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Arts & Culture
May 19, 2026
PBS Gears up for the 250th with a Rebroadcast of ‘The American Revolution’

PBS will mark the nation’s 250th anniversary with a renewed presentation of The American Revolution, the six-part documentary series directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, made with support from the Blavatnik Family Foundation. First broadcast last fall after nine years in production, the series offers a broad examination of the people, ideas, and conflicts that shaped the founding of the United States. From May 25 through July 12, the series will stream for free on PBS platforms, expanding public access to a major work of American history. PBS will also rebroadcast the series twice, including a July 4 marathon aligned with the semiquincentennial. The Foundation’s support reflects its commitment to advancing access to rigorous, widely available cultural and educational programming. The broader PBS lineup will explore American history through documentaries, genealogy, science, and material culture, inviting audiences to revisit the Revolutionary era with fresh attention to its complexity, legacy, and continuing relevance.

Arts & Culture
May 11, 2026
Becoming America: How Science Shaped a Nation Opens at The Science Museum this October

The Blavatnik Family Foundation is pleased to serve as a major funder of Becoming America: How Science Shaped a Nation, a new exhibition at the Science Museum in London. Opening on October 23, 2026, and presented in connection with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the free exhibition explores the role of science in the emergence of the United States. Through maps, paintings, instruments, artifacts, and a rare surviving 1776 print of the Declaration of Independence, Becoming America examines how scientific knowledge shaped—and was shaped by—land, people, and power during the decades from the 1760s to the first U.S. presidency in the 1790s. The exhibition brings together a complex history that includes colonial scientific ambition, Indigenous scientific practices, and the knowledge and experiences of enslaved and free African-descended peoples. The Foundation’s support helps expand public access to thoughtful, object-based storytelling that connects science, history, and culture across generations.

Arts & Culture
May 7, 2026
Carnegie Hall’s Concert of the Century Gala Became a Love Letter to Tomorrow

The Blavatnik Family Foundation was pleased to support Carnegie Hall’s 50th anniversary celebration of the “Concert of the Century,” a gala evening honoring one of the Hall’s most storied musical milestones. Held on May 5, 2026, the event marked 50 years since the original 1976 concert, organized by Isaac Stern to commemorate the anniversary of Carnegie Hall’s opening. This year’s celebration brought together distinguished artists, including Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Renée Fleming, Joyce DiDonato, Audra McDonald, Michael Feinstein, Emanuel Ax, Lang Lang, Daniil Trifonov, the Oratorio Society of New York, and the NYO-USA All-Stars, an ensemble of accomplished alumni from Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America. As a longtime supporter of Carnegie Hall, the Foundation is proud to help sustain the institution’s artistic, educational, and social impact programs, ensuring that exceptional music-making continues to reach audiences and inspire future generations.

Arts & Culture
May 6, 2026
Ken Burns’s Film The American Revolution to Stream for Free on PBS in Lead Up to 250th Anniversary

Ahead of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, PBS will make the full series of Ken Burns' "The American Revolution" available to stream for free from May 25 through July 12, 2026, with additional broadcasts on PBS stations on July 3 and July 4. Through support for this project, the Foundation helps advance public understanding of history and expand access to high-quality educational storytelling. The series invites audiences to engage with the people, events, and ideas that shaped the American Revolution and continue to shape the United States today.

Arts & Culture
April 20, 2026
V&A East Storehouse and Norwich Castle Among Finalists for Museum of the Year

V&A East Storehouse has been named a finalist for the 2026 Art Fund Museum of the Year prize, recognizing the new East London site for its fresh approach to public engagement and access to collections. Located in the Olympic Park in Stratford, the space has rethought how museum collections can be experienced by opening up storage and display in ways that bring visitors into closer contact with the V&A’s holdings. The winner of the £120,000 prize will be announced on June 25, 2026, at the Cutty Sark in London. In 2023, the Foundation and Warner Music Group jointly provided £10 million to create The David Bowie Centre for the Study of Performing Arts at V&A East and to secure 90,000 items from the David Bowie Archive for the nation and the public.

