after more than 23 years with the Company.
On September 9, 2026, 2,977 lights rose above New York Harbor and assembled into the Twin Towers at full architectural scale. Created ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the public artwork honored each life lost and offered a shared moment of remembrance, reflection and unity. Developed in collaboration with members of the 9/11 family, survivor and first-responder communities, 2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor began as a spiraling helix before forming the towers in the night sky. The installation was conceived in dialogue with the iconic "Tribute in Light" and accompanied by reflective musical works from Philip Glass, John Adams, and Max Richter. The project was produced by Addison Mehr and Sky Elements and made possible entirely through private philanthropy and in-kind contributions. Major support came from the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, 9/11 family members and the Blavatnik Family Foundation, with additional support from Pershing Square Philanthropies. Sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts, the installation was presented as a gift to New York City and to everyone whose life has been affected by September 11.
The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction unveiled its 2026 longlist today, Thursday 3rd September, featuring 13 remarkable books showcasing that all the best stories are true. This year’s longlist brings together vivid biographies and revelatory true stories, including of major literary figure James Baldwin, romance novelist and socialite Barbara Cartland, and eighteenth-century naturalist and explorer George Forster. Readers are also taken from the ancient world through the life of Alexander the Great to the famed Parisian Hôtel Lutetia during its wartime transformation. Other subjects include a range of historical investigations and first-hand accounts that illuminate conflict, power and identity, from Berlin during the Second World War, revolution in Syria and art, survival and resistance in wartime Ukraine, to espionage in Cold War Iran and the geopolitical mystery of Nord Stream. The longlist also explores the high-profile investigation surrounding French film icon Alain Delon, the tragic story of London teenager Zac Brettler, and offers an intimate portrait of Putin's Russia. The winner will be announced on Wednesday 4 November at an award ceremony at BMA House, generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation.
The documentary film, Noga, will receive a free open-air screening in Kyiv on August 30 as part of the 17th Odesa International Film Festival. Directed by Jono and Benji Bergmann, executive produced by Len Blavatnik and supported by the Foundation, Noga follows Israeli musician Noga Erez and her partner and collaborator, Ori Rousso, over five years of creative work, international touring, and personal change. The October 7 attacks and the war that followed alter the course of the story, bringing questions of identity, artistic responsibility, and public pressure to the fore. The Kyiv presentation follows the film’s June 2026 world premiere at the Tribeca Festival and subsequent festival screenings in Munich, Jerusalem, and San Francisco.
Time Out has highlighted Becoming America: How Science Shaped a Nation, a major free exhibition supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, opening at London’s Science Museum on October 23, 2026, to mark 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Spanning four decisive decades from the 1760s to the first U.S. presidency in the 1790s, the exhibition explores how science and technology shaped the land, peoples, and emerging identity of the United States. More than 100 maps, paintings, scientific instruments, and artifacts will illuminate the knowledge and experiences of Anglo-American colonists, Indigenous Americans, and enslaved and free people of African descent. Highlights include a rare surviving 1776 print of the Declaration, objects associated with King George III and George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin’s pioneering chart of the Gulf Stream.
Emily Blavatnik and Laila Blavatnik will serve as Gala Grand Chairs of American Ballet Theatre’s 2026 Fall Gala, joining fellow mother-and-daughter pairs in support of the Company and its artists. The event, taking place October 29 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, will honor acclaimed stage and screen artist Cynthia Erivo for her contributions to the performing arts and her ability to connect audiences through storytelling across disciplines. Titled Angels and Demons, the one-night-only program will be curated by ABT Artistic Director Susan Jaffe and will explore its celestial and mischievous theme through dance. The evening will feature excerpts from Coppélia, Swan Lake, La Sylphide, and Sylvia, followed by dinner and dancing on the theater’s Promenade. Proceeds will support ABT’s productions, new works, dancer training, education initiatives, and community engagement programs.
Noga, the documentary supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and executive produced by Leonard Blavatnik is about to get its Austrian theatrical release. Directed by Vienna-based brothers Jono and Benji Bergmann, the film follows Israeli musician Noga Erez and her partner and collaborator, Ori Rousso, over five years of creative work and personal change. The October 7 attacks and the war in Gaza alter the course of the documentary, expanding it from an artist portrait into an examination of identity, cultural boycotts, public pressure and artistic responsibility. Following its world premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival, Noga has continued to reach audiences at international film festivals and draw awards attention. The film will have its Austrian premiere at Vienna’s Stadtkino on August 20 and open in selected cinemas on August 21.
Providing many of the world's best researchers, scientists, and universities with support, and funding to discover breakthroughs that solve humankind's greatest challenges.
The Foundation contributes to renowned institutions that showcase the breadth of arts and culture, including performance, exhibition and education.
The Blavatnik Archive is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to preserving and disseminating materials that contribute to the study of 20th-century Jewish and world history, with a special emphasis on World War I, World War II, and Soviet Russia.