Arts & Culture
April 13, 2026
Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction Announces Judges for 2026 as Submissions Open

The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction has announced its 2026 judging panel and opened submissions for books published between November 1, 2025, and October 31, 2026. Chaired by broadcaster and arts journalist Kirsty Lang, the panel brings together expertise from literature, journalism, bookselling, and cultural life, reflecting the prize’s broad engagement with contemporary nonfiction. The 2026 judges also include Bea Carvalho, Dr. Tiffany Jenkins, Sam Leith, Ravi Mattu, and Elif Shafak. The prize is open to authors of any nationality and recognizes nonfiction across fields, including current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography, and the arts. Key dates for the year ahead include a June 5 submission deadline, a longlist in September, a shortlist in October, and the winner announcement on November 4. The awards event will be generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation.

Arts & Culture
April 9, 2026
Martha Graham Dance Company & Tiler Peck and More Featured In Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2026

Jacob’s Pillow’s 94th Dance Festival will bring a wide-ranging summer season to Becket, Massachusetts, from June 24 through August 30, 2026, with performances, talks, exhibits, workshops, livestreams, and community programming featuring artists from the United States and abroad. Spanning 10 weeks and multiple venues across the campus, the festival reflects Jacob’s Pillow’s distinctive role as both a presenting organization and a gathering place for artistic exchange, learning, and public engagement. This year’s program includes major milestones and returns, including San Francisco Ballet’s first appearance at the festival in 70 years, Akram Khan Company’s final touring production, and Martha Graham Dance Company’s centennial year. The season will also open with a gala honoring New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck as the recipient of the 2026 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award. Alongside performances, the festival will offer public conversations, archival and gallery exhibitions, educational activities, and family and community events throughout the summer. The Foundation is proud to support Jacob’s Pillow and Tiler Peck.

Arts & Culture
April 6, 2026
Film Festival Brought Revolution Alive Again

The 2026 Gettysburg Film Festival brought national attention to the nation’s founding, convening historians, filmmakers, military leaders, authors, and performers for three days of films, discussions, and live events that explored the American Revolution and the enduring questions of liberty, self-governance, and national unity. With more than 8,000 tickets sold in advance and strong attendance across venues, the weekend reflected deep public engagement with history and its continued relevance in American civic life. Across the festival, conversations returned to the complexity of the country’s founding, the human dimensions of leadership and sacrifice, and the importance of participating actively in democracy. Appearances by Ken Burns, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, Rick Atkinson, Susan Eisenhower, Jeff Shaara, Chris Mackowski, and members of the original cast of Hamilton underscored the festival’s role as a vibrant forum for historical reflection, public dialogue, and cultural exchange. The Blavatnik Family Foundation is proud to support Ken Burns, The Better Angels Society, and the Gettysburg Film Festival.

Arts & Culture
March 28, 2026
Dance Theatre of Harlem and Gateways Festival Orchestra Team Up for “Firebird”

Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Gateways Festival Orchestra will come together for the first time in April 2026 for a live-orchestra presentation of Firebird at New York City Center, bringing two legacy institutions into collaboration around a work that highlights artistic excellence, cultural continuity, and the power of artistry in classical music and dance. The production will feature 58 Black professional classical musicians from leading orchestras, conservatories, and the freelance community, alongside Dance Theatre of Harlem’s New York season programming and its annual Vision Gala, which supports both the company’s artistic season and its school. The Warner Music Group & Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund is a supporter of Dance Theatre of Harlem.

Arts & Culture
March 26, 2026
Gettysburg Film Festival Featuring 250th Celebration, ‘Hamilton’ Stars

The Gettysburg Film Festival is set to return on April 4 with a focus on the American Revolution to commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary, featuring a star-studded lineup and a special star-spangled banner. Launched in 2023 by award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns, Burns returns to Gettysburg to share selections from his new series, ''The American Revolution," and lead conversations about the 250th anniversary. Among the conversations and events in 2026, the festival will feature several members of the original Broadway cast of the hit musical "Hamilton," including Phillipa Soo, who played Eliza Hamilton, Christopher Jackson, who played George Washington, and Okieriete Onaodowan, who played Hercules Mulligan and James Madison. Additional conversations will feature discussions with historians and policy experts, such as Susan Eisenhower, the CEO of the Eisenhower Group and granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower; and retired United States Army General Stanley McChrystal, who led the Joint Special Operations Command from 2003 to 2008. The Foundation is a long time supporter of Ken Burns and the Gettysburg Film Festival.

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